AJA helps to prepare AV professionals at Singapore Polytechnic 2:23 AM (23 minutes ago)
Singapore Polytechnic (SP) built a new state-of-the-art, NDI-based video production studio which includes solutions as an AJA BRIDGE LIVE IP video bridge.
Singapore Polytechnic (SP), a leading Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) in Southeast Asia, embraces the latest AV technologies to enhance its curricula and ready students for the professional world post-graduation. Collaborating with broadcast and AV systems integrator IDEAL Systems, the school built a new state-of-the-art, NDI-based video production studio and remote production pipeline to support events and hands-on student training. An AJA BRIDGE LIVE IP video bridge supports seamless integration of existing baseband and new Internet Protocol (IP) technologies, so students receive exposure to both.
AJA Video Systems has shared the story behind the project, which we publish here, as it may be useful information for any other institution aiming to follow the same path. Here is what AJA said about how Singapore Polytechnic readies aspiring AV professionals for Live IP productions with AJA:
The vision for the new studio was inspired by SP’s Diploma in Integrated Events and Project Management (DEPM) program syllabus. Offered as part of a module that focuses on live and hybrid events, the program aims to train students via real-world projects, providing them with opportunities to create, plan, and execute live events. SP enlisted IDEAL Systems to architect the studio with this in mind. The design aimed to ensure student access to a broad range of equipment that live event production professionals use in the field today. At the same time, it needed to support school-related production demands for symposiums, launches, and other public events.
Having supported many successful past NDI deployments for remote production environments, IDEAL Systems quickly determined that a hybrid NDI/baseband SDI pipeline was the right path forward. “NDI is user-friendly and significantly more cost-effective to deploy and maintain than other IP alternatives, with all the traditional IP advantages like low latency, system flexibility, and simple cabling requirements,” explained Jack Jiang, AV Sales Manager at IDEAL Systems Singapore. “It also ensures discoverability and simplifies cloud workflows, plus the rapidly growing ecosystem of NDI equipment makes it a clear winner.”
Ensuring a flexible remote production workflow
Carrying this vision, IDEAL Systems built a studio and pipeline with portable rack units equipped with professional HD/UltraHD camcorders and NDI PTZ cameras for NDI low latency streaming and remote control. The units include mixers with Dante audio networking, wireless microphone systems to capture audio in dynamic environments without interference, and NDI-enabled network switches for fast, reliable data transfer to multiple video sources. SRT (secure reliable transport) 4G/5G wireless routers for secure data transmission are also integrated.
Each rack is configured to transmit live SRT audio and video signals from remote locations via the public internet to a control room on the SP campus. “We designed all six racks for optimal flexibility, with portability and extendibility also top considerations,” explained Jiang. “This way, the SP team could operate remotely with minimal infrastructure requirements, with SRT providing secure, low latency video and audio transport over the internet.”
From the remote site, SRT protocols are configured in “caller” mode to initiate connections through the internet, sending live signals to the control room, where an AJA BRIDGE LIVE connected to an internet router serves as the receiver in “listener” mode. BRIDGE LIVE then converts the SRT streams into NDI signals for input to Singapore Polytechnic’s video production system, which processes the feeds for live production and streaming. The video production system supports everything from switching to broadcast graphics, virtual sets, special effects, audio mixing, recording, social media publishing, and web streaming.
“We see NDI as a growing technology locally and globally, both in Broadcast and ProAV, thus making it a very useful skillset for Singapore Polytechnic students to have in the future. The fact that our client can use BRIDGE LIVE to convert SRT to NDI signals from multiple mobile racks simultaneously and transmit them to the control room is game-changing, and it gives them the flexibility to connect multiple mobile racks to a master control room for smoother, more efficient workflows, with steadfast reliability,” explained Jiang. “BRIDGE LIVE’s intuitive web interface makes the device easy to manage, and it can handle multiple streams simultaneously, which ensures a high-quality output with minimal latency high-quality output.”
Preparing students for the future
With AJA BRIDGE LIVE streamlining pure IP transcodes for the new studio and its bi-directional capabilities enabling simultaneous encoding/decoding, SP has simplified its remote production infrastructure while reducing costs. More importantly, Jiang concluded, “BRIDGE LIVE is giving Singapore Polytechnic lecturers a powerful instructional tool to ensure students receive a well-rounded background in traditional baseband SDI and IP technologies so that they can easily handle both when they enter the field.”
About BRIDGE LIVE
Developed in cooperation with streaming software experts Comprimato, BRIDGE LIVE is a turnkey solution built for critical streaming and contribution applications with high performance 12G-SDI video encoding/decoding, stream-based transcoding, with flexible 12G-SDI I/O, comprehensive metadata and closed caption support, all within a compact 1RU form factor with redundant power supplies.
PVC at NAB 2025 – Deity microphones allows you to afforably hear your actors on set 15 Apr 7:15 PM (7 hours ago)
At NAB 2025, Deity Microphones introduced the THEOS DIFB that allows producers, directors, and others to monitor audio on set. At $300 per unit, or $1,100 for a three-piece bundle, it offers the most affordable capability in its price range compared to competitors.
PVC at NAB 2025 – Turn any lamp into an LED Source with the Astera LunaBulb 15 Apr 7:09 PM (7 hours ago)
Alec Cohen stopped by the Astera booth at NAB 2025 to check out two new updates for the LunaBulb related to new accessories kit and a new charging kit. The Luna Reflector, Luna Shade, Diffuser, Lens, and Snoot allow users to dial in the kind of light they need. Additionally, the new blue mode in the charging case allows users to quickly address and channel the bulbs.
Tool Tip Tuesday for Adobe Premiere Pro: Drag and drop – between Apps. 15 Apr 11:54 AM (14 hours ago)
Welcome to Tool Tip Tuesday for Adobe Premiere Pro on ProVideo Coalition
TL;DR: Sometimes, the answer is copy and paste; sometimes, it’s drag and drop.
Adobe applications have some hidden, powerful exchange methods.
Last week, I had an interesting accident. I needed to downgrade a Premiere project from the beta version to the current version.
Obligatory: you shouldn’t be using the beta version for professional projects. Yes, you can open a project in the beta or current version.
Instead, I did a copy-paste. Both apps open. And it just worked..
This is not an officially blessed workflow. Speaking of unsanctioned, it’s possible to downgrade any project – using one of two websites – to earlier versions of Adobe Premiere Pro. ElementsTV downgrader. Josh Cluderay downgrader
Again, the caution: You shouldn’t use beta software in production; you shouldn’t use these downgraders as “bad things might happen.”
Meanwhile, I copied and pasted the shipping version and the beta version of Premiere Pro. I selected what I wanted, hit Command+C, opened the older Premiere version, hit Command+V, and boom—it worked!
Curious, I explored further. Could I copy from Premiere to After Effects?
Initially, pasting clips directly failed.
But when I created a comp first in After Effects, then pasting Premiere clips into the comp – it worked perfectly – and remained in sync/with their original in/out points from the timeline I sourced them from.
Result:
Going backward—After Effects to Premiere—I selected a comp, pasted into Premiere…didn’t exactly work. It created a new sequence in the Premiere Pro project (instead of a comp.)
But drag and drop DID WORK – but it has to be drag and drop to the Premiere Project
Note: Take a look at the screenshot above – there’s lots of “dead space” before the six clips I chose. When the comp returned, it had “dead space” from the beginning of the Adobe Premiere Pro sequence.
If you adjust the work area in Adobe After Effects, you can use the Composition > Trim Comp to Work Area in AE.
How about Media Encoder?
Copy-paste didn’t work from either Premiere or After Effects into Media Encoder.
But dragging and dropping worked seamlessly: Premiere timelines and After Effects Comps could all be dragged directly into Media Encoder.
Here’s a quick reference table summarizing these findings:
| Action | Copy & Paste | Drag & Drop |
|---|---|---|
| Premiere Beta → Premiere | Yes | No |
| Premiere → After Effects | Yes (into comp) | No |
| After Effects → Premiere | Sorta (new sequence) | Yes (into project) |
| Premiere → Media Encoder | No | Yes |
| After Effects → Media Encoder | No | Yes |
Hopefully, this gives you just a little more flexibility between Adobe tools!
This series is courtesy of Adobe.
Jetbuilt helps integrators to navigate tariffs 15 Apr 7:36 AM (19 hours ago)
Jetbuilt unveils new tools to help audiovisual integrators quote accurately, protect margins, and communicate pricing changes transparently amid fluctuating global tariffs.
The new tools announced by Jetbuilt have a clear goal in these uncertain times: give integrators the resources to navigate tariffs with confidence and clarity. As trade policies continue to shift and evolve, Jetbuilt is stepping up to provide greater transparency, accuracy and support for audiovisual professionals navigating uncertain pricing environments.
Tariffs always introduce changes but the situation now asks for a more drastic approach, as the recent tariffs introduce unpredictable cost increases at the product level, affecting dealer pricing and profit margins. As price changes are detected, Jetbuilt automatically flags any impacted items on active projects – a feature exclusive to Jetbuilt – alerting users immediately when a quoted item requires review. Jetbuilt’s level of responsiveness ensures quotes are always accurate and up-to-date, even in the face of global trade conditions.
Another powerful tool, according to the company, “is Jetbuilt’s in-app project registration feature, which allows integrators to lock in pricing with manufacturers at the time of proposal. The registered projects are often honored by vendors for a defined time period, reducing the risk of unexpected increases. The registration feature is unique to Jetbuilt and is not currently available on competing platforms. Manufacturers connected to Jetbuilt’s registration system can view which of their products are being quoted and collaborate directly with integrators to ensure any potential tariffs are accounted for. This functionality not only helps manufacturers provide better service, but also empowers integrators to safeguard their margins by eliminating pricing ambiguity.”
To further support integrators, Jetbuilt now enables the addition of a tariff fee factor within company settings. The tariff fee factor can be applied as a flat rate or percentage and is standardized across all team members as a locked factor. It’s integrated into the equipment section of the quote, ensuring proper tax treatment and consistency, especially for global teams. An optional disclaimer text can also be added in the acceptance page of proposals to notify clients that additional tariffs may apply if imposed before project approval.
“The uncertainty around tariffs — when and how they’re applied and whether or not they’ll impact an integrator’s next project — can introduce risk into what should be a tightly controlled pricing process,” said Paul Dexter, chief executive officer for Jetbuilt. “Jetbuilt was built for times like these. With real-time pricing, seamless registration and intelligent tools, our platform empowers integrators to stay agile, informed and in control. We’re continuously working with manufacturers to ensure our users have the data and features they need because they chose Jetbuilt to make their work more efficient, and we’re here to deliver on that promise.”
Finally, Jetbuilt is actively working with industry-leading manufacturers to build out new tariff-specific pricing fields and support tools. As a cloud-based platform, Jetbuilt can roll out these updates immediately, offering unmatched agility to support integrators with the tools they need to quote confidently, protect margins and communicate clearly with clients.
To learn more about how Jetbuilt is supporting integrators through the uncertainty of tariffs, visit jetbuilt.com/tariff-resources/.
Reviewing DJI Mic Mini Wireless Microphone System 15 Apr 4:01 AM (22 hours ago)
The DJI Mic Mini 2-Person Compact Wireless Microphone System is an easy-to-use, high-quality solution for content creators, vloggers, and anyone who needs good audio without the cost and transmitter distance of higher-end systems. I tested the DJI Mic Mini primarily with a Nikon Z6 III mirrorless camera, and the smoothness and how seamlessly the DJI Mic Mini worked was the first things that piqued my interest. The DJI Mic Mini just worked once I added it to my camera and turned everything on. My testing did not include any of DJI’s cameras, like the Osmo Pocket 3 and Osmo Action 5 Pro, which I can easily imagine would work just as seamlessly as the system on the Nikon Z6 III I used for my testing.
Seamless Setup on a Mirrorless Camera
For mirrorless users, the DJI Mic Mini is as plug-and-play as any system I’ve seen in my years reviewing equipment. Setting it up with my Nikon Z6 III mirrorless camera was as simple as turning on the transmitter and receiver. What makes the DJI Mic Mini so great?
- Instant Pairing – The transmitters and receiver were already paired out of the box, connecting automatically within seconds.
- Easy Mounting – The receiver fits neatly onto the camera’s hot shoe mount, staying secure without adding extra weight.
- Perfect Length Cord – The 3.5mm cable damn near seems custom-made for whatever camera you’re using. I guess it helps that many mirrorless cameras place the 3.5mm audio input in similar places on their cameras.
- Live Audio Monitoring – One can adjust gain levels on the DJI Mini Mini receiver or in the camera settings. This gives users options and tend to not want to mess with a menu if I’ve already hit that record button.
In one of my most stressful tests, I used the DJI Mic Mini to shoot interviews in gusty wind surrounded by teens warming up for Marching Band competitions. The setting had all the elements that can cause unusable audio: strong winds, loud noises, and scratchy, noisy uniforms. I monitored the audio as best as I could with the Nikon Z6 III.
When I returned to the edit bay to check out the day’s footage, the audio sounded way better than expected. The wind noise was absent; I used the strongest wind cover supplied with the DJI Mic Mini, and the surrounding polluted audio space wasn’t picked up by the mics much. That’s a win for me.
When the winds picked up, and the background noise increased, the two-level active noise canceling did sound a tad wet to me. To me, that sounds like the system was actively working. I think this noise canceling will sound better in less difficult audio spaces.
Another thing to consider is that this system does not allow one to attach a wired Lavalier mic to the transmitter. In this case, the transmitter is the microphone. 
Perfect Compatibility with DJI Cameras
If you shoot with a DJI camera like the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 or action cameras, then you may want to add these mics to your arsenal. Even if you shoot video with your iPhone, with USB-C connection, you can use the DJI Mic Mini for cleaner audio.
- DJI Osmo Pocket 3 — Connect via Bluetooth without the need to use the receiver, which simplifies and keeps the Osmo Pocket 3 clean and clutter-free.
- DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro & Osmo Action 4 — Connect via Bluetooth without the need to use the receiver
If we think about audio, transmitters, and receivers, we can see that many use cases focus on the near range. I think this is where the DJI Mic Mini excels.
Battery Life & Range
Battery performance was good. I found the transmitter and receiver lasted the length of a full shoot day. That’s just enough to get you charged and ready to shoot by the next day. Obstacles can cause the transmitter range to drop a touch but that is pretty common and I think most will not be working in those type of situations. If I had to place a mic on someone who was going to be away from me, either distance or length of time, I think the magnet clip on the transmitter might worry me a touch. That is one thing that bothers me when magnets are used for accessories, magnets can grow weaker and dropping the small DJI Mic Mini transmitter in the grass could cause a bit of headache looking for it.
DJI Mic Mini Final Verdict
The DJI Mic Mini is a fantastic choice for mirrorless camera users, DJI camera owners, and smart phone shooters. Whether you’re using a Nikon Z6 III like I did, a DJI Osmo Pocket 3, or an Osmo Action 5 Pro, this mic system adapts to every scenario. The compact design, clear audio, and effortless setup make it a must-have for content creators who need a single, reliable microphone system for multiple devices.
PVC at NAB 2025 – Take a look at three new products from DZOFILM 14 Apr 6:35 PM (yesterday, 6:35 pm)
Alec Cohen stopped by the DZOFILM booth to learn how three new products could enable new types of shots. The Vespid Prime 2 are compact lenses with a minimum aperture of T 1.8, available in six focal lengths. The Extract Probe zoom lens has a narrow front element (less than 30mm diameter) for tight spaces. Lastly, the Arlay Luster Gold Primes have a gold coating and offer Vista Vision coverage, with only 100 sets to be released.
See all of our NAB 2025 coverage here.
PVC at NAB 2025 – Strada Agents set to improve remote workflows 14 Apr 6:25 PM (yesterday, 6:25 pm)
We’ve previously covered Strada, which is an AI-powered marketplace that aims to revolutionize the content creation industry by offering task-specific tools to improve workflow quality. At NAB 2025, Alec Cohen caught up with Michael Cioni to learn how Strada Agents allows users to instantly stream high-resolution video from local storage, removing the need for costly cloud uploads.
See all of our NAB 2025 coverage here.
What will tariffs mean for US video professionals? 14 Apr 5:43 AM (yesterday, 5:43 am)
In our politicized world, some topics have become polarized, and are often avoided. However, when policies have a direct impact on the tools we use to do our jobs, they’re worth examining. Here, I’ll keep a tight focus on the potential effects of the new US tariffs on the video and production industry, and try to stay as neutral as possible, as an independent overseas observer. Here’s a Q&A.
So what are tariffs anyway?
A tariff is a fee paid by the importer of a good sourced overseas. If a manufacturer in China exports a camera to the US, they will have to pay 54% 104% 145% of the shipped cost of that product to the US government, at the point of entry, before the goods can enter the country. (The tariff was actively increased from 54% to 104% on 9 April, and then to 145% soon after.)
What about the exemptions?
Late on April 11, many kinds of electronics were exempted from most tariffs, but it seems that all tariffs will still apply to cameras. Here’s that update (which applies retroactively to April 5) including a list of Harmonised System (HS) codes that have been exempted.
And what are HS codes?
HS codes are internationally standardised product code numbers used to classify traded items. Each one includes at least four digits, but often additional classification numbers follow after that. It’s similar to the Dewey decimal book classification system, but for everything.
Bearing in mind that I am not an import/export expert, computers (8471) and smartphones (8517.13) are in the list, as are TVs and monitors (8524), while currently video cameras and transmission apparatus (8525), lenses (9002) and motorised gimbals (8479.89.94) are not exempt.
As the situation is changeable, please check for the latest news before making any decisions.
Are cameras going up in price by 145%?
Not quite. The tariff is levied on the cost of production, not the cost at retail, and most items sold at retail include a large markup to cover the cost of distribution and sale. Items with a lower profit margin are likely to see larger increases.
It’s also worth noting that different countries are being hit with different tariff values.
How much will prices increase?
Different countries face different tariffs. China faces a 145% tariff (125% + a prior 20%), while Japan faces 24%, Vietnam 46%, South Korea 26%, India 27%, Thailand 37% and Indonesia 32% other countries all sit at 10%, at least for now. Here’s a list from the BBC on the original tariffs that were set, which may indeed return after a 90 day pause.
However, since China dominates a lot of camera, lens and electronics manufacturing, especially at the lower end, tariffs are likely to cause substantial price increases for US customers. If tariffs increase further, there is likely a point at which some goods simply aren’t exported to the US at all, due to uncertainty about the final sale price, or perhaps because the cost will be too high for the market to bear.
Why have these tariffs been introduced?
That the new US tariffs were advertised as “reciprocal” tariffs, but the maths shown indicates that they’re based on simple trade deficits rather than explicit tariffs charged by other governments.
Historically, tariffs have mostly been used to protect domestic industries from cheaper overseas competitors. For example, Australia used to have high tariff rates on foreign-made cars, but those the tariffs were gradually wound back. The Australian car industry, which wasn’t competitive with imported vehicles, collapsed. Here’s a quick history.
However, the costs of making many other goods is so much higher in the US that it simply can’t compete with overseas manufacturers in many industries, no matter how high the tariffs might go. Here’s a video from Lee Morris of Fstoppers, who explains what tariffs are, and how he was unable to make his product (a hot sauce bottle in a box) entirely in the US. And here’s a mathematically minded explanation.
The stated goal of these tariffs is to encourage investment in US manufacturing, but the lead time for competitive factories to spin up is many, many years.
Could some of these products be made in the US?
Potentially — but assembly in the US isn’t enough. If imported parts face a tariff at import, there would still likely be an impact on the final price, and many parts can’t be made in the US — either because quality isn’t high enough or the capacity isn’t there for the quantity needed. Building up domestic US manufacturing to the point where an iPhone could be made would take a decade or more of hard, expensive investment. By one assessment, it either couldn’t be done, or would cost many times more.
Similar issues apply to cars, for which components are made all over North America (also now subject to tariffs) and Boeing planes, assembled in the US from components sourced (at least in part) worldwide.
What does this mean for customers overseas?
It’s going to depend on how manufacturers decide to handle the situation. On one hand, if prices go up massively in the US, sales may drop so much in the US market that a company may struggle to survive. On the other hand, there’s little appetite among overseas customers to subsidize US customers with a global price hike.
Has anyone increased prices already?
Yes. Blackmagic announced their new PYXIS 12K camera at an MSRP of US$4995 (plus local taxes and duties) but over the weekend that was updated to US$6595 — a 32% increase. But it didn’t stay that high; a few days later it was reduced to US$5495, only a 10% increase from the original announcement. Still, this was before the latest tariff increase on China, so it’s hard to say exactly what the price might be next week. (Prices have not changed outside the US.)
Not all products have seen the same percentage increase, though. The Hyperdeck Shuttle 4K Pro has gone from $1495 to $1645 (13%) and the Cintel Scanner G3 HDR+ 8/16 moved from $32045 to $35255 (10%). This is to be expected — different products are likely made in different countries, and may have different profit margins for a variety of reasons.
(To be clear, I’m not criticising Blackmagic for these price increases at all — they just seem to be first to make a pricing change in turbulent economic conditions. If you want to check anything else, here’s a Wayback Machine link to the Blackmagic site in the past, though there aren’t enough snapshots to examine all the price rises and falls. Blackmagic have acknowledged the price rise in the US here.)
So what does that mean for the cost of all our other gear?
Computers, phones, tablets, and storage devices have all been exempted worldwide, but cameras, lenses and other video gear still face tariffs. Many of those are made in China, currently hit with large tariffs, and non-exempt products made in other countries still face a 10% tariff. If they don’t shift further, these price increases are likely to be passed on to consumers sooner or later.
Anything that’s already sitting in a warehouse in the US should be tariff-free, but newly imported goods will be hit with a tariff that will need to be paid. Whether that’s passed on in full or in part, sooner or later, is up to the companies involved.
Time will tell if the tariffs remain in place at these values (they’ve bounced around a lot since their announcement) and it’s hard to predict the outcomes. Certainly it’s possible that the cheapest end of the video market, dominated by China-made gear, will see a substantial price increase. Where there’s more competition and lower margins, the impact of tariffs will be felt more keenly, and items like video game consoles, typically sold at near-cost, could rise a lot.
While impacts will vary widely, costs can be expected to rise across the board. Even US-made goods will be hit, later on, when the impacts on the components that make up those goods are felt.
Conclusion
It’s well beyond the scope of this article to predict the full outcome of these tariffs on the price of our gear or our wider livelihoods. But… (and this is absolutely not financial advice!) if I lived in the US and will need a new camera or lens soon, I’d probably try to buy it before prices go up. Exemptions may be added; they may not. Other regions may introduce their own tariffs; they may not. These are uncertain times. Fingers crossed. Best of luck.
PVC at NAB 2025 – Starstruck by the AUREUS PRIME Lenses from NiSi Optics 13 Apr 6:28 PM (2 days ago)
NiSi’s new AUREUS PRIME lenses were unveiled at NAB 2025 show and Alec Cohen stopped by to detail why these lenses are being presented as the next step in cinema lens technology. Designed with the end-user in mind, he details how it creates the perfect ecosystem to utilize on set.
See all of our NAB 2025 coverage here.