Kiloview 12G-SDI/USB to NDI Bi-Directional Converter

The Kiloview N50 is a professional broadcast-grade 12G-SDI/USB to NDI bidirectional hardware converter. Acting as the 12G-SDI counterpart to the HDMI-focused N60 model, the N50 combines a high-performance FPGA hardware chip with advanced H.264/H.265 processing.

It functions as an all-in-one transceiver, meaning it can either encode a premium baseband 4K SDI camera signal into low-latency IP streams or decode network IP video back out to traditional SDI equipment and broadcast switchers. It fully bridges ecosystems by supporting high-bandwidth Full NDI, NDI|HX2, NDI|HX3 (with NDI 6.0 HDR support), and internet-friendly SRT protocols.

Core Engineering and Operational Features

• True 12G-SDI Bidirectional Flex: The hardware operates as a half-duplex transceiver. In Encoding Mode, it ingests a 4K60 12G-SDI feed from a studio camera or playback deck and pushes it to the network. In Decoding Mode, it pulls an NDI or SRT stream off the network and outputs it cleanly via the 12G-SDI port (with a second 12G-SDI port acting as a physical Loop-out).

• Tier-1 Broadcast Image Fidelity: Tailored for sports broadcasting, live events, and high-stakes medical imaging, the N50 supports YCbCr 4:2:2 color space, 10-bit color depth, and 4K HDR pipelines. This preserves precise color accuracy and prevents video artifacts or compression bands over complex gradients.

• Dual-Interface USB 3.0 Extensibility: The chassis features a USB 3.0 Type-A port and a USB 3.0 Type-C port. You can connect a standard USB web camera to the Type-A port to encode it into the NDI ecosystem, or patch the Type-C port directly to a computer to treat the N50 as a driverless, high-quality plug-and-play USB capture card input (UVC).

• Interactive Dashboard with the Magic Rotor: For rapid, on-the-fly troubleshooting, the front panel features a bright 1.96-inch color LCD display paired with a rotary clickable dial called the Magic Rotor. This allows engineers to verify resolution formats, change IP assignments, set configuration shortcuts, and switch target network channels without needing an external computer.

• Dual Gigabit Ethernet Ports with PoE: The module comes equipped with two 1000Mbps RJ-45 Ethernet ports. The primary port supports PoE+ power distribution (IEEE 802.3at, 24W max), allowing power, multi-channel audio, tally, and 4K video data to travel down a single copper network drop.

• Local TF Card Backup Recording: To guard against network interruptions, a dedicated built-in TF/microSD slot handles storage expansion for up to 2TB cards. It records broadcast-standard .mov master backup files directly on the unit, preventing dropped frames if local network switches experience a data bottleneck or fluctuation.

• Integrated Voice Intercom, Tally, and PTZ Telemetry: The large front LCD screen pulls double duty as a highly visible Program/Preview (PGM/PVW) Tally indicator. The unit natively supports bidirectional voice intercom networks using a USB headset linked to the Kiloview Intercom System (KIS). Additionally, it passes remote PTZ camera commands seamlessly across IP or via a USB-to-serial conversion cable using VISCA, Pelco-D, or Pelco-P protocols.

Hardware Technical Specifications Matrix

💡 Operational System Tips for the N50 Converter

The 12G-SDI Baseband Cable Shielding Rule: When running 4K60 video over SDI, standard 3G-SDI cables will fail or cause severe signal dropouts due to the massive 12 Gigabit data rate. Always ensure you are utilizing high-quality, continuous 75-Ohm 12G-SDI rated coaxial cables (such as Belden 1694A or 4794R) for your physical runs. Keep your physical cable runs between the camera and the N50 within recommended engineering thresholds (typically under 50-60 meters for copper 12G) to maintain structural signal integrity before it hits the N50's hardware encoding matrix.

• Optimizing Heavy 4K Multi-Cam Traffic with KiloLink: If you are managing an expansive studio environment populated by several N50 units encoding simultaneous 4K streams, connect the devices to the Kiloview KiloLink Server software platform. This central management ecosystem allows your engineering crew to monitor bitrates, push firmware updates, adjust color profiles, and toggle between encoding and decoding modes across dozens of separate N50 modules from a single web interface.

• Physical Rigging for Mobile Broadcast Production: The rugged metal chassis is manufactured with dedicated physical mounting points on the casing. It includes native compatibility for cold-shoe mounts (to secure the N50 cleanly on top of a standard field camera handle) as well as V-mount battery plate brackets, allowing it to be sandwiched seamlessly onto a heavy-duty production battery rig for untethered wireless or field deployments.