Tony used six BirdDog cameras for a Silver Telly concert win

The immediate takeaway is that a six-camera live concert can be built and run with just two operators when PTZ cameras, NDI, and PoE are combined. Tony’s setup also shows how BirdDog cameras, Netgear’s M4250 switch, and a TriCaster can fit into one networked workflow without SDI-heavy cabling. For streaming and live events teams, the relevant signal is the repeated use of this setup across concerts and hybrid conferences, plus Tony’s emphasis on low-light P240 performance. Watch for whether he keeps specifying the M4250 with built-in NDI and BirdDog profiles in future productions.

The adoption of IP-based production continues to accelerate, with NDI leading the mid-market transition. Per NDI (December 2024), the protocol is projected to see a 50% increase in unit shipments by 2025. This growth is driven by strategic partnerships with major hardware vendors like Panasonic and AVer, which have standardized NDI across their professional PTZ lineups. While the high-end broadcast sector remains anchored to uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 standards, NDI’s lower barrier to entry allows smaller teams to manage complex multi-camera setups on standard 1Gb network infrastructure.

BirdDog has recently expanded its hardware capabilities to meet this rising demand. Per Pronews (May 2024), the company introduced the X1 and X1 Ultra PTZ cameras at NAB 2024, featuring AI-based tracking and integrated E-Ink displays for network status. These units support NDI|HX3, providing a balance of low bandwidth and high-quality video that is essential for the remote and outdoor productions seen in the Telly-winning concert case study. Additionally, BirdDog’s silicon-based NDI processing aims to keep latency below 16ms, making it a viable alternative to traditional direct-cable connections.

Networking infrastructure has matured alongside the cameras, specifically through Netgear’s M4250 AV Line. These switches are engineered to automate IGMP Plus multicast settings, which historically required deep IT expertise to prevent network flooding in video-over-IP setups. Per Netgear (November 2025), IP-based distribution is expected to grow from 38% to 65% of all AV deployments by 2030. This shift is supported by the addition of 100Gb uplinks in more recent M4350 models, which allow for the aggregation of hundreds of NDI streams in larger live event environments.