BirdDog FLEX 4K IN
The smallest Full NDI 4K60 encoder available. HDMI 2.0 input, everything over a single Ethernet cable. 135×85×25mm aircraft-grade aluminium housing. PoE+ powered.
- Ultra-compact 135×85×25mm form factor — the smallest Full NDI 4K60 encoder available, fits behind cameras and in spaces where no other NDI encoder would fit
- HDMI 2.0 input at 4K60 — full Ultra HD 60fps from any HDMI 2.0 camera, AV source or presentation device
- Full NDI encoding — functionally lossless, approximately one frame latency, the highest NDI quality standard
- Everything over a single Ethernet cable — video, power (PoE+), tally, audio intercom and PTZ camera control all carried over one Cat 6 cable from the switch
- PTZ camera control over Ethernet — control VISCA, Pelco-D and other PTZ protocol cameras via the same Ethernet connection without a separate RS-232 control cable
- Aircraft-grade aluminium construction in a housing smaller than most smartphones
What is the BirdDog FLEX 4K IN?
The FLEX 4K IN is the most compact Full NDI encoder in the BirdDog range — a 135×85×25mm device that encodes HDMI 2.0 at 4K60 to Full NDI with everything else — power, tally, intercom, PTZ control — delivered over the single Ethernet cable. It is designed for camera positions where space is severely constrained: behind PTZ camera heads, above suspended ceilings, inside camera housings and in any location where a larger encoder physically cannot fit.
The single-cable design is both the key feature and the defining installation advantage. One Cat 6 cable from the nearest PoE+ switch provides the FLEX 4K IN with its network connection, its power, its tally signal, its intercom circuit and its PTZ control path. Everything a camera position needs arrives from one cable run.
PTZ control over the same Ethernet cable
The FLEX 4K IN includes PTZ camera control capability — VISCA, Pelco-D and similar protocols — transmitted over the same Ethernet connection alongside the NDI video. Production software with NDI and PTZ control capability (vMix, Magewell Director) can pan, tilt and zoom the connected PTZ camera over the network without a separate RS-232 or IP control cable at the camera. This significantly simplifies PTZ camera installations in ceilings, walls and enclosures where running multiple cables is difficult or impossible.
FLEX 4K IN vs 4K HDMI
The FLEX 4K IN encodes at 4K60 Full NDI from HDMI 2.0 and adds PTZ control, in a dramatically smaller housing. The 4K HDMI adds simultaneous loop outputs (HDMI and 12G-SDI) and SFP+ 10GbE which the FLEX 4K IN does not have. Choose the FLEX 4K IN for space-constrained encoder positions without loop output requirements.
| Video Input | |
| HDMI Input | HDMI 2.0 (Type A) — up to 4K60 |
| NDI Output | |
| NDI Standard | Full NDI — 4K60 |
| Single Ethernet — all functions | |
| Video | Full NDI stream over Gigabit Ethernet |
| Power | PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at) via Ethernet |
| Tally | Camera tally over Ethernet |
| Audio Intercom | Two-way intercom over Ethernet |
| PTZ Control | VISCA, Pelco-D over Ethernet |
| Physical | |
| Dimensions | 135×85×25mm |
| Housing | Aircraft-grade aluminium |
| Product Information | |
| SKU / Model | BD-FLEX-4K-IN |
| Warranty | 2-year BirdDog warranty |
| Pricing | Price on Application — contact us for a quote |
Specifications correct at time of publication. Contact us to confirm before specification.
The FLEX 4K IN is for camera positions where physical size is the primary constraint alongside Full NDI 4K quality.
PTZ Camera Integration
Mount directly at or behind a PTZ camera head. The single Ethernet cable provides NDI video, PoE+ power, tally and PTZ control — controlling the camera remotely without any additional cabling at the camera position.
Ceiling-Mounted Lecture Cameras
Install at ceiling camera positions in lecture theatres where only a single Ethernet cable was run. HDMI from the ceiling camera, everything else over the Cat 6 to the nearest PoE+ switch.
Fixed Church Cameras
Ultra-compact encoder at fixed camera positions in houses of worship — above screens, in rafters, at roof level — where space is minimal and only Ethernet was cabled.
Conference Room PTZ
Hidden in-ceiling PTZ camera integration for conference room NDI production. The single Ethernet to the FLEX 4K IN handles everything visible from the room — no visible cables at the camera position.
AV Integrators
Specified for camera positions where a single Ethernet cable run is the installation standard and maximum encoder compactness is required.
Stadium Fixed Cameras
Fixed position cameras at stadium positions — in camera pods, housing units, stanchion mounts — where the FLEX 4K IN's compact form enables installations that a larger encoder cannot.
How does PTZ control work over the Ethernet cable?
PTZ control protocols (VISCA, Pelco-D) are transmitted from the production software over the network to the FLEX 4K IN, which then forwards the commands to the PTZ camera connected via HDMI (for cameras with IP PTZ input) or via a separate short RS-232 cable at the camera position (for cameras with serial PTZ control). The long-distance serial cable run from the production system to the camera is eliminated.
What is the difference between the FLEX 4K IN and the FLEX 4K OUT?
The FLEX 4K IN is an encoder — it accepts HDMI input and outputs Full NDI. The FLEX 4K OUT is a decoder — it receives Full NDI and outputs HDMI and 12G-SDI. They are complementary devices, not alternative options.
All BirdDog devices output Full NDI — the highest quality NDI standard — making them immediately compatible with any NDI-capable production software on the local network.
NDI Production SoftwareBirdDog devices output Full NDI and are discovered automatically by all NDI-capable production software on the same Gigabit network subnet via mDNS. No manual IP configuration required.
Video Conferencing (via NDI plugin)Contact us to confirm compatibility with a specific platform or version not listed above.