Bridging baseband and IP: AJA Video Systems on trends & tools from IBC2026

The International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) may have wrapped, but conversations around the technologies reshaping how media is made and delivered continue long after the show floor closes. APB+ spoke with Abe Abt, Senior Product Consultant, AJA Video Systems, on the trend and technologies that defined this year’s discussions.

Which industry trends dominated IBC this year?  

Abt: Much of the discussion centred on the move to IP, AI, the convergence of broadcast and AV, and open standards. What stood out most was the clear industry sentiment that the industry needs practical tools that solve the day-to-day challenges these new ways of working bring, and earlier in the live production process. 

With ST 2110 adoption growing, bridging baseband and IP workflows emerged as a recurring theme in customer conversations. There is a clear need for simpler, more efficient ways to move between ST 2110 and SDI, as well as the ability to mix and match different video and audio formats, transport modes, camera log formats, high dynamic range (HDR) colour spaces, resolutions, and frame rates within production environments. 

What did AJA demonstrate at the show? 

Abt: We showcased our new FS8 and OG-FiDO-4 family. 

The FS8 is a 1RU hybrid IP/SDI media processor designed to address common production challenges such as mismatched formats, rasters, and HDR colour spaces, with sophisticated audio routing and processing built in. It helps users match and deliver consistent Ultra HD (UHD) and HD HDR and standard dynamic range (SDR) video from a combination of SDI and IP inputs and outputs, driven by an intuitive, easy-to-use UI. 

The OG-FiDO-4 is a family of openGear cards that enable seamless transport of uncompressed 12G and 3G-SDI over LC fibre. It is available in nine different models supporting either 12G-SDI or 3G-SDI, with fibre SFP variants for single-mode and multi-mode fibre.

Like all AJA openGear products, OG-FiDO-4 supports DashBoard software for intuitive configuration and monitoring on both Windows and masOS.

Who are these technologies designed for? 

Abt: Any outside broadcast (OB) truck, production facility, venue installation, or remote production fly pack can benefit from tools like FS8 and OG-FiDO-4. 

The FS8 is designed to help professionals balance legacy infrastructure with next-generation workflow buildouts by combining several capabilities into a 1RU solution. It functions as an ST 2110 and SDI gateway, but also offers HDR and colour management tools, frame sync and timing control, 4K region of interest scaling, up, down, and cross conversion, extensive audio processing and routing, and more. 

In hybrid SDI and IP production infrastructures, it can serve as a high-density frame sync, format converter, HDR and 3D LUT processor, ANC handler, and integrated audio management solution. It can also simplify remote workflows by aligning SDI, ST 2110, and audio sources at the remote acquisition site before they move into production, and can be deployed to manage colour across LED walls.

These applications are just scratching the surface of FS8’s full range of applications and illustrate why it’s a great fit for so many different production environments and AV installs.

The OG-FiDO-4 delivers value wherever fibre and SDI are in use. For instance, a stadium hosting a concert production could use OG-FiDO-4 cards to connect the venue’s fibre core with an IMAG system and SDI equipment, managing everything through DashBoard. 

What are the standout features of each product? 

Abt: The FS8 is built around modern connectivity and high-density processing, reducing the need for additional gear and saving productions on space, power, and weight. It can process up to eight channels of HD or four channels of UHD video, including frame sync, colour and up, down, cross conversion, scaling, and bridging between IP and baseband. 

Flexible HDR and SDR colour transforms for dynamic range and wide colour gamut conversion are supported. Each video processor can independently select from integrated NBCU, User 3D LUT, or Dynamic LUT Modes, or licensable Colorfront and BBC HLG LUT Modes. On the audio side, the FS8 supports embedded SDI, ST 2110-30, Dante, and MADI audio through a 459×448 mono audio matrix. 

For productions that need to delay audio and video, the FS8 offers a configurable delay of up to 60 frames in HD, 30 in UHD, and up to 2.5 seconds of audio. For those prioritising low latency, it can process video, including colour and up, down, and cross conversion, in less than half a video frame. It also offers UHD ROI scaling, colour correction, proc amp, and 3D LUT processing, precise SDR and HDR colour management, and a rich ST 2110 troubleshooting toolset. All features are accessible through a node-based interface designed for ease of use.

The OG-FiDO-4 cards are hot-swappable and feature independent, isolated SDI BNC connectors that allow users to carry different rates simultaneously. An integrated rear I/O card enables high-density transport of up to 40 channels in an openGear frame. The cards also support HDR video, pass-through of SDI metadata, Input Presence and Input SMPTE Lock LEDs, and automatic data rate detection with reclocking. 

Learn more about these solutions and the workflow advantages they unlock.