NAB Show 2025 confirmed what many in our industry suspected. IP, automation, and compact power are no longer future ideas. They’re here. We spent time on the ground with key vendors, including Blackmagic Design, BirdDog, Meinberg, MultiDyne, and Miri, to understand what these updates really mean for installers, consultants, and engineers. Here’s what we saw on critical categories:
Clock: Precision in an IP World – Meinberg
Accurate timing remains non-negotiable in high-performance broadcast systems. At NAB, Meinberg reinforced why they remain the gold standard with their PTP-ready synchronisation solutions. We saw increased integration options across critical infrastructure sectors including Broadcast, Defence, and Finance.
Takeaway for Integrators & Engineers: If you’re deploying 2110, your timing backbone must support full PTP transparency and boundary clocking. Look out for the Meinberg Lantime M3000 scalable and rock-solid. We also had the chance to see a live demo of Meinberg’s TrackHound, and it was a standout for time synchronisation analysis, offering real-time insights into PTP and NTP traffic that make it an essential diagnostic tool for any engineer working with precision timing.
What’s clear from Meinberg’s presence this year is that clocking isn’t just a backend concern anymore it’s a strategic decision at the design phase. As more broadcasters migrate to distributed architectures, the need for precise timing across decentralised nodes becomes critical. The support for dual-domain synchronisation (e.g., GPS + PTP fallback) gives added resilience, and their compact hardware solutions mean you can scale your network’s precision without sacrificing rack space.
Transmission: 2110 Becomes Mainstream – Miri & MultiDyne
Miri Technologies Inc. debuted a new range of miniature converters with flexible 2110 support, making IP upgrades less disruptive and more space-efficient. Meanwhile, MultiDyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems showed off their legendary SilverBack and Fiber-Saver units now enhanced for hybrid fibre/IP environments.
Implication for Consultants: The days of “either-or” are over. The market is shifting towards devices that can live in hybrid infrastructures—SDI, HDMI, 2110—all at once. This flexibility lowers friction in multi-year upgrade paths.
Miri’s emphasis on compact, modular converter design reflects a real-world understanding: many facilities can’t afford full rip-and-replace transitions. By enabling granular upgrades, like SDI to IP at a single rack level, engineers gain breathing room in both timelines and budgets. MultiDyne’s continued innovation in optical transport, particularly for remote production, also underscores the demand for high-bandwidth, low-latency transmission in sports, news, and education workflows.
Routing: New Form Factors & Smarter Access – Blackmagic
Blackmagic Design expanded Videohub router lineup now includes 4x2, 6x2 and 8x4 models with front-panel SDI input overrides—game-changing for live OB and studios with minimal rack access.
For System Designers: This brings enterprise routing functionality into desktop sized applications. If you’re fitting out small post studios or hybrid teaching spaces, the footprint and interface make these routers a no-brainer.
A standout feature in Blackmagic’s new routers is the intelligent override system, plug something into the front, and it takes priority. For live engineers and techs working in fast-paced environments, this solves a classic frustration. Combined with clean UI design and integration with Blackmagic’s broader ATEM ecosystem, these routers offer operational simplicity without sacrificing flexibility. They’re perfectly positioned for flypacks, second studios, and quick-turnaround environments.
PTZ: Full IP Workflows & Smarter Control – BirdDog
BirdDog's new X1 and X1 Ultra PTZ cameras now deliver 4K NDI, Wi-Fi capability, and AI-driven framing all within a sleek industrial design. Control was the other big story BirdDog’s PTZ Control 3.0 streamlines multi-cam workflows, especially for education and house-of-worship installs.
What It Means: For AV consultants and integrators, PTZs are no longer “cheap compromise” solutions they’re serious tools. The addition of Tally, NDI, Dante and Wi-Fi makes them ready for multi-cam productions with minimal cabling.
One of the quiet revolutions in BirdDog’s PTZ range is native Dante support. This opens the door to tighter audio-video sync in live and hybrid environments think corporate events, streamed panel sessions, or multi-classroom education. The addition of Wi-Fi control and full NDI means that with a single power cable (or even none with PoE), you’ve got a fully routable 4K stream with pro-level image and control fidelity.
Cameras: From Indie to Broadcast – Blackmagic & BirdDog
Blackmagic Design's new Pyxis 12K takes the beloved modular body and drops in a URSA-level sensor, ideal for studios needing film-grade capture in small form factors. Long-awaited viewfinder and handle accessories turn the Pyxis into a true camcorder option.
BirdDog delivered a global shutter box camera with NDI and genlock that hints at serious live sports and OB potential.
Advice to Production Leads: The camera landscape is splitting. Pyxis gives you modularity with cinematic scale. BirdDog gives you global shutter and NDI for speed and sync. Your choice depends on latency and environment.
Pyxis 12K isn’t just a spec bump it’s Blackmagic’s clearest statement yet that the cinema-broadcast hybrid camera has matured. The real value is in its versatility: as a controlled studio camera, as a high-res VFX capture tool, or as part of a multi-cam rig with return video and genlock. Meanwhile, BirdDog’s global shutter model solves an issue that’s plagued rolling-shutter live cameras—motion artefacts in fast action. Together, they show how vendors are listening to the nuanced needs of content creators.
Final Thoughts
NAB Show 2025 showcased a clear direction for us. Interoperability, compact power, and smarter workflows. From timing solutions that anticipate failover, to transmission tools that scale with your infrastructure not against it this year’s releases reflect a maturing ecosystem where flexibility and precision are non-negotiable. For installers, consultants, and broadcast engineers, the takeaway is simple: the tools are here to build more agile, efficient, and future proof systems. It’s no longer about what you can do with tech it’s about how quickly and cleanly you can get it done.
For local stock and technical integration help, get in touch at onair.au
Watch all our NAB 2025 interviews and Tech Takes on our YouTube channel: @onairsolutionsau