Orphaned Tech: Struggles With Legacy NDI Gear

We all heard about how the CrowdStrike software update took out computer systems, including those of airlines, worldwide. Yet Southwest was not affected. Why? Well, it was still using a much older ver­sion of Windows. The older system was still do­ing what it needed to do and was not affected by impairments that newer systems were hav­ing to deal with.

Did you know that the vast majority of ATMs are still running embedded Windows XP? Support for Windows XP was discontinued in 2014, which means that since then, Microsoft has not delivered any security updates. But it’s embedded and is mostly used behind a fire­wall in internal bank networks and in calls to specific IP addresses for communication. The old gear is reliable, year after year.

The same goes for NDI devices. NDI, intro­duced in September 2015, has been around for almost a decade. It continues to grow with in­creased capability and usage from low-cost items to very large switching systems. NDI can connect prosumer gear like Mevo Start, with its 5-megabit and 15-megabit NDI encoders, to systems ingesting 1080p at 100Mbps and even 4K at 300Mbps. NDI is enabling both high- and low-level integration around the world.

Not every new customer has the bank to buy all new gear. It’s typical to buy used gear, get it running, and then upgrade only as the need and cash flow dictate. But a challenge comes with using older NDI gear.

I have previously written about the quiet de­preciation of NDI|HX1, NewTek’s first attempt at a low-bitrate solution. HX2 and HX3 are much better, but it would be a lot easier to figure out which codec is used where if it were more obvious than it is. Now, I find that newer hardware is also being quietly orphaned, even as nearly identical hardware continues to be supported. How do you know if something is supported or not? It’s hard because NDI device support is dependent on the manufacturer, not the NDI group. In this case, it is NewTek hardware that’s now sup­ported by parent company Vizrt.

This is a bit of a public service note to users of NewTek Spark converters, but it turns out to also be a good general example of how to better serve any customer. For updates, you’ll need to go to Vizrt > Support & Services (roll­over) > Get Support (click) > Hardware Sup­port (click) > Product Updates (click). You’ll then get an untitled page that includes soft­ware (!) as well as hardware. Despite that, you won’t find NewTek Spark, or Spark anything. You don’t want to look under Legacy Prod­ucts because these are currently supported products, right? (More on that in a bit.) For your NewTek Spark, you want to click on the Viz Connect Solo Family link, one of the 11 choices that have no accompanying image. Eighteen other software solutions have images.

Once on the Viz Connect Solo Family page, you’ll find seven Spark models and no Viz Connect Solos. You’ll need the model num­ber, as there are no sample device images to guide you. Each device has a link to a product page, but it’s not that device’s product page, as you might expect. Rather, it’s the current Viz Connect Solo page (with Sparks on it), so don’t click that. Use the model number, or download and open each device’s user guide to see an image to confirm which device is which.

However, if you have the Spark that shipped with the TriCaster Mini 4K, that’s not on the Spark—er, Viz Connect Solo page. Rather, click on TriCaster Family. Look under the TriCaster Mini 4K. There’s a small link to the TriCaster Mini Input Module (which is actually a Spark). That’s where you’ll find that it hasn’t been up­dated since the company rolled out NDI 4.5 back in 2020.

This Spark is not on the Viz Con­nect Solo page. It’s also not in Legacy Prod­ucts, indicating that it’s still supported, just listed in the wrong place. But Vizrt confirms, “There will be no further firmware updates for this specific model.” This Spark isn’t limited to 4K, but it shipped with the TriCaster 4K to help get people start­ed. I use it for HD all of the time. But lately, as systems get upgraded around it, I’ve encoun­tered audio dropouts that I thought might be fixed by updating this device, like the visually identical NSP4K that lacks PoE, which does have updates. I’ve spent several days trying to find, figure out, and update what should have 7 taken 2 minutes. Even getting the email that told me it was orphaned took 3 days.

So, if you are a manufacturer, make it easy on yourself and your support team. Make your 24/7 web support area as easy and as obvious as possible in order to dramatically reduce constant and repetitive questions. When prod­ucts are orphaned, put them in the legacy area with a clear note that there will not be any more software updates. Refer to 9 years of existing products only by the name on those devices. Include images wherever possible. In­clude all items, even on multiple pages. Include old technical information and product pages, one-sheets, and more. Help us support our­selves and not bother you.

People who start with secondhand gear and appreciate the good support experience you provide will buy new gear from you. Relying on AI to answer questions costs a pretty penny, but nothing beats just populating your support area with all of the information people need. Build it right. Make everything simple to get. When customers point out how it could be bet­ter, make it better. That will dramatically re­duce the need for AI to frustrate people, and, in the end, help you sell more gear.

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