The certification covers Just In Mac Lite, Just In Mac Lite NDI, Just Play Lite, Just Play Lite NDI, Just Live Lite, Just Live Lite NDI, just:in mac pro, just:play pro, and just:live pro.

Each product has completed the official NDI certification process, which evaluates interoperability, latency, image compression and quality, configuration, and the overall user experience. The certification gives customers additional confidence that ToolsOnAir’s macOS capture and playout solutions meet NDI’s standards for efficiency, interoperability, and reliable performance within compatible NDI workflows.

NDI as an Integral Part of ToolsOnAir Workflows

For ToolsOnAir, NDI support goes far beyond receiving or outputting a video stream. NDI is deeply integrated into the company’s professional recording, scheduled playout, and live-production workflows, including multichannel operation, live-input handling, operational monitoring, closed captions, VANC metadata, and final program output.

“NDI Certification is an important confirmation that our products meet the technical and interoperability standards defined by NDI, but it represents only one part of the story,” said Peter Steiner, Chief Business Officer at ToolsOnAir. “Our focus has always been on integrating NDI into practical, professional broadcast workflows. This includes multichannel recording, live-input handling, caption and metadata monitoring, scheduled and live playout, and complete NDI program outputs. Customers do not simply receive an NDI input or output option; they receive a comprehensive operational workflow built around it.”

Professional NDI Recording

With Just In Mac Lite, Just In Mac Lite NDI, and just:in mac pro, broadcasters and production teams can discover and record NDI sources directly over standard IP networks.

Depending on the selected product and Mac configuration, multiple NDI streams can be recorded in SD, HD, or UHD using professional codecs and file formats such as Apple ProRes, H.264, HEVC, XDCAM HD 422, ACV-Intra, DNxHD/HR and uncompressed video.

ToolsOnAir also supports specialised workflows in which an NDI source can be recorded without audio. This provides additional flexibility for applications where only the video signal is required or where audio is handled separately within the production chain.

Growing-file support allows editors and other production systems to access the recorded material while the recording is still in progress, combining flexible IP-based signal transport with fast-turnaround post-production workflows.

Live Caption and Metadata Monitoring During Recording

A key benefit of ToolsOnAir’s NDI implementation is the ability to monitor professional broadcast metadata during operation.

Within the Just Control multiviewer, operators can display live closed captions received from an NDI source while recording is in progress. This provides immediate visual confirmation that the incoming signal contains the expected captioning information and allows operators to monitor picture, audio, captions, and metadata within a single interface.

This functionality helps broadcasters identify missing caption data or signalling issues before they affect the recorded material or downstream workflow.

NDI Live Inputs for Scheduled and Live Playout

With just:play pro and just:live pro, NDI sources can be used directly as live inputs within scheduled playout and live-production workflows.

Operators can combine prerecorded clips, scheduled content, manually triggered media, live NDI sources, internal graphics, and HTML5 graphics within a single output channel.

NDI live inputs can be used for studio feeds, remote contributors, cameras, presentation systems, event production, news sources, and other network-based signals. They can be switched to air, combined with graphics, or integrated alongside scheduled content without requiring a separate baseband video path.

NDI Program Output with Closed Captions and SCTE-104

ToolsOnAir’s playout products can output the complete program signal as an NDI stream, including video, audio, and supported metadata.

When content containing supported closed captions or SCTE-104 signalling is played through just:play pro or just:live pro, this information can be included in the VANC metadata of the outgoing NDI stream.

The closed captions contained in the final NDI program output can also be displayed within the Just Control multiviewer. Operators can therefore monitor and verify not only the incoming NDI source, but also the final program output and its associated caption data.

This creates a complete monitoring path from the incoming NDI source through recording or playout to the final NDI program stream.

Contributing to the NDI VANC Metadata Standard

ToolsOnAir’s involvement with NDI extends beyond protocol implementation. ToolsOnAir contributed to the development of the NDI VANC Metadata Standard, helping to address the requirements of professional broadcast workflows in which captions and signalling information must remain associated with the corresponding video and audio.

Support for CEA-708 closed-captioning data and SCTE-104 signalling over NDI is integrated across ToolsOnAir’s macOS capture and playout solutions.

“Professional broadcasting requires much more than transporting pictures and sound,” Steiner added. “Closed captions, SCTE signalling, timecode, and other metadata are essential elements of the broadcast chain. Our involvement in the NDI VANC Metadata Standard and its implementation in our products ensures that this information can be received, monitored, recorded, played out, and transmitted as part of a complete NDI workflow.”

Additional NDI Capabilities

ToolsOnAir’s macOS recording and playout solutions also provide a broad range of NDI-related capabilities, including:

• Direct NDI source discovery within the applications
• Multichannel NDI recording and playout
• SD, HD, and UHD operation
• Support for embedded multichannel audio
• Recording of NDI sources with or without audio
• Growing-file recording workflows
• Live NDI inputs for scheduled and live playout
• Monitoring of closed captions from incoming NDI sources
• Monitoring of captions in the final NDI program output
• Transport of CEA-708 captions and SCTE-104 signalling in NDI VANC metadata
• SDR and HDR workflows, including HLG and PQ
• Support for Rec. 601, Rec. 709, and Rec. 2020 colour spaces
• NDI output with alpha-channel support for compatible Fill-and-Key workflows
• Hybrid operation alongside SDI, HDMI, SRT, UDP, and ST 2110

These capabilities allow customers to introduce NDI into existing broadcast environments without replacing their entire infrastructure. NDI sources and destinations can be combined with conventional baseband and other IP-based technologies, providing a practical path towards more flexible, software-defined production workflows.

A Complete NDI Workflow on macOS

From cost-effective standalone LITE applications to scalable multichannel PRO systems, ToolsOnAir provides a comprehensive professional NDI recording and playout portfolio for macOS.

The combination of official NDI Certification, multichannel recording, live-input switching, growing-file workflows, closed-caption monitoring, VANC metadata transport, graphics integration, and complete NDI program output enables customers to build reliable broadcast workflows around standard network infrastructure.