When shopping for an NDI PTZ camera, buyers typically focus on optical zoom ratio and resolution — but there is another specification that is easy to overlook yet critical to whether the system will actually work: which NDI format the camera supports. Within the Datavideo PTC series, the PTC-285 and PTC-305 support NDI|HX3, while the PTC-145 supports NDI|HX. These two formats represent entirely different bandwidth requirements and network assumptions. This article clarifies the differences between Full NDI, NDI|HX, NDI|HX2, and NDI|HX3, helping you make a camera purchase decision that matches your on-site network conditions.

Four NDI Formats — What Problem Does Each One Solve?

According to Datavideo's official explanation of NDI compression technology, the NDI technology stack includes several compression formats:

• Full NDI: Highest picture quality, nearly lossless, but requires a high-speed network. Best suited to machine rooms, edit suites, and other bandwidth-rich environments.
• NDI|HX: Uses H.264 compression, capable of operating over bandwidth-constrained networks including Wi-Fi. Suitable for remote connections, education, and corporate environments where network conditions are more modest.
• NDI|HX2: An enhanced version of HX, delivering cleaner, more stable, low-latency NDI streams over standard Gigabit Ethernet.
• NDI|HX3: The latest compression format — higher compression efficiency and lower latency than HX2, particularly suited to scenarios where bandwidth is limited but picture quality still matters.

In short, Full NDI trades bandwidth for ultimate picture quality, while the HX family uses compression to bring bandwidth requirements down so that ordinary corporate, classroom, or event-venue networks can support multiple simultaneous cameras.

How Different Is the Bandwidth? Real Numbers

The following figures are drawn from the official NDI technical documentation. For the same 1080p60 stream, the bandwidth difference between formats is dramatic:

Full NDI at 1080p60 requires more than ten times the bandwidth of NDI|HX2. This means that when running several cameras simultaneously, the choice of NDI format directly determines whether a standard Gigabit network can handle the load. NDI|HX3 goes a step further than HX2, offering even higher compression efficiency — which translates to being even more network-friendly at comparable picture quality.

Which Format Do the PTC-285, PTC-305, and PTC-145 Support?

Within Datavideo's current PTZ camera lineup: the PTC-285 and PTC-305 are 4K models supporting NDI|HX3 — the highest compression efficiency and most network-friendly tier. The PTC-145 is a Full HD model supporting NDI|HX, also a compressed format, though with slightly lower compression efficiency than HX3. None of these three models uses uncompressed Full NDI, which means standard corporate or campus Gigabit networks are sufficient to support multiple cameras simultaneously without needing to build machine-room-grade high-speed infrastructure.

How to Choose: Let Your On-Site Conditions Decide

• Standard Gigabit network on-site, multiple cameras running simultaneously (classroom, meeting room, live event): Prioritize the PTC-285 or PTC-305 with NDI|HX3 — highest compression efficiency and highest camera-per-network capacity.
• Budget-sensitive, no strict 4K requirement, ordinary network conditions: The PTC-145 (NDI|HX) is more than sufficient for most Full HD live streaming and recording needs.
• In-house editing, post-production, or professional broadcast applications requiring maximum picture quality: If evaluation confirms the need for Full NDI-level uncompressed quality, plan for a dedicated high-speed network infrastructure. This requirement typically arises in professional broadcast studios rather than classrooms or meeting rooms.

Closing Thoughts

The difference between NDI, NDI|HX, NDI|HX2, and NDI|HX3 ultimately comes down to a trade-off between picture quality and bandwidth. Datavideo's PTC-285, PTC-305, and PTC-145 all use compressed formats — manageable for typical corporate or campus networks. When choosing a camera, the real consideration is resolution requirement (4K vs. Full HD) and budget, not whether the network needs a major upgrade. For a detailed look at bandwidth planning calculations, see the "NDI Bandwidth Planning Guide," or return to "The Ultimate Guide to NDI Production Workflows" for the complete architecture overview.