BirdDog X5 Ultra Firmware Release Notes

BirdDog X5 Ultra Firmware Release Notes

Firmware Version 6.3.046 (Released 6/11/2026)

New Features & Improvements:
  • Added Colour Matrix for gain and hue control.
  • Updated NDI library to NDI 6.3. Including Announce support of detailed sender stream information when connected to an NDI Discovery Server.
  • Added Kelvin Colour Temperature control for White Balance. 
  • BirdDog Connect is now build directly into the BirdUI.
  • Added Live Video Preview in the CamControl tab of the BirdUI.
  • BirdUI layout updates. 
  • Added Joystick control for P/T movements in BirdUI. 
  • Added option to upload a custom logo to E-ink display.
This release includes the following fixes:
  • Fixed an issue where the Secondary Encoder reverted to Disable after a Reboot.
  • Fixed an issue with H.264 compression. 
  • Fixed an issue with video preview being displayed incorrectly on BirdDog KBD. 
  • Fixed an issue where NDI Proxy Stream was using incorrect frame rates.
  • Minor fixes to API integration.
  • Minor fixes to VISCA commands.
  • Fixed a performance issue when using 2160p60.
  • Fixed an issue where Presets saved under CAMERA would not save image settings correctly.

Firmware Version 6.1.033 (Released 7/31/2025)

New Features & Improvements:
  • Improvements to FreeD integration. 
  • Improved image clarity, and enhanced edge detail. 
  • Improved auto focus performance.
  • Updated NDI library to NDI 6.1.
  • Updated firmware version naming convention to match BirdDog standard.
This release includes the following fixes:
  • Minor fixes to API integration.
  • Minor fixes to VISCA commands.
  • Fixed an issue where 720p was not a selectable video format. 
  • Fixed an issue that would cause the camera to become unresponsive over time. 
  • Updated mDNS information.

Firmware Version 0.3.0030.00

New Features & Improvements:
  • Added the ability to Mute Audio Input in BirdUI.
  • Added a "HOME" icon to the PTZ control interface in the CamControl tab of the BirdUI. Pressing this will recall the camera to its home position at the center point of the pan, tilt positions, and the widest zoom position. 
  • Increased the DHCP Timeout ceiling to 60 and increased default value to 5.
  • Updated Default UVC resolution to 720p30.
  • BirdDog API is no longer in BETA and is fully available for production workloads.
This release includes the following fixes:
  • Fixed an issue where the Update Source [RESET] button for NDI Decode did not properly refresh NDI sources. 
  • Fixed an issue where pressing Update Source [RESET] button for NDI Decode would stop the Decode. 
  • Fixed an issue where Decode Sources did not populate correctly when NDI Discovery Server was [ON].
  • Fixed an issue that would cause the camera to become unresponsive over time. 
Known Limitations: 
  1. There is no ability to mute the audio from the selected decode source.
  2. When switching to 720p resolutions the camera needs to be rebooted to confirm the resolution.
  3. The following API commands are known to not be complete:
    1. POST /analogaudiosetup 
    2. POST /birddogexpsetup
    3. GET & POST /birddogptzcontrol
    4. POST /birddogwbsetup
    5. POST /encodesetup 
    6. POST /NDIGrpName
* Some previously listed limitations have been moved to the user guide, as they reflect intended behavior or known design rather than issues to be resolved.

Firmware Version 0.3.0024.00

Important note - please power cycle your camera BEFORE applying this firmware update, 
and again after applying the update.

New Features & Improvements:
  • Introduced beta support for the BirdDog API.
  • Replaced BirdUI background artwork with new images.
  • Updated password input fields in BirdUI to display for better visibility.
This release includes the following fixes:
  • Resolved an issue where enabling Mirror mode prevented PTZ control in NDI Studio Monitor.
  • Corrected an issue where the HDMI-2 output did not display properly on some monitors.
  • Improved decoder behavior to validate decoding capability when using NDI Bridge.
  • Fixed an issue where the decoder would not automatically reconnect after a source restart; a camera reboot was required.
  • Fixed a memory leak in the FreeD implementation that could cause the camera to crash after extended use.
  • Fixed an issue where stopping VISCA-IP PTZ control caused a slight pan position shift.
  • Corrected an issue where "RESET" in the Update Source List did not repopulate the NDI Finder list.
Known Limitations: 
  1. 2160p60 is not a supported for NDI decode.
  2. RTMP is not supported with H.265 video compression. 
  3. When the Stabilizer feature is turned on/off, the camera will automatically reboot.
  4. When the Stabilizer feature is enabled the maximum Video Format output is 2160p30 only with lower FOV (Field of view). If the Video Format is set to 2160p60 it will output 2160p30 while the Stabilizer feature is enabled.
  5. When the Stabilizer feature is enabled, the HDMI-2 NDI decoding output is not supported. 
  6. The NDI/SRT/RTSP/RTMP share a network setting of video format / Video Compression/ GOP / Bitrate, on the Primary Encoder Settings page. 
  7. The OSD via HDMI will be blurred at 720p (Press the menu button on the IR remote to adjust the resolution to 1080p).
  8. When the Video Format is changed the RTSP stream may stop and need to be manually restarted. 
  9. The HDMI-2 decoder is limited by the video output format and needs to be consistent. The frame rate for the camera encode, and decode source must match. For example, the HDMI output format is 30fps, so it is best to set the HDMI-2 decode source to 30fps as well.

Firmware Version 0.3.0017.00

Important note - please power cycle your camera BEFORE applying this firmware update,
and again after applying the update.

This release includes the following fixes:
  1. Fixed an issue where Pan or Tilt controls would drift.
  2. Removed an unnecessary login prompt when selecting an option in the BirdUI before logging in.
  3. Corrected an issue where HDMI and SDI outputs would default to a frequency of 60 Hz when set to 59.94 Hz.
  4. Resolved an issue where the BirdUI Dashboard displayed a video frame rate of 50.00 when the camera was set to 59.94.
  5. Fixed an issue causing video output distortion when the Stabilizer was turned ON.
  6. Corrected a coloring issue with the Focus Mode buttons in BirdUI’s light mode.
  7. The default list for NDI Groups is now set to empty.
  8. Fixed an issue where the E-Ink display would incorrectly list the video format as 1080p when the camera was set to 1080i.
  9. Fixed a crash in the NDI stream when the secondary encoder (SRT, RTMP, or RTSP) was turned ON.
  10. Resolved an issue where the OSD could not be reset to factory defaults.

New Features:
  1. Updated BirdUI background artwork.
  2. Added support for FreeD.
  3. Introduced a screensaver option for the decoder, which displays supported formats when the source is out of range.
  4. Added a feature that forces the default BirdUI password to be changed upon initial login.

Known Limitations:
  1. 2160p60 is not a supported for NDI decode.
  2. RTMP is not supported with H.265 video compression.
  3. When the Stabilizer feature is turned on/off, the camera will automatically reboot.
  4. When the Stabilizer feature is enabled the maximum Video Format output is 2160p30 only with lower FOV (Field of view). If the Video Format is set to 2160p60 it will output 2160p30 while the Stabilizer feature is enabled.
  5. When the Stabilizer feature is enabled, the HDMI-2 NDI decoding output is not supported.
  6. The NDI/SRT/RTSP/RTMP share a network setting of video format / Video Compression/ GOP / Bitrate, on the Primary Encoder Settings page.
  7. The OSD via HDMI will be blurred at 720p (Press the menu button on the IR remote to adjust the resolution to 1080p).
  8. When the Video Format is changed the RTSP stream may stop and need to be manually restarted.
  9. The HDMI-2 decoder is limited by the video output format and needs to be consistent. The frame rate for the camera encode, and decode source must match. For example, the HDMI output format is 30fps, so it is best to set the HDMI-2 decode source to 30fps as well.

Firmware Version 0.3.0012.00

Initial Public shipping firmware release:

Important note - please power cycle your camera BEFORE applying this firmware update,
and again after applying the update.

Known Limitations:
  1. RTMP is not supported with H.265 video compression.
  2. When the Stabilizer feature is turned on/off, the camera will automatically reboot.
  3. When the Stabilizer feature is enabled the maximum Video Format output is 2160p30 only with lower FOV (Field of view). If the Video Format is set to 2160p60 it will output 2160p30 while the Stabilizer feature is enabled.
  4. When the Stabilizer feature is enabled, the HDMI-2 NDI decoding output is not supported.
  5. The NDI/SRT/RTSP/RTMP share a network setting of video format / Video Compression/ GOP / Bitrate, on the Primary Encoder Settings page.
  6. The OSD via HDMI will be blurred at 720p (Press the menu button on the IR remote to adjust the resolution to 1080p).
  7. When the Video Format is changed the RTSP stream may stop and need to be manually restarted.
  8. The HDMI-2 decoder is limited by the video output format and needs to be consistent. The frame rate for the camera encode, and decode source must match. For example, the HDMI output format is 30fps, so it is best to set the HDMI-2 decode source to 30fps as well.




    • Related Articles

    • BirdDog X1 | X1 30x | X1 Ultra Firmware Release Notes

      Firmware Version 6.3.102 (Released 06/01/2026) New Features and Improvements: Updated NDI Library to version 6.3. Including Announce support of detailed sender/receiver stream information when connected to an NDI Discovery Server. BirdDog Connect is ...

    • BirdDog MAX Firmware Release Notes

      Firmware Version 6.3.102 (Released 06/01/2026) New Features and Improvements: Updated NDI Library to version 6.3. Including Announce support of detailed sender/receiver stream information when connected to an NDI Discovery Server. BirdDog Connect is ...

    • Firmware Update Instructions - X1 Series and MAX

      Firmware Update Instructions - X1, X1 30x, X1 Ultra, and MAX What you will need 1 x BirdDog X1, X1 30x, X1 Ultra, or MAX firmware update .bin file 1 x BirdDog X1, X1 30x, X1 Ultra, or MAX camera Procedure Upgrading to V6.3.102 from Firmware Versions ...

    • BirdDog MAKI Ultra Firmware Release Notes

      Firmware 6.1.121 Improvements & New Features: BirdDog API is now available. See the documentation here: RESTful API. Added Zoom Speed slider to BirdUI. Updated [Output Mode] to [HDMI/SDI Output Format] in the [AV Setup] tab of BirdUI, function did ...

    • XL Ultra Firmware Release Notes

      XL Ultra Firmware Release Notes 03/30/26 Firmware 6.2.38 This release contains the following new features: • Tally Light Integration with ATEM ○ Added BirdDog and Blackmagic ATEM support for tally light control • SD Card Recording webUI tab enabled ○ ...