Livestream Studio includes NewTek NDI Integration, allowing you to input or output video sources over your local network with other NDI enabled software and devices.
What is NewTek NDI?
NDI, which stands for Network Device Interface, is an open protocol developed by NewTek that allows for high-quality video & audio signals to be transferred between devices over a local area network (LAN).
In other words, different video software products with the NDI tools and applications installed--such as Livestream Studio, TriCaster, Adobe Premiere Pro, and more--can now communicate their video signals to each other over your local network with very low latency.
IS NDI|HX Supported?
Yes, provided that you are using Studio version 6.20.0 or higher and you have the NDI|HX driver installed on the computer running Studio. You can find the driver download here.
You can turn this feature off in Studio's Advanced settings menu.
How Do I Set Up NDI Integration with Livestream Studio?
All you need to to do is make sure you are running version 4.5 (or later) of Livestream Studio and make sure it is connected to the same local IP (i.e. same network) as any other NDI enabled devices you wish to use with Livestream Studio. The integration is built into the software.
How Do I Bring In Another Source via NDI?
First, you need to have another NDI enabled source connected to the same network as your Livestream Studio system. This example will show a looping graphics sequence in Adobe Premiere Pro running on an iMac. Learn more about Newtek's NDI tools and downloads.
In Livestream Studio, navigate to the Inputs tab in the lower left corner. Select Add Input > Remote. Any available NDI source will appear in the menu for you to select.
Your NDI source will appear in the bottom of your Inputs list and in your multi-view along with all other inputs. You can switch it into Preview and Program as you would any other source.
A key feature with NDI is alpha channel support. This means a source like the one shown above, which is a looping graphic with no background, can also be brought into Livestream Studio with a transparent background.
To enable this in Studio, navigate to one of the GFX menus, select Create Custom Graphic and click New Layer.
Click the paintbrush icon to open the GFX Designer.
To bring in your NDI source as a graphic, click the camera icon.
Your first input source will appear. Click the corresponding gearwheel to select your NDI source. Notice that the graphic has a transparent background, rather than a black one.
Make any appearance adjustments as necessary (in this example, we cropped the empty space and dragged the graphic to the bottom to make it a true lower-third graphic).
When you are satisfied with your NDI source's appearance, close the GFX Designer.
Now you can use your graphics overlay controls in the upper right corner of Livestream Studio to bring in your NDI source as a graphics overlay with alpha channel support.
How Do I Output via NDI?
Setting up an NDI output is similar to setting up a normal live video output. The difference is that instead of using a video card and video cables to output your Program or another Studio source, you are outputting over your local network.
Click the gearwheel in the upper right corner to access settings.
Navigate to the Outputs menu.
The lower half of the menu is the NDI Outputs section. Click the + button to add an NDI output.
Studio supports a maximum of five (5) NDI outputs.
By default, your Program will appear as the output. Click the drop-down menu under Camera to select a different source.
You can rename the field under Device if you wish; this name is what your NDI output will be shown as in other NDI recognizing devices.
After selecting your output(s), be sure to save your settings.
Now other NDI enabled devices and software on your network will be able to bring in your selected output(s) as a source or input (e.g. other Studio systems, vMix, TriCasters, etc.)
My NDI Sources are Buffering, How do I Prevent This?
If you notice buffering or lag in your NDI sources, you can reduce the bandwidth required to bring them in
Find your NDI source from the Inputs list and select the corresponding gearwheel to enter its settings. Navigate to the Convert tab on the left side.
By default, the converter is receiving the signal in HighRes mode. Open the drop-down menu to switch to LowRes. This will convert the NDI to a lower resolution, which will soften its appearance but deliver the video signal more steadily.