DistroAV - Network Audio/Video in OBS-Studio using NDI® technology 6.0.0

[KattPhloxworthy]

Meanwhile, I tried switching back to NDI for my VTuber machine now that I have a separate ethernet card for A/V traffic from that machine. Nominally, I use the BGRA colorspace as I need alpha channel support on this stream as it contains my VTuber model and a program that allows users to throw stuff at me.

Recent releases of the NDI plugin don't properly support alpha channel on the output if the BGRA colorspace is used. It worked before. I now have to resort to Beam to get the alpha-out-the-back support I need. I would rather not insert a filter in the source scene when I could just as easily send an alpha-enabled stream out the back like I currently can with Beam but used to be able to with NDI.

It seemed to work before with OBS Studio 29.1.2 but it's since stopped working under OBS Studio 30.x.y to date.

Ideas?

--Katt. =^.^=

 

[SuperiorBuds]

My 24/7 stream has been running for many years w/o an issue. Recently I upgraded two of my cameras to NDI cams using the plugin and everything had been working great.

This morning I came upstairs to find OBS closed entirely, no error, nothing in the logs. This is the second time I've had OBS crash like this since changing to the NDI plugin - the first time I was working on the cams and power-cycled one of them and when I came back to the office OBS had crashed silently.

Nothing else has changed so I can only assume it's the NDI plugin/camera changes.

Anyone have any thoughts or ideas on what I could try to debug this?

 

[High1ander]

Is it possible to get more audio channels/tracks on the input and output? As of now I can only get 2 channels in and 2 channels out.

 

[emzeweb]

Hi all,
sorry if this issue has been posted before, but I didn't find anything related to it, so I need to ask.

I've installed obs-ndi plugin (30.0.0) on a macBook Air (macOS Big Sur 11.7.10) while logged in as admin user.

Now i need to have it work for another user (non-admin) but the NDI output option won't show up under Tools menu.
As a matter of fact, even if I give admin rights on the computer to this user, it still doesn't show up.

Any idea on how to fix this issue please ?
Thanks in advance !

 

[KattPhloxworthy]

Meanwhile, I tried switching back to NDI for my VTuber machine now that I have a separate ethernet card for A/V traffic from that machine. Nominally, I use the BGRA colorspace as I need alpha channel support on this stream as it contains my VTuber model and a program that allows users to throw stuff at me.

Recent releases of the NDI plugin don't properly support alpha channel on the output if the BGRA colorspace is used. It worked before. I now have to resort to Beam to get the alpha-out-the-back support I need. I would rather not insert a filter in the source scene when I could just as easily send an alpha-enabled stream out the back like I currently can with Beam but used to be able to with NDI.

It seemed to work before with OBS Studio 29.1.2 but it's since stopped working under OBS Studio 30.x.y to date.

Ideas?

--Katt. =^.^=

I've done some testing and I think I have figured out the issue. I just don't understand why it is an issue.

On the NDI source on the machine I'm using to receive the NDI stream, under "Latency Mode", using "Normal (safe)", the entire stream, including alpha channel, comes over like I need it to (I'm a VTuber and we need our alpha channels). Note: I have the video colorspace option under the "Advanced" options in the Settings menu set to "BGRA" since I need the alpha channel support.

If I switch the Latency Mode to something else, the alpha channel goes away and the transparent areas go black.

Any rhyme or reason to this?

Thanks in advance.

--Katt. =^.^=

 

[Jaybonaut]

NDI Runtime 5.6.1 is out.

 

[benoitvm]

help：OBS 30.0.0 ，plugin OBS-NDI 4.13.0，can not find my NDI HX camera，but NDI tools can find my NDI HX cameraView attachment 99554​

I have the same problem, but only when I use a straight PC-to-PC ethernet cable between the two computers !!!!

• Config #1: PC1 with NDI screen capture -> switched LAN (with DHCP) -> PC2: NDI Studio Monitor and OBS-NDI 4.13 show the remote screen OK
• Config #2: PC1 with NDI screen capture -> PC to PC piggy-back ethernet (& fixed IP) -> PC2: NDI Studio Monitor still OK but OBS-NDI 4.13 shows black !!!

The clumsy workaround I found is to run NDI Webcam on PC2 (to capture the NDI screen capture of PC1) and use a Video Capture Device in OBS !!!
What could be the issue ?????

 

[benoitvm]

I have the same problem, but only when I use a straight PC-to-PC ethernet cable between the two computers !!!!

• Config #1: PC1 with NDI screen capture -> switched LAN (with DHCP) -> PC2: NDI Studio Monitor and OBS-NDI 4.13 show the remote screen OK
• Config #2: PC1 with NDI screen capture -> PC to PC piggy-back ethernet (& fixed IP) -> PC2: NDI Studio Monitor still OK but OBS-NDI 4.13 shows black !!!

The clumsy workaround I found is to run NDI Webcam on PC2 (to capture the NDI screen capture of PC1) and use a Video Capture Device in OBS !!!
What could be the issue ?????

I found the culprit: Windows Firewall of course...for some reason, NDI had firewall rules enabled for both "private" and "public" networks and OBS had FW rules disabled for "public" networks, and Windows treats point-to-point ethernet connection between 2 computers w/o access to Internet as "Public" network...

@beneryige this is perhaps the cause of your problem too -> have a look at your firewall settings and spot any differences between rules for NDI and for OBS....

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

Windows treats point-to-point ethernet connection between 2 computers w/o access to Internet as "Public" network...

Absolutely NOT true, never has been true that I'm aware of... please don't make such claims until you know what are you are talking about

Windows OS Ethernet Network Interfaces not explicitly tagged as Private will default to Public (as it should. The only users caught up by this are those ... delete rant about PEBKAC ). And every Windows OS I've used (with this nomenclature) has prompted when a new network is connected to an Ethernet interface. Which means.... the issue was not properly configuring the network interfaces for the environment/network, and/or assuming incorrect things

 

[KattPhloxworthy]

Absolutely NOT true, never has been true that I'm aware of... please don't make such claims until you know what are you are talking about

Windows OS Ethernet Network Interfaces not explicitly tagged as Private will default to Public (as it should. The only users caught up by this are those ... delete rant about PEBKAC ).

More specifically in this context, networks defined as "Unidentified network" are considered public by default. One prerequisite is that the connection's TCP/IP protocol stack settings must have its "default gateway" setting configured. The other is that said Gateway has some ability to get to the Internet, whether directly by actually having an Internet connection, or indirectly through another upstream router.

I think the test is that if it can reach a specific Microsoft-controlled address, then the system will ask for the type of network to consider the connection as being part of.

And every Windows OS I've used (with this nomenclature) has prompted when a new network is connected to an Ethernet interface. Which means.... the issue was not properly configuring the network interfaces for the environment/network, and/or assuming incorrect things

From what I can tell, only network configurations that can actually reach the Internet will receive a prompt asking about the type of network the network connection in question is presently on. If it cannot reach the Internet, the prompt will never come, so the network is flagged as an "Unidentified" one.

Given an "Unidentified" network, you now have to figure out how to set the connection to "private" if the need arises, e.g. point-to-point connections or ad-hoc networks that don't need an Internet connection. In fact, the Metro/Modern/Universal/Whatever-it's-called-today "Settings" interface won't even let you create such a connection. Network connections configured using the aforementioned "Settings" app must have a "default route". Instead, you must use something else, like the "Control Panel" method, whether directly (via the "ncpa.cpl" Control Panel applet) or via the Network and Sharing Center/Change Adapter Settings method.

--Katt. =^.^=

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

Thanks for that clarification and additional technical details.
Yea... I'm definitely not a lover of MS' mimicking of Apple's hiding of important settings/details (ie dumbing down the system).
And the whole half-based migration of Settings, still, how many years later? since Win10's release (I'm ignoring the Win8 fiasco, but same as Vista, ME, etc), and counting.
Sorry, I'm so used to the old Settings, and know that I can usually find everything there, that I still go to them first... so I overlook when something important is now hidden (/rant... stupid MS)

 

[Jaybonaut]

4.13.1 is out.

 

[KattPhloxworthy]

I'm still curious, for Windows, why is there only an installer available? I frequently test with portable installs, for which I tend to use ZIP files.

Just askin' for a friend.

--Katt. =^.^=

 

[DjFlipside]

I'm having issues as of this week. My OBS is not sending out NDI Signal. NDI Monitor doesn't recognize OBS. I'm using OBS-NDI 4.13.1, latest NDI Core Suite and OBS 30.0.2.

 

[KattPhloxworthy]

I'm still curious, for Windows, why is there only an installer available? I frequently test with portable installs, for which I tend to use ZIP files.

Just askin' for a friend.

--Katt. =^.^=

Second call? On Windows, why is only an installer offered? Why no ZIP for those who want to use it in a portable/temporary install?

Not against using installers--far from it; it's just that it works best on systemwide installs. I don't like having to dip into the install directory on my system to pull out the files, and even then, I have no idea if I have all the files necessary. Though it does seem to work if I get stuff in %ProgramFiles%\obs-studio\obs-plugins\64bit and %ProgramFiles%\obs-studio\data\obs-plugins.

Inquiring minds want to know!

--Katt. =^.^=

 

[KattPhloxworthy]

I'm having issues as of this week. My OBS is not sending out NDI Signal. NDI Monitor doesn't recognize OBS. I'm using OBS-NDI 4.13.1, latest NDI Core Suite and OBS 30.0.2.

To address "My OBS is not sending out NDI Signal[sic]", first things first:
Do you have Tools/NDI(TM) Output Settings on your OBS Studio? (To confirm correct plugin installation.)

If so, obvious question: Is it turned on?

Can you also be more specific when you say that "NDI Monitor doesn't recognize OBS"? What exactly is (not) happening in NDI Studio Monitor? Is it showing up in the list when yo go to select which stream to look at?

--Katt. =^.^=

 

[EvenTS]

I'm having issues as of this week. My OBS is not sending out NDI Signal. NDI Monitor doesn't recognize OBS. I'm using OBS-NDI 4.13.1, latest NDI Core Suite and OBS 30.0.2.

obs not see NDI ,but another see NDI

 

[KattPhloxworthy]

obs not see NDI ,but another see NDI

There are several reasons Streamlabs Desktop has an NDI source. Everything is built in with nothing else to install. Furthermore, there is no plugin support, so there is no way to extend Streamlabs Desktop's functionality. Furthermore, what Streamlabs did to make this happen may have violated the OBS Project's, NewTek's or both entities' licenses. I can 't be sure without understanding the implications of the licensing models that OBS Studio and NewTek's runtime libraries are distributed under as well as copyright law. I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.

That said, it is now time to set Streamlabs Desktop to the side as this forum is not about Streamlabs Desktop nor is it about open source software licensing and linking with proprietary runtime libraries.

There are some questions I have to ask:

1. Did you install the plugin at all? (Kind of hard to have NDI support without the plugin installed.)
2. Did you tell the plugin installer where to install the NDI plugin? Make sure it's pointed to the base of where your OBS Studio installation lives, e.g. C:\Program Files\obs-studio for a normal system install.
3. Did you install the NDI runtime or tools? Either of these must be installed for the plugin to even function. You will not have an NDI source as an option for a scene source or the output under Tools or as a filter if neither are installed.

I would like to know what kind of answers you have to these questions.

Another note: If you correctly installed the NDI plugin but not the required runtime, OBS Studio will tell you this, giving you a link to download it.

Hope this helps.

--Katt. =^.^=

 

[Jaybonaut]

Note this: Windows EXE

 

[EvenTS]

There are several reasons Streamlabs Desktop has an NDI source. Everything is built in with nothing else to install. Furthermore, there is no plugin support, so there is no way to extend Streamlabs Desktop's functionality. Furthermore, what Streamlabs did to make this happen may have violated the OBS Project's, NewTek's or both entities' licenses. I can 't be sure without understanding the implications of the licensing models that OBS Studio and NewTek's runtime libraries are distributed under as well as copyright law. I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.

That said, it is now time to set Streamlabs Desktop to the side as this forum is not about Streamlabs Desktop nor is it about open source software licensing and linking with proprietary runtime libraries.

There are some questions I have to ask:

1. Did you install the plugin at all? (Kind of hard to have NDI support without the plugin installed.)
2. Did you tell the plugin installer where to install the NDI plugin? Make sure it's pointed to the base of where your OBS Studio installation lives, e.g. C:\Program Files\obs-studio for a normal system install.
3. Did you install the NDI runtime or tools? Either of these must be installed for the plugin to even function. You will not have an NDI source as an option for a scene source or the output under Tools or as a filter if neither are installed.

I would like to know what kind of answers you have to these questions.

Another note: If you correctly installed the NDI plugin but not the required runtime, OBS Studio will tell you this, giving you a link to download it.

Hope this helps.

--Katt. =^.^=

everything worked well until on February 20 I decided to reinstall Windows (22631.3155) and after that I stopped seeing NDI.
All installations were by default
NDI is conducted everywhere except OBS