How to source Multiple Remote (Offsite) Streams to Import and Edit in Real Time in OBS?

air_india

New Member
Hello all. I am trying to get some help with an idea I have - and while this may have been addressed elsewhere, I simply might not know the terms to use to locate the thread, so bear with me.

I would like to try to manipulate multiple streams of video from Android phones (i.e. as multiple camera angles of the same event) that I receive from a remote location, so I can then import that into OBS and switch between streams in real time. Here’s a sketch

- In Site A (indoors with wired broadband internet) where the source video is being captured) setup 2-3 Android phones in with NDI enabled (for instance)
- In Site B (where I am, also inside with wired broadband internet) receive these streams (video and audio), bring them into OBS, and switch between them as I see fit
- Use OBS to then send the stream that merges all angles based on my switching to an audience using a platform I choose (FB Live, YouTube, or combinations thereof)

Is this possible? If so:

- What will the people in Site A need software wise to send me the stream
- How can I bring that into OBS

Thank you!
 

Mynt

New Member
I am interested in doing something similar but don't know much either. Did you ever get far with this?

Most of this should be fairly easy except transporting the Site A streams over 'the internet' to site B. I think merging them all at site B and then using OBS to send where ever you want is easy and OBS does that great.

For transporting over the internet the best I seem to be able to come up with is have each android phone stream using something like 'RTSP Camera Server' or one of many apps available for that sort of thing. Then in OBS at site B grab all those streams. There is of course some lag. I'm not clear on what the best type of streaming would be there seems to be numerous kinds.

It seems like you can't use NDI over the internet otherwise that would be good.

I'm pretty new to this though so I would be interested in hearing if there are better technologies to do this? How do news agencies and other broadcasters conduct remote live interviews/crosses etc? How are they sending live high quality footage without too much lag.
 

STP

New Member
I've done a couple of the types of broadcasts you are asking about recently.
OBS.Ninja is VERY helpful for this.
Another option I used early on, which seemed to put more strain on my computer, was to use Jitsi meet as a sub switcher and screen shot that into OBS.
I've since chosen to use OBS.Ninja as much as possible for the setup you are asking about since the ease of import from the camera is very easy and can be used on just about any device that has a camera and microphone and a Chromium based browser v.74 or newer.
There is also a sub-reddit or obs.ninja: https://www.reddit.com/r/OBSNinja/
 

47Minutes

New Member
I've done a couple of the types of broadcasts you are asking about recently.
OBS.Ninja is VERY helpful for this.
Another option I used early on, which seemed to put more strain on my computer, was to use Jitsi meet as a sub switcher and screen shot that into OBS.
I've since chosen to use OBS.Ninja as much as possible for the setup you are asking about since the ease of import from the camera is very easy and can be used on just about any device that has a camera and microphone and a Chromium based browser v.74 or newer.
There is also a sub-reddit or obs.ninja: https://www.reddit.com/r/OBSNinja/
I'm looking to do something similar having 1 or 2 remote sites stream their camera into my OBS for production. One would be for maybe 5-10 minutes. The other for up to an hour.

I tested OBS ninja yesterday with my 1 hour person and the image was great. Audio was in sync but I had an issue where the audio would randomly go up and down in volume. At some points I could hardly hear it. It wasn't a drop out because I could tell it was still there just very, very soft. Then it would be full volume again. It did this throughout our 20 minute test.

Would have you any ideas or suggestions of what that could be related to? I'm trying to get him a real mic or a headset with mic to see if that helps. I'm hoping it was his device's built in mic just dealing with the ambient sounds in his environment.

Thank you!
 

Jip-Hop

New Member
I've made a Chrome extension for this scenario: Pop-out Jitsi Meet. You simply use the Jitsi app on your Android phones. On your PC with OBS, install my extension and join the same conference as your Android phones. Then you can open all the streams as individual windows and capture them in OBS. Or you could capture only a single 'multiview' window, and use the user interface of the extension to switch between streams in real time, without changing scenes or toggling sources in OBS. Check out the readme on GitHub for usage instructions :)

As an example, this livestream used my extension to get all the individual speakers in OBS.
 
I've made a Chrome extension for this scenario: Pop-out Jitsi Meet. You simply use the Jitsi app on your Android phones. On your PC with OBS, install my extension and join the same conference as your Android phones. Then you can open all the streams as individual windows and capture them in OBS. Or you could capture only a single 'multiview' window, and use the user interface of the extension to switch between streams in real time, without changing scenes or toggling sources in OBS. Check out the readme on GitHub for usage instructions :)

As an example, this livestream used my extension to get all the individual speakers in OBS.

How do I "open all streams as individual windows"? I have the Jitsi Chrome extension *and* your pop-out Jitsi meet extension instealled. The conference is running with the Chrome extension, but I do not see a way to open all streams as individual windows.

Please advise...

Thanks!
 
How do I "open all streams as individual windows"? I have the Jitsi Chrome extension *and* your pop-out Jitsi meet extension instealled. The conference is running with the Chrome extension, but I do not see a way to open all streams as individual windows.

Please advise...

Thanks!

Scratch this question.... I was able to glean from your notes in GitHub
 

Ray Hollister

New Member
I've made a Chrome extension for this scenario: Pop-out Jitsi Meet. You simply use the Jitsi app on your Android phones. On your PC with OBS, install my extension and join the same conference as your Android phones. Then you can open all the streams as individual windows and capture them in OBS. Or you could capture only a single 'multiview' window, and use the user interface of the extension to switch between streams in real time, without changing scenes or toggling sources in OBS. Check out the readme on GitHub for usage instructions :)

As an example, this livestream used my extension to get all the individual speakers in OBS.

Just wanted to share an unpaid endorsement for Pop-out Jitsi Meet. I produced this entire Jazz Festival Weekend concert series using the extension. I had musicians who were on iPads, cheap Android phones, vMix and OBS to NDI. You can really see the full spectrum of possibilities. The hardest part was showing people how to use Jit.si.
 

Plattsburgh

New Member
I have figured out multiple remote sources....what I haven't figured out is how to get them an audio monitor without causing feedback and echo...without using headphones or ear buds. I would like to use OBS.ninja for this but so far my only solution to maintain a monitor to the remote sources was to use Zoom and isolate the individual windows using window capture.
 

wisdomlight

New Member
I've made a Chrome extension for this scenario: Pop-out Jitsi Meet. You simply use the Jitsi app on your Android phones. On your PC with OBS, install my extension and join the same conference as your Android phones. Then you can open all the streams as individual windows and capture them in OBS. Or you could capture only a single 'multiview' window, and use the user interface of the extension to switch between streams in real time, without changing scenes or toggling sources in OBS. Check out the readme on GitHub for usage instructions :)

As an example, this livestream used my extension to get all the individual speakers in OBS.
Just saying big THANK you!
 

leinadamil

New Member
Hey- --» Brilliant. Jitsi meet looks great! Thanks!
Question1: Can I have different audio inputs in the OBS' Audio Mixer? (one for each participant? i.e. one for each jitsi pop-out window? {similar to the NDI inputs of Skype} )
Question2: Is the Audio coming out of Jitsi Meet stereo?
 

PabloDons

New Member
I have made a web app that does this too: https://pablodons.github.io/remote-stream-camera/

Depending on your usecase, this may be a better option. The way it works is by including the host url in OBS as a browser source and opening the guest url form an external source (ex. android device).

I have figured out multiple remote sources....what I haven't figured out is how to get them an audio monitor without causing feedback and echo...without using headphones or ear buds. I would like to use OBS.ninja for this but so far my only solution to maintain a monitor to the remote sources was to use Zoom and isolate the individual windows using window capture.
Hey- --» Brilliant. Jitsi meet looks great! Thanks!
Question1: Can I have different audio inputs in the OBS' Audio Mixer? (one for each participant? i.e. one for each jitsi pop-out window? {similar to the NDI inputs of Skype} )

Both of the above is solved using this option. When you add a browser source through OBS, you can select "Control audio via OBS" which adds the audio from that source as it's own track. Then you may monitor and/or transform as you want!
 
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