VideoPro — Set Up Your Production

Set up your production#

Use this section to set up how VideoPro fits into your production system: project format, graphics output, live video inputs, switching, replay, streaming, delivery, and audio.

In some shows, VideoPro is the graphics system feeding an external switcher, display, encoder, vMix, TriCaster, or venue system. In others, VideoPro also handles nearby production tasks such as live video inputs, Shot Layouts, switching, replay, streaming, Zoom or Teams contribution, and audio mixing. These features are here because they can simplify the show when VideoPro is already driving the graphics and production logic.

This section is for the person setting up the production: deciding how VideoPro fits into the larger system, choosing graphics output, adding live video sources, deciding which tool handles switching and streaming, and preparing audio before the show goes live.

Use Design & customize graphics when you need to change the graphics themselves. Use Control your show when the system is set up and you're ready to operate live.

Two ways VideoPro fits your production#

VideoPro commonly fits into production in two ways:

• Graphics system in a larger production — VideoPro creates graphics and sends them to a switcher, display, encoder, NDI workflow, SDI card, vMix, TriCaster, or another production tool.
• Integrated production workflow — VideoPro also handles supporting tasks such as live video sources, Shot Layouts, switching, replay, streaming, Zoom or Teams contribution, and audio mixing, so the show can be run with fewer external tools.

Start here#

1. Choose how VideoPro fits your production — choose whether VideoPro is a graphics source, a downstream keyer, an integrated production system, or the final delivery path. This choice drives Alpha Key, project format, and output setup.
2. Set the project format — choose resolution, frame rate, Alpha Key, premultiplication, and other project-wide settings before configuring outputs.
3. Set up graphics output — send VideoPro graphics to the rest of the production system using Display, SDI, NDI, OMT, TriCaster, vMix, Wirecast, OBS, or another supported path.
4. Move and resize items for Program — use Preview for fast visual placement and the Transform tab for precise position, scale, and fit settings.
5. Live video inputs — bring cameras, capture cards, NDI feeds, screen captures, browser sources, or windows into VideoPro when the production needs them.
6. Audio Mixer panel — set source levels, monitor audio locally, use Shot Layouts for audio automation, and prepare the Program audio mix.

What's in this section#

• Choose how VideoPro fits your production — the decision hub for selecting the right setup path: graphics source, downstream keyer, integrated production system, or final delivery path.
• Production setup scenarios — worked, end-to-end setups for fitting VideoPro into specific tools: vMix, ATEM, HDMI switchers, and SDI broadcast switchers.
• Set the project format — resolution, frame rate, Alpha Key, and premultiplication. These settings affect every downstream output.
• Set up graphics output — Display, SDI, NDI, OMT, TriCaster, vMix, Wirecast, and OBS: the standard ways VideoPro feeds the production system, with key/fill and transparency behavior.
• Move and resize items for Program — fast visual placement in Preview and precise placement in Transform.
• Live video inputs — cameras, capture cards, NDI, screen capture, window capture, and browser sources brought into VideoPro.
• Stingers & transitions — transition setup, including stingers between graphics, shots, or sources.
• Switching & instant replay — VideoPro as the internal switcher, plus replay setup and live replay operation.
• Audio mixing — the Program audio mix, local monitoring, and Shot Layout audio automation.
• Streaming & delivery — RTMP, SRT, multi-destination streaming, Zoom/Teams sends, virtual webcam, recordings, image sequences, and watch folders.

Not every send path is the same. Some destinations are primary graphics or Program outputs. Others receive a copy, stream, file, virtual device, recording, or integration-specific send. Use Choose how VideoPro fits your production to decide which path matches your setup.

Related sections#

• Once the production is set up, drive the show from it. See Control your show for cue and take, Shot Layouts, Stream Deck, and Companion.
• For graphics, values, and live data sources, see Play and update graphics.
• If you need a full venue playbook (sports, worship, hybrid event, ATEM, vMix, or TriCaster), see Solution Recipes. Recipes combine Set up your production, Play and update graphics, and Control your show.
• When Program goes black, an SDI card is missing, or a stream drops, see Troubleshooting.

Choose how VideoPro fits your production#

Before you configure any output, decide how VideoPro connects to the rest of your system. That decision drives your project's Alpha Key setting, your project format, and which Program Out you use. This page helps you place VideoPro; the scenario pages it links to explain each setup in detail.

The core question: where is the final image composited?#

Almost every setup is one of three roles, and the role decides your Alpha Key setting:

• Graphics overlay source — another device or application composites your graphics over video. VideoPro sends keyed graphics; turn Alpha Key on.
• Downstream keyer — a switcher has already produced its program, and graphics are added on top of it, either by SDI hardware or by bringing the program into VideoPro. The Alpha Key setting depends on which way you do it.
• Final renderer — VideoPro produces the finished frame, ready to stream, record, or display. Turn Alpha Key off.

You set Alpha Key itself in Set the project format.

Choose your production setup#

If VideoPro feeds another production system, pick the page for your system in Production setup scenarios:

• Software switchers — vMix, plus TriCaster and OBS (see Output graphics to a TriCaster and Output graphics to OBS Studio).
• Hardware switchers — an HDMI switcher, ATEM, or an SDI broadcast switcher.
• Network transport — NDI or OMT.

If VideoPro produces the finished show, you're sending or capturing a result — a stream, a video call, a virtual webcam, or files. See Streaming & delivery.

Primary output and additional sends#

Keep two ideas separate:

• The primary output is how VideoPro joins the production system — Display, SDI, NDI, OMT, TriCaster, or the OBS plugin. This is where project format and Alpha Key matter.
• Additional sends distribute, stream, record, or republish the result, and can run alongside the primary output — streaming, a virtual webcam, recording, an Image Sequence, or a Watch Folder.

A graphics contributor usually has just a primary output; a full production often adds several sends at once.

At a glance#

Any of these can add streaming, recording, a virtual webcam, or file output alongside its primary output — see Streaming & delivery.

ifdef::scoreview[]

Drive a venue display#

In a VideoPro venue display setup, the finished production goes to one or more digital displays at the venue — a scoreboard screen, a video wall, or a courtside monitor. You map the parts of your project to physical screens with zone layouts and the display configuration, rather than feeding a switcher. See Output graphics to a display for the Display output.

endif::[]

After you choose#

1. Set the project's format and Alpha Key for your role — Set the project format.
2. Configure the primary output — Set up graphics output.
3. Add any additional sends — Streaming & delivery.
4. Follow the scenario page for your setup — Production setup scenarios.

Related#

• Production setup scenarios — choose the page for your production system.
• Set the project format — the Alpha and format settings this choice drives.
• Set up graphics output — Display, SDI, NDI, OMT, TriCaster, and OBS.
• Switcher integrations — end-to-end recipes for specific switchers.

Set the project format#

A project's video format defines the frame VideoPro renders before anything goes to an output, and it shapes every part of the project from the inputs to Program Out. Set it before you configure any output.

Open Settings > Project… to open the Project Settings dialog.

The dialog's Video Format section holds the settings every output depends on. The quickest way to set them is to pick a Video Preset that matches your delivery format — that fills in Width, Height, Frame Rate, and Interlaced together. You can also set each field by hand.

Resolution, frame rate, and interlacing#

These are the most important settings and the least nuanced: match them to the format you're delivering. Unlike the alpha setting below, they don't just shape the output — they propagate inward through every part of the project.

• Width and Height set the canvas size every output renders at, and the size every live video input is scaled to. A 4K camera entering a 1080p project is downscaled at the input; a 1080p camera entering a 4K project is upscaled. There is no per-source resolution override.
• Frame Rate (fps) drives every output's frame cadence and the cadence of cache pre-rendering. It also drives the Instant Replay memory budget — see Set up Instant Replay for buffer sizing.
• Interlaced sets interlaced versus progressive output. Most projects leave it off.

Warning: Changing resolution or frame rate while a production is live is disruptive. Every live input re-allocates its capture buffer, so expect a glitch frame across all sources, and every graphic re-renders, so any graphic that was on air stops and has to be played on again. Change the project format between shows or before you go live — never during a live production.

Working with alpha#

The Alpha Key checkbox decides whether your output carries transparency. What it really comes down to is the role VideoPro plays in your production:

• Graphics source — your graphics are composited over video somewhere else (a switcher, vMix, a downstream keyer). Turn Alpha Key ON so the output carries transparency.
• Final renderer — VideoPro produces the finished frame (graphics already over video, or a full-screen graphic). Turn Alpha Key OFF.

If you're not sure which role you're in, see Choose how VideoPro fits your production. Alpha Key on is the default and the most common case.

With Alpha Key on#

• NDI and OMT carry transparency, so a receiver can key the graphics over its own video.
• SDI runs in key + fill mode by default, using two connectors — one for the key, one for the fill — for a downstream switcher's keyer. On cards that support internal keying, you can instead turn on Use Internal Keyer under Program Out > SDI Setup: the card acts as a downstream keyer, taking the incoming program on one SDI connector and sending the keyed result out the other.
• Display output is composited over a blue or green chroma key or a black luma key background, so a downstream switcher can key the graphics from its HDMI input. The key-color choice appears in Display Setup when Alpha Key is on.
• Image Sequence and Watch Folder outputs write PNG files, which carry transparency.
• OBS — the NewBlue OBS plugin brings the graphics into OBS Studio with transparency.

Note: Virtual Webcam output is always opaque, whether Alpha Key is on or off. The receiving app — Zoom, Teams, Meet, a browser — composites the feed onto its own background, so it sits outside the Alpha Key choice.

With Alpha Key off#

• NDI and OMT send an opaque image with no alpha channel — more efficient than the transparent stream.
• SDI runs in single-output-per-channel mode — each VideoPro channel maps to one connector instead of two.
• Display output shows the finished, opaque frame, with no key-color background.
• Image Sequence and Watch Folder outputs write JPG files: smaller, and with no transparency.

Premultiplied#

When Alpha Key is on, the Premultiplied checkbox chooses how the alpha channel is combined with the color values. Most downstream tools accept either setting; a few ask for one specifically. You normally don't need to change it unless your receiving app shows incorrect edges — a fringe of black or white around graphics — in which case try toggling it.

Set the project format: At a glance#

Set up graphics output#

Use this chapter when VideoPro needs to send graphics or Program to another part of your production system. These outputs are the standard ways VideoPro feeds switchers, displays, encoders, SDI cards, NDI systems, vMix, TriCaster, and other production tools.

Which output you choose follows from how VideoPro fits your production. If you haven't made that decision yet, start with Choose how VideoPro fits your production — it maps each integration model to the right output and alpha setting.

Before configuring a graphics output, check the project's video format and alpha settings — output drivers use those project settings when sending Program to SDI, NDI, Display output, files, and other destinations. If the output needs transparency, make sure Alpha and premultiplication are set correctly for the destination. See Set the project format.

Primary destinations are selected through the Program Out menu.

What's in this chapter#

• Output graphics to a display — to an HDMI or DisplayPort-attached screen, with a downstream key color.
• Output graphics with SDI — to a Blackmagic DeckLink or AJA SDI card, key + fill or single-output.
• Output graphics with NDI — broadly supported network video, with audio and tally; the usual path into vMix and other software switchers.
• Output graphics with OMT — Open Media Transport, a low-latency NDI-class network video transport.
• Output graphics to a TriCaster — TriCaster's AirSend, with bidirectional tally and command support.
• Output graphics to OBS Studio — direct integration via the NewBlue OBS plugin, for OBS workflows.

Set up graphics output: Related#

• Set the project format — the project's video format and alpha settings shape every output here.
• Streaming & delivery — for sending or capturing the finished result: streaming, virtual webcam, recording to files.
• Troubleshooting — if an output is configured but nothing is reaching the destination.

Output graphics to a display#

Every VideoPro edition can route playout to a screen connected to your computer — HDMI, DisplayPort, or any other monitor connection. The Display output sends a full video frame over that connection, which fits two common roles:

• Graphics contributor into an HDMI switcher. When a downstream switcher has no key + fill, NDI, OMT, or SDI input but does have an HDMI input and can chromakey, VideoPro draws your graphics over a chroma or luma key background and the switcher keys them over its program. This is common with compact HDMI switchers such as the Blackmagic ATEM and Roland lines. Turn the project's Alpha Key on for this role.
• Final output to a monitor or display. Send a finished production to a confidence monitor, a projector, or a venue display — including when VideoPro is the downstream graphics tool, overlaying graphics on a switcher program that came in (for example, an ATEM's program over USB-C) and sending the result to a display while also streaming, or feeding the switcher back on another bus. Turn the project's Alpha Key off for this role.

For how these fit the wider picture, see Choose how VideoPro fits your production.

Set the display resolution and Display output#

1. Set your destination screen's resolution and refresh rate to match your project's resolution and frame rate. On Windows, use Display Adapter Properties; on macOS, use System Settings → Displays. (VideoPro renders graphics at your project settings, but the Display output follows the screen's adapter settings, so the two need to match.)
2. In the VideoPro playout window, click the Program Out menu and choose Display. The Display window opens and shows the color key plus any graphics that are currently live.
3. Drag the Display window onto your separate HDMI or DisplayPort screen, or onto whichever monitor your switcher / capture device is attached to. You can also pick the target screen from Program Out → Display Setup → Video.
4. Double-click anywhere in the Display window to expand it to full screen. Double-click again to return to the original size.

Note: The mouse cursor is hidden while it is over a program output window, so an accidental mouse-over doesn't show up on air.

[NOTE]

**About the Program Out menu**: "Program Out" is the menu where you choose VideoPro's output destination — Display, NDI, SDI, virtual webcam, image sequences, and so on. It controls where the rendered playout goes.#

== Select the color key#

The color key is the background color shown behind your alpha-channel graphics, intended to feed a downstream chroma keyer. You can choose Black, Blue, or Green.

You can change the key color in two places:

• In the VideoPro playout window, click the Program Out menu, choose Display Setup → Key, and select a color.
• In the Display window itself, open the Settings menu, choose Key, and select a color.

A key color change takes effect immediately on the running Display output — you don't need to close and reopen it.

Note: The key color is used only when Alpha Key is on in Project Settings. With Alpha Key off, the Display output is an opaque finished frame and the key option is not shown.

Choose the audio device#

A specific audio output device can be assigned for the Display output. In many cases this means sending the audio to the same device the video goes out on, so the audio travels with the Display output (HDMI, DisplayPort, or other monitor connection).

You can set the audio device in two places:

• In the VideoPro playout window, click the Program Out menu, choose Display Setup → Audio, and select the audio output:

+

• In the Display window itself, select the audio output from the settings:

+

The mix that plays out is the Program audio mix; set source levels in the Audio Mixer panel.

Multi-region Display output#

When zone layouts are enabled for your VideoPro edition, regions of your project can be mapped to specific physical screens — a video wall, a stadium board plus a locker-room feed, or any setup where different parts of the frame go to different displays.

A Display Region is defined in the zone layout: give a zone a Display user tag, and the tag's value becomes the region's name. Zones that share the same tag value are combined into a single region.

To assign regions to screens:

1. Click the Program Out menu and choose Display Setup → Assign Display Regions…. The Assign Display Regions dialog opens with two panels: Project Display Layout on top — your project's frame with its Display Regions (or a single Whole Project region when the layout defines none) — and Display Devices below, showing the screens currently connected.
2. Drag a Display Region from the project layout onto one or more displays. A region can go to several displays, and a display can hold several regions — they render stacked top to bottom.
3. To change a display's stacking order, select a region on the display and use the Up/Down arrow keys; press Delete to unassign it.
4. Click Apply.

If the dialog reports that no Display Regions are defined in the current Zone Layout, add a Display user tag to at least one zone in the layout first.

Note: When the active zone layout defines Display Regions, per-screen assignment happens only in this dialog — the single-screen Video picker in the Display Setup menu is hidden.

See also#

• Set the project format — how the alpha and premultiplied options in your project affect every output destination.

Output graphics with SDI#

If your VideoPro license includes SDI output, you can drive a Blackmagic DeckLink or AJA SDI output card directly from VideoPro. (These cards are commonly called "capture cards" because most of them capture too, but in this article we're using them for output.) VideoPro's default SDI mode is key + fill — one connector carries the alpha key and another carries the fill, intended for the key/fill input of a downstream switcher such as a TriCaster, a vMix system with SDI inputs, or a hardware switcher. With your project's alpha turned off, VideoPro switches to a single-output-per-channel mode.

• Set up SDI output
• Choose between internal and external keying
• Tested cards

Set up SDI output#

1. In the VideoPro playout window, click the Program Out menu and choose SDI, then select Blackmagic DeckLink or AJA.

+

Note: The SDI submenu only appears when VideoPro detects a compatible SDI card. If you have a card and don't see it in the menu, install the card vendor's latest drivers and restart VideoPro.

+

The Card Output Connections dialog appears. The dialog is informational — it tells you which physical SDI connectors to plug your key and fill cables into:

+

"Please connect SDI 1 & 2 of your DeckLink Duo 2 to Key and Fill."

+

This dialog reappears whenever you change the device assigned to a VideoPro channel, showing the connector instructions for the newly selected device. Tick Do not show this dialog again to suppress it.

1. On each Layers tab, use the device-channel dropdown to pick which SDI output that tab plays out to. Different tabs can use different sub-devices on the same card, and (if you have more than one card) different tabs can use different cards.
2. Click a graphic's Play button to broadcast it through SDI.

Important: SDI output normally runs in key + fill mode and requires a card with two or more SDI outputs that support external keying. If your project has alpha turned off, VideoPro uses one SDI connector per VideoPro channel instead — see Set the project format.

Choose between internal and external keying#

By default, VideoPro sends key + fill out two SDI connectors and lets your switcher do the keying. If your card supports it (most current Blackmagic DeckLink and all current AJA models do), you can have the card do the keying internally and emit a single composited SDI feed.

To switch:

1. In the VideoPro playout window, click the Program Out menu and choose SDI Setup.
2. Click Use Internal Keyer to toggle internal keying on. (When the menu item is checked, internal keying is active.)

The Use Internal Keyer option is disabled when an SDI device is currently in use — stop SDI output first, change the setting, and start it again. It's also disabled if your project's alpha is turned off, since internal keying requires alpha.

Driver requirements#

VideoPro requires Blackmagic DeckLink driver versions that match the DeckLink SDK VideoPro is built against. If your driver is older, VideoPro displays a one-time DeckLink Outdated warning naming the required version when you first try to use SDI output. Update the driver from the Blackmagic website.

Tested cards#

The cards below have been tested by NewBlue. Other DeckLink and AJA cards may also work as long as the card's driver advertises external keying support and the card can run at your project's resolution and framerate. Cards that don't pass that capability check will not appear in the SDI menu, even if they're listed below.

Blackmagic DeckLink#

Supports Windows and macOS.

Tested:

• DeckLink Duo 2
• DeckLink Quad 2
• DeckLink 4K Extreme
• DeckLink 4K Pro
• DeckLink 8K Pro
• UltraStudio HD Mini
• UltraStudio 4K Mini
• UltraStudio 4K Extreme

Known not to work (no external keying):

• DeckLink Mini Monitor (base and 4K)
• DeckLink Mini Recorder (base and 4K)
• DeckLink Duo (original)
• DeckLink Quad (original)
• DeckLink Studio 4K
• DeckLink SDI 4K
• UltraStudio Mini Monitor
• UltraStudio Mini Recorder

AJA#

Supports Windows only.

Tested:

• Kona 4
• Kona 3G (discontinued)
• Io x3
• Io 4K Plus
• Io 4K
• Io XT
• Corvid 44
• Corvid 88
• Corvid 22
• Corvid 24

Known not to work:

• Kona 5
• Kona HDMI
• Kona IP
• Kona LHi
• Kona 1
• Kona LHe Plus
• Io IP
• Io Express
• T-Tap
• U-Tap SDI
• U-Tap HDMI
• Corvid 3G
• Corvid
• Corvid HEVC
• Corvid HB-R

Output graphics with SDI: See also#

• Set the project format — how alpha and premultiplied alpha settings affect SDI output.

Output graphics with NDI#

If your VideoPro license includes NDI output, you can publish each VideoPro playout channel as a separate NDI source on your network.

In the VideoPro playout window, click the Program Out menu and choose NDI.

Each channel on the Channel panel becomes a unique NDI source. For example, if your project has channels named "Lower Thirds", "Picture in Picture", and "Full Screen", three NDI sources will appear on the network.

Tip: NDI is the usual path into vMix and other software switchers: add the VideoPro NDI source as an input in that tool. With your project's alpha on, the NDI source carries transparency, so the receiving switcher can overlay the graphics directly.

How NDI sources appear on your network#

VideoPro publishes each channel as a separate NDI source named VideoPro — for example, VideoPro Lower Thirds. Renaming a channel in VideoPro renames its NDI source: the old name disappears from receivers and the new name takes its place.

Audio#

NDI output includes audio. The sample rate and channel count come from your VideoPro project settings. Some receivers (Wirecast and Gameshow) automatically request 44.1 kHz stereo, and VideoPro honors that.

Tally#

When a receiver such as Wirecast, vMix, or TriCaster places one of your NDI channels on preview or program, that channel's tally indicator lights up in VideoPro.

Channels and tiers#

The number of simultaneous channels you can create depends on your VideoPro license. For details, see VideoPro license tiers and add-ons.

Tips#

• To rename a channel, double-click the channel name, type a new name, and press Enter.
• To create a new channel, click the + button to the right of the channel names. (Whether new channels can be added depends on your VideoPro tier.)
• To delete a channel, right-click (Windows) or Control + click (macOS) the channel name, choose Delete, and confirm.
• Click a graphic's Play button to broadcast the graphic on its matching NDI channel. You can monitor it in VideoPro's Program Monitor panel.

Output graphics with NDI: See also#

• Set the project format — with alpha on, NDI sends 32-bit BGRA (with alpha channel); with alpha off, it sends 32-bit BGRX (alpha byte unused).
• Output graphics with OMT — an alternative low-latency network video transport.
• Output graphics to a TriCaster — when targeting a TriCaster specifically, AirSend offers tally and command round-trip beyond what NDI provides.

Output graphics with OMT#

OMT (Open Media Transport) is an open-source, low-latency video transport. It's an alternative to NDI for receivers that support it — such as omtplayer, OBS with the OMT plugin, and other OMT-compatible applications.

OMT and NDI are peers in VideoPro. Pick whichever your downstream tooling supports best.

In the VideoPro playout window, click the Program Out menu and choose OMT.

Each channel on the Channel panel becomes a unique OMT source on your network.

How OMT sources appear to receivers#

VideoPro publishes OMT sources with these names:

• Single channel — VideoPro
• Multiple channels — VideoPro (for example, VideoProLower_Thirds)

If you change the number of channels (from one to two or vice versa), the source name pattern changes — receivers locked onto VideoPro will lose the stream when you add a second channel.

What works the same as NDI#

• Each channel is a separate OMT source.
• Audio is included.
• Channel renaming is supported by double-clicking the channel name.
• The number of channels you can create is set by your VideoPro license.

What's different from NDI#

• No tally — when a receiver puts your OMT source on preview or program, VideoPro's tally indicator does not light up. (Tally is supported on NDI but not on OMT.)
• TCP transport — OMT uses reliable TCP, which means slightly different network behavior than NDI's UDP-based discovery and delivery. For most local networks no configuration change is needed.
• Discovery ports — OMT uses ports 6400–6600 by default. If your firewall blocks these, receivers will not see the VideoPro source.

Output graphics with OMT: Tips#

• To rename a channel, double-click a channel name, type a new name, and press Enter.
• To create a new channel, click the + button to the right of the channel names. (Whether new channels can be added depends on your VideoPro tier.)
• To delete a channel, right-click (Windows) or Control + click (macOS) a channel name, choose Delete, and confirm.
• Click a graphic's Play button to broadcast the graphic on its matching OMT source. You can monitor it in VideoPro's Program Monitor panel.

When to choose OMT vs. NDI#

Output graphics with OMT: See also#

• Output graphics with NDI
• Set the project format

Output graphics to a TriCaster#

If you're sending VideoPro graphics to a NewTek/Vizrt TriCaster switcher, you have two options:

1. AirSend (Tricaster) — TriCaster's direct integration, with bidirectional tally and command support.
2. NDI — TriCaster's standard NDI Net Inputs, with audio and an unlimited number of channels.

This article covers the AirSend (Tricaster) option. For NDI, see Output graphics with NDI.

Note: Availability: AirSend (Tricaster) ships with VideoPro Broadcast only.

When to use AirSend (Tricaster)#

Choose AirSend when you want any of the following:

• TriCaster preview/program tally to drive VideoPro's tally indicators.
• TriCaster macros or DSK commands to be received by VideoPro (so a switcher operator can trigger VideoPro animations).
• Direct integration with TriCaster's AirSend inputs.

Choose NDI instead when you need:

• Audio with your graphics. AirSend is video-only.
• More than two simultaneous TriCaster destinations from one VideoPro.
• Compatibility with non-TriCaster receivers from the same output.

Setup#

1. In the VideoPro playout window, click the Program Out menu and choose AirSend (Tricaster).
2. On your TriCaster, configure your AirSend input(s) to receive from this VideoPro machine. (Refer to your TriCaster documentation for AirSend input setup.)

AirSend supports up to two TriCaster destinations from a single VideoPro session. If you need more, use NDI.

What works#

• Video only: graphics with alpha key, sized to your project resolution and frame rate.
• Tally: when a TriCaster operator places the AirSend input on preview or program, VideoPro's tally indicator for that channel lights up.
• Bidirectional commands: TriCaster macros that target the AirSend input can trigger VideoPro playout actions.

What doesn't work with AirSend#

• Audio — AirSend output is video-only in VideoPro. If you need audio with your graphics, use NDI.
• More than two destinations — AirSend is fixed at two destination devices.
• Mac — AirSend output is Windows-only. Mac users must use NDI.

AirSend vs. NDI on a TriCaster — at a glance#

Output graphics to a TriCaster: See also#

• Output graphics with NDI
• Set the project format

Output graphics to OBS Studio#

Send VideoPro's rendered channel directly into OBS Studio. The channel appears as a source inside OBS with alpha, audio, and lower latency than Virtual Webcam.

If you stream or record from OBS, this is the path to use.

When to use OBS vs. Virtual Webcam#

• Virtual Webcam appears as a system-wide camera that any camera-aware app can pick — Zoom, Teams, Meet, OBS, browsers. Quality is fixed at 1920 × 1080. On Windows, it carries video only.
• OBS is a private channel between VideoPro and OBS, with lower latency, full alpha, video and audio.

If you're streaming or recording from OBS specifically, prefer OBS over Virtual Webcam.

Output graphics to OBS Studio: Setup#

VideoPro's OBS integration is included automatically — there's no separate plugin to install or register.

1. In the VideoPro playout window, click the Program Out menu and choose OBS.
2. In OBS, click + in the Sources panel and add a new source — choose VideoPro. VideoPro is discovered automatically.
3. The channel's playout is now mirrored into OBS, with alpha and audio.

Per-channel sources#

If your project has multiple channels, each one is a separate source. Add a separate VideoPro source in OBS for each VideoPro channel you want to bring in.

Video format#

The feed into OBS is 1920 × 1080 at 30 fps, regardless of your project's resolution or framerate. VideoPro resamples to that fixed format at the boundary. OBS can scale or composite as needed; if you need a different framerate end-to-end, use NDI or SDI instead.

Output graphics to OBS Studio: Related#

• Output graphics as a Virtual Webcam — the system-wide camera alternative when you need a feed that any camera-aware app can pick.
• Set up streaming — for the in-app streaming path that doesn't require OBS.

Move and resize items for Program#

Use the Preview panel to quickly move, resize, and reset a graphic, live video source, media clip, or other visual Project List item before it goes to Program. For exact values, fit behavior, or repeatable placement, use the Transform tab in the Properties panel. Both change playout behavior only — they do not edit the original title design.

Project settings define the canvas; Preview and Transform place items on that canvas.

Drag in the Preview panel#

Dragging an item in the Preview panel canvas is the fastest way to place it: drag to move, and use the handles to resize. The canvas and the Transform tab are two ways to change the same playout positioning — drag in the canvas and the Transform rows update; edit the rows and the item moves in the canvas.

The Transform tab#

The Transform tab lives in the Properties panel for the items that support it. Use it for exact values, fit behavior, or repeatable placement.

Which items show which controls#

• Graphics show Position and Scale.
• Media shows Position, Scale, Fit Mode, and Fill Color.
• Live inputs show Fit Mode and Fill Color only.
• Some item types — Shot Layouts among them — have no Transform tab at all.

Position and Scale#

• Position — pixel offset from the item's designed position. Default is (0, 0), which preserves the design. Positive X moves right; positive Y moves down.
• Scale (%) — independent X and Y scale factors. Default is (100, 100). Each axis is set separately.

There is no rotation field on this tab. Rotation is set in the Designer, not in playout.

Fit Mode#

When the project supports content zones, the Fit Mode selector chooses how the item scales inside its assigned zone:

• Fill (Crop) — the item fills the zone, cropping anything that does not fit.
• Stretch — the item is stretched to the zone's dimensions, distorting the aspect ratio.
• Fit — the item fits inside the zone without cropping, leaving margins where the aspect ratios differ.
• - — the project's default behavior.

Fill Color#

When Fit leaves margins around an item, Fill Color sets the color drawn behind it to fill those margins. The default is opaque white. The picker supports alpha — set the alpha to 0 to leave the margins transparent.

Zone Assignment#

When the project supports content zones, the Zone Assignment row shows the current zone for the item. The default is Unassigned. Click the button to open the zone selection dialog; pick a zone and click OK.

Reset Values#

Reset Values resets only Position and Scale, back to (0, 0) and (100, 100). It does not reset Fit Mode, Fill Color, or Zone Assignment — those keep their current values. Reset each one separately if needed.

Bake the transform into the design#

Playout Position and Scale live with the Project List item — the original design is untouched. To make them part of the design itself, open the graphic in the Designer and choose Alignment → Apply Global Scale and Position. The design geometry absorbs the current playout Transform, and Position and Scale reset to their defaults — the Designer now shows exactly what plays out. If you discard the Designer session instead of saving, the previous Position and Scale are restored.

After Effects items#

When the item is rendered through the After Effects renderer, a Scale to fit project dimensions checkbox appears. Check it to scale the AE composition to your project's frame size — for example, a 3840x2160 composition into a 1920x1080 project. When checked, the Scale rows are disabled and the item is locked to the comp-to-project ratio.

Move and resize items for Program: Related#

• Properties panel
• Preview panel
• Use live video sources
• Create a media sequence

Create a squeeze (squeezeback)#

A squeeze — also called a squeezeback — is the broadcast move where the live video shrinks into a smaller area of the screen while graphics slide in to fill the space that opens up. It's the look a sports broadcast uses when it pinches the game video into one corner and brings in a stats panel, sponsor bar, or "coming up next" sidebar, then expands the video back to full screen afterward.

In VideoPro you build a squeeze with the zone system. You describe where the video and graphics sit in two different arrangements, and VideoPro animates smoothly from one to the other when you play a Shot.

How a squeeze works#

Three building blocks work together:

The key idea: you create two zone layouts that contain the same zones, but with the zones in different positions and sizes. In the normal layout the video fills the screen and the side bar sits off-screen; in the squeezed layout the video is smaller and the side bar is on-screen. When you play a Shot that switches from one layout to the other, VideoPro animates every zone from its old position to its new one — so the video shrinks and the bar glides in together.

Before you start#

• Zone layouts must be enabled for your VideoPro edition. If Project Settings has no Layout Preset row, or a Shot's properties have no Zone Config control, zone layouts aren't enabled for your edition — contact NewBlue or your administrator.
• Decide your project's video format first (for example 1920 × 1080) and design your zone layouts to match it, so positions line up exactly.

Step 1 — Plan your zones#

Sketch your two looks and give each region a name. Use the same names in both layouts. A typical sports squeeze uses three zones:

• Video — the live camera/program video.
• L Bar — the sidebar or lower bar graphic that moves in.
• Full Screen — a full-frame overlay that stays put in both looks (good for a scoreboard or clock that should never move).

Tip: Keep the video's shape. If your project is 16:9, make the squeezed Video zone 16:9 too (for example 1600 × 900) so the picture shrinks without stretching.

Step 2 — Create the two zone layouts#

Use the Zone Layout Editor to build each layout. You can start from a built-in preset — Horizontal Split, Vertical Split, or Quads — or build your own zones from scratch.

1. Open the Zone Layout Editor and create a new layout. Name it something clear, such as Squeeze Normal.
2. Add your zones and give each one a name, a position, and a size. Add the same set of zones you planned in Step 1.

+

For the normal layout, make the Video zone full screen and place the L Bar zone so it's off-screen or fully covered by the video.

1. Save the layout to a .zonelayout file.
2. Create the second layout, name it Squeeze Applied, and add the same zones with the same names — but position them for the squeezed look: a smaller Video zone and the L Bar zone moved on-screen.
3. Save this layout too.

Important: Names must match. A zone only animates if a zone with the identical name exists in both layouts. The Video, L Bar, and Full Screen zones must appear in both Squeeze Normal and Squeeze Applied. A zone that exists in only one layout will not move smoothly.

Step 3 — Add the layouts to your project#

1. Open Project Settings.
2. Find the Layout Preset row. Use its load button to import your first layout file (Squeeze Normal), then repeat for the second (Squeeze Applied). Both now appear in the Layout Preset list.
3. Choose your project's starting layout in the Layout Preset dropdown — normally the full-screen one (Squeeze Normal).
4. Save Project Settings.

Note: If you later change a layout in the Zone Layout Editor, re-import it so the project picks up the updated version.

Step 4 — Assign your content to zones#

Tell each piece of content which zone it belongs to:

• Assign each graphic, media clip, or live source to a zone with the Zone Assignment row on its Transform tab — put the side-bar graphic in L Bar, and a scoreboard or clock in Full Screen so it stays put.
• Assign the switcher video to the Video zone with the Shot's Switcher Zone control (see Create Shot Layouts).

Tip: Designing the bar graphic. Build the bar artwork so the colored bar sits where you want it on-screen and the rest of the graphic is transparent, so the video shows through. When the video squeezes, the bar is revealed in the space the video no longer covers.

Step 5 — Create the Shots#

Make one Shot for each look. For each Shot, open its Shot Properties:

1. Normal Shot

+

• Zone Config: Squeeze Normal (or Follow Project Setting if that's your full-screen default).
• Switcher Zone: Video.

1. Squeeze Shot

+

• Zone Config: Squeeze Applied.
• Switcher Zone: Video.
• Animation: the length of the move, in seconds (for example 0.5).
• Timing: the easing curve for the move:
• Linear — constant speed.
• Ease In — starts slow.
• Ease Out — ends slow.
• Ease In+Out — slow at both ends (a smooth, natural broadcast move).

Name the Shots clearly — for example Normal and Squeeze — so they're easy to find in the Shot Launcher.

Step 6 — Run the squeeze#

1. Play the Normal Shot to establish the full-screen look.
2. Play the Squeeze Shot. The video pinches down to the Video zone while the side bar glides into the L Bar zone, over the duration and curve you set.
3. Play the Normal Shot again to squeeze back out to full screen.

Note: The move happens between Shots. The animation plays when you switch from one Shot's layout to another. The first Shot you play simply sets its look; the move appears when the next Shot changes the layout.

Tips and best practices#

• Same zones, same names, both layouts. This is the single most important rule. The video and every graphic that should move must exist, under the same name, in both layouts.
• Use a Full Screen zone for anything that shouldn't move — a scoreboard, clock, or bug. Keep it identical in both layouts and it stays rock-steady through the squeeze.
• Match your project's video format. Design the layouts at the same resolution as your project so positions line up exactly.
• Pick a duration that reads on air. Around 0.3–0.7 seconds with Ease In+Out gives a clean, professional move. Shorter feels snappy; longer feels gentle.
• Build bar graphics with transparency where the video shows through, so the squeeze reveals the bar cleanly.
• Reuse the pair. Once you have a Normal / Squeeze layout pair and the two Shots, you can drive the whole effect from two buttons for the rest of the show.

Worked example — sports sidebar#

Goal: webcam/game video squeezes to the upper-left, a blue sidebar slides in on the right, and a scoreboard stays pinned at the top.

Shots:

• Normal → Zone Config Squeeze Normal, Switcher Zone Video.
• Squeeze → Zone Config Squeeze Applied, Switcher Zone Video, Animation 0.5, Timing Ease In+Out.

On air: play Normal for full-screen game video; play Squeeze to pinch the video and bring in the sidebar; play Normal again to return to full screen. The scoreboard never moves.

Create a squeeze (squeezeback): See also#

• Move and resize items for Program — the Zone Assignment and Fit Mode controls for placing content inside a zone.
• Create Shot Layouts — Shot Properties, including Switcher Zone and Switcher Video.
• Use the Switcher panel — set up the live video sources a squeeze switches between.

Live video inputs#

Bring live video into VideoPro from cameras, capture cards, NDI, screen capture, window capture, browser sources, and other sources. Use live video inside graphics, in Shot Layouts, as full-screen sources, or with the Switcher panel.

Live video inputs: What's in this chapter#

• How live video inputs work — what kinds of live sources VideoPro accepts and how they behave in the project.
• Use live video sources — use this when you need a camera or other live video feed in your show.
• Cameras and capture cards as a live source — USB, HDMI, DeckLink, and AJA devices.
• NDI as a live source — discovery, PTZ, audio, and Lock on for downstream keying.
• Screen as a live source — full-display capture on Windows and Mac.
• Window as a live source — single-application window capture.
• Browser as a live source — URL-driven sources, transparent backgrounds, control pages.

Live video inputs: Related#

• Set up your production — section overview
• Switching & instant replay — for cutting between live sources on air.

How live video inputs work#

A live video input is any moving source you bring into VideoPro as a layer or as a Switcher feed: a camera connected to the machine, an NDI stream on the network, a captured display or window, a web page, an SDI capture card, a network protocol like SRT, or a Zoom participant. They all enter the project through the same pipeline, which means once a source is open every consumer in the project can read it — the same camera can be a layer in two channels and a Switcher input without ever copying the captured frame.

This article orients you to the input categories and how they map to the Live Audio/Video menu. Each type has its own dedicated article with the details you need when you set the source up.

Live Audio/Video input categories#

When you go to Add new item > Live Audio/Video (or right-click in the Project List and choose New > Live Audio/Video), VideoPro shows the categories below. Which categories are visible depends on your VideoPro edition, the hardware present, what's discovered on the network, and any active integrations:

• Commonly discovered video sources — Windows Device / Mac Device for USB and HDMI cameras (Media Foundation on Windows, AVFoundation on Mac); NDI for sources advertised on the local network; Screen for a full display; Window for a single application window.
• User-created / preset sources — Browser (a web page; use Add Browser to create a URL preset), SRT / RTSP / RTMP (network protocols; use the Add … entries), and Media Clip (use a saved media item as a live video source).
• Hardware / protocol sources — Blackmagic and AJA for SDI capture cards; OMT for OMT senders; Zoom when a Zoom meeting is joined and producing per-participant feeds.
• Audio-only sources — Audio Device (input devices the OS exposes) and System Audio (the desktop's own audio output).

The same menu is reused in the Switcher panel's right-click Add input menu, so the source you create as a layer also becomes selectable as a Switcher input.

How sources persist#

Once a source is open, the whole project can share it. Multiple layers and the Switcher can read from one source simultaneously — there is no duplicate capture and no extra CPU cost when the same camera feeds two places.

Sources that disappear (a camera unplugs, a network stream drops) are marked failed and re-opened automatically when they return. You do not need to remove and re-add the source after a brief interruption.

Browser sources persist as project presets — their URL, name, and settings are saved with the project. NDI, screen, and device sources are discovered each time the project opens and are matched back to your layers by name.

Test patterns#

Beyond the user-created and discovered sources, VideoPro also includes built-in test sources — colored bars, test patterns, and similar — under the Utility entry. These behave like every other input and are useful for proving the output path before the cameras are connected.

Audio comes with video#

Most input types carry audio alongside video. NDI, OMT, Browser, capture cards, and Mac screen capture all deliver audio into the project's audio mixer. Windows screen capture is the exception — it does not capture system audio; pair it with a separate System Audio source if you need the desktop's sound.

Audio from a live input is routed through the Audio Mixer into the Program audio mix. See Audio Mixer panel for the controls.

Layering and the Switcher#

A live video source on its own is a layer in a channel — order it relative to your graphics layers in the Project List. Graphics typically sit above live video layers so titles render on top of the camera.

When you add the same source to the Switcher panel, the Switcher cuts and dissolves between sources at the program output level. The layer in the Project List and the Switcher input share the same captured frame.

Where to go next#

Each input type has its own setup article:

• NDI as a live source — discovery, PTZ, audio.
• Screen as a live source — display capture, Windows and Mac.
• Window as a live source — per-application window capture.
• Browser as a live source — URL-driven sources, transparent backgrounds, control pages.

For cameras connected directly to the machine, see Use live video sources, which also covers PTZ controls and the Lock on for downstream keying option.

How live video inputs work: Related#

• The Switcher panel — cutting between live inputs.
• Audio Mixer panel — routing audio from live inputs.
• Set the project format — project resolution and frame rate, which all inputs are scaled to.

Use live video sources#

Add live video sources from your production directly into a VideoPro channel. A live video source appears in the Project List as a layer you manage with the same playout controls as any other layer, with additional properties depending on the source.

• Add a live video source
• Lock on for downstream keying (Broadcast only)
• PTZ controls

Add a live video source#

A live video source accompanies your graphics and media in the channel: it displays the live feed in real time and appears in Program when the layer is live.

1. Open VideoPro. Click Add new item at the bottom of the Project List (or right-click in the Project List) and choose Live Audio/Video. VideoPro shows the input categories below. Which categories are visible depends on your VideoPro edition, the hardware present, what's discovered on the network, and any active integrations.

+

• Windows Device / Mac Device: USB or HDMI cameras connected directly to the machine running VideoPro, plus OS-level virtual cameras (Zoom virtual camera, OBS virtual camera, NDI Webcam).
• NDI: live video sources that are being transmitted over NDI on your local network. VideoPro discovers them automatically.
• Screen / Window: a live feed of a full display or a single application window. Displays appear under Screen; the Window submenu lists each capturable application window as (). On macOS, ScreenCaptureKit can also capture an application across virtual desktops.
• Browser: a web page rendered as a live video source. Choose Add Browser to enter the URL and save the source as a preset. A Browser source can optionally use a transparent background (for web overlays that composite over other layers) and a separate control URL for an operator dashboard. Audio from the page is captured directly from the page itself.
• Blackmagic / AJA: SDI capture from a Blackmagic Design (DeckLink) or AJA card. Visibility depends on your VideoPro edition and on the vendor driver being installed.
• SRT / RTSP / RTMP: live network protocols. Use the Add … entries under each to point VideoPro at a stream URL.
• Media Clip: a saved media file consumed as a live video source.
• Zoom: per-participant feeds from a joined Zoom meeting (appears when a meeting is active).
• OMT: OMT senders on the network.
• Audio Device / System Audio: audio-only sources for the Audio Mixer.
• Utility: built-in test pattern and generator sources.

1. Selecting any of the options above will add that live video source as a layer on your current channel. You may click and drag the layer above or below other layers to determine its layer hierarchy.

+

Note: Live video layers work best if they are below your graphics layers so that your graphics will play above your live video sources.

Source settings#

After you add a live source, select its row and open the Live Audio/Video tab in the Properties panel — the input source picker and the per-source settings live there.

Protocol inputs add their own settings tab next to it. RTMP Settings and SRT Settings carry the connection mode, the listen port, and the addresses external encoders connect to:

Lock on for downstream keying (Broadcast only)#

The Lock on for downstream keying checkbox in the live layer's Layer Properties panel locks playback on so that, once the layer is playing, it cannot be stopped until the checkbox is cleared. Use it when a live video source has to stay live for the whole show — a downstream key, a permanent background, a return feed — and a stray hot-key or shot recall should not be able to take it off air.

Downstream keying is included with VideoPro Broadcast; other editions may not show the checkbox.

PTZ Controls (Broadcast only)#

If a PTZ camera is added as a live video source and you are licensed for VideoPro Broadcast, then your Layer Properties panel will contain PTZ controls for that live video layer. PTZ is supported on NDI-enabled PTZ cameras; USB PTZ support is limited and not all USB cameras expose PTZ on every OS.

Use the Pan, Tilt, Zoom, and Focus sliders to frame the shot. The Auto button on the Focus row autofocuses the current shot. You can also adjust Pan and Tilt directly from the Designer's editable display: hold CTRL and drag inside the editable preview to move the camera.

To save a preset, click Store (it stays pressed), then click one of the 12 numbered preset buttons. To recall, click the numbered button directly or pick the preset from the Play Preset dropdown so it recalls automatically when the layer plays. The store grid exposes 12 slots; the Play Preset dropdown currently exposes presets 1-8.

Cameras and capture cards as a live source#

USB webcams, HDMI capture sticks, and built-in laptop cameras enter VideoPro through the Windows Device (Windows) or Mac Device (Mac) entry on the Live Audio/Video submenu. Professional SDI capture cards from Blackmagic Design and AJA take their own entries — Blackmagic and AJA — because the vendor SDKs each register a distinct input type and VideoPro explicitly filters them out of the generic Windows/Mac device list. This article covers adding any of these sources, PTZ on supported cameras, audio handling per device class, and the differences that matter for SDI cards.

Cameras and capture cards as a live source: Before you start#

• On Windows, plug the camera or capture card in before launching VideoPro. The device list is enumerated through Media Foundation; new arrivals show up on the next scan.
• On macOS, the first time you use a camera you'll see a system prompt asking to grant camera access to VideoPro. Grant it; without permission the source produces a black frame.
• SDI cards (DeckLink, AJA) require their vendor driver to be installed, and some VideoPro editions do not include SDI capture. If the card is installed but the menu entry is missing, your edition may not include it — contact NewBlue support to add it.

Add a camera or capture device#

1. From the bottom of the Project List click Add new item (or right-click anywhere in the Project List) and choose Live Audio/Video > the entry that matches your device:

+

• Windows Device (Windows) or Mac Device (Mac) for USB webcams, HDMI capture sticks, built-in laptop cameras, and OS-level virtual cameras (Zoom virtual camera, OBS virtual camera, NDI Webcam — these appear here because the OS presents them through the same camera APIs).
• Blackmagic for DeckLink SDI capture (and Blackmagic's other SDK-driven inputs).
• AJA for AJA SDI capture.

1. The submenu under each entry lists every connected device of that type by name. Pick the one you want.
2. The device is added as a layer on the current channel. Drag the layer up or down to set its z-order relative to your graphics.

PTZ on USB cameras#

PTZ controls are not NDI-only. A USB UVC camera that reports pan, tilt, and zoom through Media Foundation on Windows exposes the same Layer Properties controls described in NDI as a live source — Pan, Tilt, Zoom, Focus, the Auto button on the Focus row, and a 12-slot Preset store grid with a Store button (the Play Preset dropdown exposes presets 1-8). CTRL-drag in the Designer's editable display also pans and tilts.

If the camera does not report PTZ capability, the PTZ block in Layer Properties is absent — there's no error, just no controls.

SDI capture: DeckLink and AJA#

DeckLink and AJA cards each take their own Live Audio/Video submenu entry. A few behaviors are specific:

• Auto format detection — If the incoming signal format changes mid-show (1080p59.94 to 720p, say), the card stops and restarts capture. Expect one glitch frame at the change.
• Embedded audio — SDI capture carries the embedded audio with the video; it appears in the Audio Mixer automatically. USB cameras require a separate audio source.
• DeckLink hot audio — DeckLink delivers audio about +20 dB above unity. VideoPro compensates on the way in so meters read normally. A parallel monitor path on the same DeckLink card will read 20 dB hot relative to the VideoPro mixer.
• Shared availability — a VideoPro edition that includes DeckLink capture also includes AJA capture, and vice versa.

Audio handling#

USB and HDMI cameras (Windows or Mac) deliver video only through the Windows/Mac Device path. To bring in the camera's microphone, add the matching audio device under Live Audio/Video > Audio Device — it's a separate source in the Audio Mixer.

SDI capture (DeckLink, AJA) carries the embedded audio with the video; no separate add step is needed and the audio appears in the mixer automatically.

Disconnect handling#

If a camera stops delivering frames — unplugged, powered off, signal lost — the layer shows a "disconnected" overlay with the device name after roughly three seconds. The layer keeps trying to reconnect; plugging the camera back in or restoring the signal resumes capture without re-adding the source.

There is no manual Refresh devices button. Hot-plugged devices appear in the menu on the next scan cycle (a few seconds).

Cameras and capture cards as a live source: Lock on for downstream keying (Broadcast only)#

The Lock on for downstream keying checkbox in the live layer's Layer Properties panel locks playback on so the layer cannot be stopped until the checkbox is cleared. Use it when a camera or capture card has to stay live for the whole show. Downstream keying is included with VideoPro Broadcast; other editions may not show the checkbox.

Cameras and capture cards as a live source: Related#

• How live video inputs work — the input pipeline overview.
• NDI as a live source — PTZ controls and the broader Layer Properties layout.
• Use live video sources — Lock on for downstream keying and live-layer ordering.
• The Audio Mixer — audio routing for cameras and SDI capture.

NDI as a live source#

NDI lets VideoPro receive video, audio, and PTZ control from any NDI source on the local network. Cameras, switchers, and software encoders that advertise NDI appear in the Live Audio/Video > NDI submenu without any IP address entry. This article covers adding an NDI source, the PTZ controls, audio handling, and the differences between NDI input and NDI output.

NDI as a live source: Before you start#

• Both machines must be on the same network, or you must have an NDI Discovery Server or NDI Access Manager configured to bridge segments. NDI uses mDNS for peer discovery; sources in another VLAN do not auto-appear without one of these.
• If you also send NDI out of VideoPro, see Output graphics with NDI. The NDI input described here is independent of the NDI output side — different settings, different sources, different controls.

Add an NDI source#

1. Open the project. From the top menu, choose File > New > Live Audio/Video > NDI, or right-click in the Project List and choose New > Live Audio/Video > NDI.
2. Pick the source from the submenu. VideoPro lists every NDI source it has discovered on the network.
3. The source is added as a layer on the current channel. Drag the layer up or down to set its z-order relative to your graphics.

If the source you expect is missing, give the discovery scan a few seconds. The list updates whenever you reopen the Live Audio/Video menu; sources appear automatically as the NDI discovery layer sees them on the network. There is no manual rescan button.

PTZ controls#

When an NDI source advertises PTZ capability, the Layer Properties panel shows sliders for Pan, Tilt, Zoom, and Focus, an Auto button on the Focus row (autofocus), and a grid of 12 numbered preset buttons with a Store button beside them. A separate Play Preset dropdown can recall presets 1-8 when the layer plays.

1. Select the live video layer in the Project List.
2. In the Layer Properties panel, adjust Pan, Tilt, Zoom, and Focus to frame the shot.
3. Click Auto on the Focus row to autofocus.
4. To save a preset: frame the shot, click Store (it stays pressed), then click one of the numbered preset buttons (1-12).
5. To recall a preset: click the numbered button directly, or select the preset from the Play Preset dropdown so it recalls automatically when the layer plays.

You can also pan and tilt directly from the Designer's editable display: hold CTRL and drag inside the editable preview to move the camera.

PTZ capability is detected a moment after the camera connects. A freshly-opened source may briefly show no PTZ controls; they appear once the camera has reported its capabilities.

[NOTE]

PTZ is not NDI-only. USB UVC cameras that report PTZ through Media Foundation on Windows also expose these controls when added as a **Windows Device** source. The control set is the same.#

== Audio#

NDI carries audio alongside video. VideoPro routes NDI audio into the project's audio mixer, where it fans out to the Program, Monitor, ISO, and streaming buses subject to per-source mute and Audio-Follows-Video settings.

There is no extra step to enable NDI audio — when the NDI source produces audio, VideoPro mixes it. To mute the source, use the Audio Mixer's per-channel mute. To follow video automatically (audio on when the source is on Program), configure Audio-Follows-Video on the Switcher panel.

See The Audio Mixer for the routing controls.

Lock on for downstream keying#

The Lock on for downstream keying checkbox in the live layer's Layer Properties panel locks playback on so that, once the layer is playing, it cannot be stopped until the checkbox is cleared. Use it when an NDI feed has to stay live for the whole show — a downstream key, a permanent background, a return feed — and a stray hot-key or shot recall should not be able to take it off air.

Downstream keying is included with VideoPro Broadcast; other editions may not show the checkbox.

Reconnection#

When an NDI source drops and comes back, the NDI library normally reconnects automatically and frames resume on their own. The layer you set up in the Project List keeps its name and properties; you do not need to re-add the source.

NDI input versus NDI output#

These are two separate features and they don't share settings:

• NDI input (this article) brings an external NDI source into VideoPro.
• NDI output sends VideoPro's Program out to other NDI receivers. See Output graphics with NDI.

The NDI Group setting on the output side does not affect the input side. If you need an NDI input from a specific group, configure that filtering in the NDI Access Manager on the receiving machine.

NDI as a live source: Related#

• How live video inputs work — the input pipeline overview.
• Use live video sources — Lock on for downstream keying details and the broader live-layer workflow.
• Output graphics with NDI — the output side.
• The Audio Mixer — audio routing for NDI sources.

Screen as a live source#

Screen capture brings a live feed of any monitor connected to the VideoPro machine into the project as a video source. Use it to show a presentation, a software demonstration, or any application that runs full-screen on a connected display. This article covers full-display capture; for capturing a single application window instead of the whole desktop, see Window as a live source.

Screen as a live source: Before you start#

• On Windows, screen capture uses the Windows Graphics Capture API. This requires Windows 10 version 1803 (April 2018 Update) or newer. On older Windows versions the Screen submenu is empty and no error is shown.
• On Mac, screen capture uses ScreenCaptureKit. Grant VideoPro Screen Recording permission the first time you add a screen source. macOS requires a relaunch after granting Screen Recording permission.
• Plan your project resolution before adding a screen source. The captured display is scaled to the project resolution; a 4K display captured into a 1080p project is downscaled at capture time.

Add a display as a source#

1. Open the project. From the top menu, choose File > New > Live Audio/Video > Screen, or right-click in the Project List and choose New > Live Audio/Video > Screen.
2. The Screen item opens onto two sibling submenus — Screen (the connected displays) and Window (visible application windows). Open the Screen submenu and pick the display you want to capture.
3. The captured display appears as a layer on the current channel. Drag it relative to your graphics layers to set z-order.

Display names come from the OS, refined by Qt's display information when available. If both come back empty, the fallback is "Display 1", "Display 2", and so on.

[NOTE]

The **Screen** and **Window** menu items are two views of the same capture feature; they appear as separate submenus to make the choice between "full display" and "single window" clear. Settings and behavior overlap between the two; the differences are noted in the window article.#

== Static screens stay live#

A captured display that does not change (a paused slide, a static dashboard) does not generate new frames — the OS only delivers a frame when something on screen actually changes. VideoPro keeps the source marked as live during these idle periods, so a frozen slide does not get a "disconnected" overlay drawn on top of it.

Cursor capture#

In the source's Live Audio/Video properties panel, a Capture mouse cursor checkbox controls cursor inclusion. The checkbox is on by default and shows only when the device type is Screen (which covers both display and window capture).

Audio: Mac yes, Windows no#

• Mac (ScreenCaptureKit) can capture audio scoped to the source — for an Application Capture source the audio is scoped to that app, for a Display Capture source it is system audio. Enable audio capture on the source's settings.
• Windows (Graphics Capture) does not capture system audio. If your show needs the desktop's sound, add a separate System Audio source from the Live Audio/Video menu and mix it with the screen capture in the audio mixer.

Frame rate#

The capture frame rate can be configured per source. Set it to match the project frame rate for steady playback. A display that refreshes at 144 Hz captured at 30 fps delivers 30 fps to the project — the capture rate caps the ingest, regardless of the display's refresh.

VideoPro on the captured screen#

If you point screen capture at the same display where VideoPro's own window is shown, you get a feedback recursion — VideoPro renders itself rendering itself. On Mac, ScreenCaptureKit's self-exclusion can hide VideoPro's window from the capture. On Windows, move VideoPro to a different display.

Edge cases#

• No "screen capture unavailable" message on older Windows. If you're on a Windows build before 10/1803, the Screen submenu lists nothing. Update Windows, or use a different source type.
• 4K capture is heavy. Capturing a 4K display into a 4K project consumes proportionally more CPU and memory than 1080p. If you see dropped frames on the Program output, lower the capture frame rate or downscale by reducing the project resolution.
• Capture rate caps the source. Even on a 144 Hz monitor, only the configured frame rate reaches the project.

Screen as a live source: Related#

• Window as a live source — capture one application window instead of the whole display.
• How live video inputs work — the input pipeline overview.
• The Audio Mixer — routing screen capture audio (Mac) or a paired System Audio source (Windows).
• Set the project format — project resolution and frame rate.

Window as a live source#

Window capture brings a single application window into the project as a live video source — a slide deck, a browser window, a scoring app, or any visible (non-fullscreen) application — without including the rest of the desktop. This is the targeted alternative to full-display capture. If you need the whole monitor, see Screen as a live source.

Window as a live source: Before you start#

• On Windows, window capture uses the Windows Graphics Capture API and requires Windows 10 version 1803 or newer. On older Windows the Window submenu is empty.
• On Mac, the equivalent is application capture via ScreenCaptureKit — a scope set to a specific application rather than a specific window. Grant Screen Recording permission to VideoPro the first time.
• Open the target application before you try to add it as a source. Windows are discovered from the OS's list of visible top-level windows.

Add a window as a source#

1. Open the application you want to capture so its window is visible (not minimized).
2. In VideoPro, choose File > New > Live Audio/Video > Screen. The Screen item is itself a submenu that contains two sibling submenus — Screen (the displays attached to your machine) and Window (the visible application windows).
3. Open the Window submenu and pick the window. Each entry is labeled () so you can pick the right one even when two apps have similar titles.
4. The captured window appears as a layer on the current channel.

If your window is not in the list, give the discovery scan a few seconds. VideoPro refreshes the window list automatically. If the window still doesn't appear, the OS may not consider it capturable — try a regular application window rather than a tool window or system overlay.

On Mac, window capture is reached differently: choose Add Application Capture from the source picker. The picker has a Method combo with Display Capture and Application Capture options; pick Application Capture and choose the running app.

[NOTE]

**Screen** and **Window** are two views of the same capture feature; the menu separation reflects the choice between a full display and one window. On Mac, the equivalent is application-scoped capture: ScreenCaptureKit follows the captured app across virtual desktops, so a window that moves to a different Space stays visible.#

== What gets captured#

The window's contents fill the captured frame. The OS taskbar, the wallpaper, and other windows are not included. If the user resizes the window mid-show, subsequent frames carry the new size and the layer is scaled to fit.

If the source window is hidden#

• Minimized: behaviour depends on the OS. Test with your target application before going live — some apps still deliver frames when minimized, others stop.
• Behind other windows: the captured frame usually continues to update — the Graphics Capture API can render windows that aren't on top.
• Closed: capture stops. The last frame freezes on the layer; VideoPro does not draw an automatic "disconnected" overlay for window or screen capture (these sources are marked as allowing infrequent updates so they're never flagged as disconnected). To clear the frozen frame, reopen the application and re-add the source.

Static windows stay live#

A captured window that doesn't change (a static slide, a paused dashboard) does not generate new frames — the API only delivers frames on content change. VideoPro keeps the source marked live during these idle periods, so a static window is not flagged as disconnected.

Window as a live source: Cursor capture#

In the source's Live Audio/Video properties panel, a Capture mouse cursor checkbox controls cursor inclusion. The checkbox is on by default and shows only when the device type is Screen (which covers both window and display capture).

The same panel carries Include in Switcher / Instant Replay and, on Broadcast, Lock on for downstream keying — see Use live video sources.

Window as a live source: Audio#

• Windows: window capture does not carry audio. If you need the application's sound, add a separate System Audio source.
• Mac: application-scoped ScreenCaptureKit capture can include audio, scoped to the captured app (not system-wide). Enable audio on the source's settings.

Window as a live source: Edge cases#

• Windows are bound by handle. The OS identifies a window by a handle that is created at launch and goes away when the app closes. If you close and reopen the target application, you may need to re-add the source — the new instance has a different handle. Restart the target application before opening the VideoPro project where possible.
• Best-effort window list. The capture API filters out some windows (system tray, certain UWP overlays, the Windows shell). Apps that don't appear in the menu generally can't be captured this way; switch to full-display capture and crop with the layer's transform.
• No "Add Window" entry. Unlike Browser, windows are discovered automatically. Open the window in the OS, then refresh.

Window as a live source: Related#

• Screen as a live source — full-display capture, the companion to this article.
• How live video inputs work — the input pipeline overview.
• The Audio Mixer — pairing a System Audio source on Windows.

Browser as a live source#

Browser source lets VideoPro render any web page as a live video input. Point it at a URL and the rendered page becomes a layer in the project — useful for web-based scoreboards, lower thirds from a web app, social widgets, or any page you'd otherwise screen-capture. Browser sources are project presets: their URL, name, and settings save with the project rather than being discovered each session.

Browser as a live source: Before you start#

• Some VideoPro editions include the Browser source. If the Browser option is not in the Live Audio/Video submenu, your edition may not include it — contact NewBlue support to add it.
• Decide whether you want a transparent background. Web pages designed as broadcast overlays should set body { background: transparent; } (or leave the body background unset) so they composite cleanly over other layers.
• If the page needs operator interaction during the show (a control dashboard for a web scoreboard, for example), have its control URL ready. This is a separate page rendered inside the Browser tab's preview area for the operator to click around.

Add a browser source#

1. From the top menu, choose File > New > Live Audio/Video > Browser, or right-click in the Project List and choose New > Live Audio/Video > Browser.
2. Pick Add Browser. A dialog titled Add Browser Source appears.
3. Enter the URL in the Url field and click OK. The source is created and opens on the current channel; the URL is saved as a preset automatically.

Note: After the page loads and reports its title, VideoPro renames the saved preset to that title — so the Browser submenu shows the meaningful page name (e.g. "Sports Scoreboard") rather than "Browser 1" the next time you add it.

The preset persists with the project. If you reopen the project on another machine, the same Browser source is available — no need to re-create it.

On the Browser tab of the Properties panel, the editable fields are Overlay Url (the primary URL — what becomes the layer's video) and, if you set one, Control Url (the optional operator dashboard).

Transparent background#

When the source's Transparent Background checkbox is on, VideoPro injects a stylesheet that makes the page body transparent. Web overlay graphics (lower thirds, animated tickers) then composite cleanly over the camera or other live source beneath them.

1. Select the browser source layer.
2. On the Browser tab of the Properties panel, tick the Transparent Background checkbox.
3. The setting takes effect immediately; no page reload required.

The injection sets the body background transparent. If the page sets a solid background higher up the cascade (html { background: white; } or an opaque body background in its own CSS), that wins and the result is not transparent. Author your overlay pages with this in mind.

Control URL — the operator dashboard#

A browser source can carry a second URL, the Control Url. When set, the Browser tab's preview area in the Properties panel renders the control URL instead of the overlay video — so the operator interacts with the control page directly inside VideoPro, without leaving the application. This is the typical pattern for web-based scoreboards: the Overlay Url renders the on-screen graphic, while the Control Url renders a button-and-input control panel only the operator sees.

The control page is interactive — clicks, key presses, and form input work as in a regular browser. Anything you type in the control page that updates the rendered page (via WebSockets, server push, or shared state) is reflected on the source.

The control page is rendered inline in the Properties panel; it does not appear in the Switcher, and it does not have its own tally.

Browser as a live source: Audio#

Audio that the page plays — embedded video, WebRTC, HTML5 audio — is captured directly from the page and routed into the project's Audio Mixer. This is the cleanest way to bring a web page's audio into your show.

If you've been screen-capturing a web page to get its audio, switch to a Browser source instead. Windows screen capture does not carry audio at all; Browser source delivers both video and audio in one source.

Page reload, auto-reconnect, static pages#

If the page fails to load (network blip, server hiccup), VideoPro retries automatically. You don't need to re-open the source. For a deliberate reload to pick up edits on a hosted page, click Refresh on the Browser tab of the Properties panel (tooltip: "Reload the overlay page"). Refresh only reloads the overlay page; it does not reload the control page.

A page that paints once and stops (a static graphic, a finished animation) does not produce new frames. VideoPro keeps the source marked live during these idle periods so a finished overlay is not flagged as disconnected.

Browser as a live source: Edge cases#

• Each browser source runs its own browser process. Memory and CPU scale with the number of open Browser sources. Use them deliberately on modest hardware.
• Browser audio beats screen-capture audio. If you need a web page's sound, always use Browser. On Windows this is the only option.
• Page title overrides the preset name. When the loaded page reports its title, VideoPro renames the source's preset to that title — that's the name that shows up in the Browser submenu of saved presets and in the Project List. The name you type when you first add the source is only the initial label.

Browser as a live source: Related#

• How live video inputs work — the input pipeline overview.
• Screen as a live source — when the page is in a separate browser app and you can't change that.
• The Audio Mixer — routing browser audio.

Stingers & transitions#

Configure the wipes, dissolves, and animated stingers that bridge one graphic state to the next.

Use this chapter when you want transitions to read as broadcast polish rather than hard cuts. VideoPro ships a library of transition styles and lets you load custom stingers; this is where you assign them at the project level so they apply consistently across your show.

Stingers & transitions: What's in this chapter#

• Set up transitions — use this when configuring the transitions used between graphic takes.
• Set up a stinger — promote an animated title to a stinger transition, set the cut point, and add it to the Switcher's transition list.

Stingers & transitions: Related#

• Set up your production — section overview
• Add transitions to design layers — for per-layer entry/exit animation at design time.

Set up transitions#

When switching between two or more live video sources in the Switcher panel, you have the option of adding transitions. There are stinger graphics within various collections within your graphics library, as well as a number of general transitions to choose from.

VideoPro includes two types of transitions, selected from the same Switcher controls:

• Stingers are graphic titles with embedded animation, audio, and a cut point. A stinger fires immediately when triggered; the incoming source is cut in at the stinger's cut point.
• FX transitions are procedural pixel effects applied to the video frame as it transitions. An FX transition is scheduled to run after the outgoing layer plays out.

You select either type from the same Switcher dropdowns; the type used is determined by the transition you pick.

• Using transitions in the Live Video Switcher
• Using transitions with the Shot Launcher

Using Transitions in the Live Video Switcher#

1. From the Setup workspace, drop the stinger transition from the graphics library into your Project List.

+

+

Note: Any graphic can also be enabled as a transition by right-clicking in the Project List > Enable As Transition.

1. In the Live workspace, navigate to the bottom right corner of the Video Switcher panel and change one of the two Cut transition buttons to the Stinger Transition you just added to the Project List, with the drop-down menu.

+

1. Select that transition so there is a blue border indicating it will be played when switching between video sources.
2. Switch between the live video sources within the Switcher panel to play your transition.
3. Add a second transition using a general transition by selecting the second dropdown Cut > Add Transition > choose from a list of all NewBlue transitions.

+

+

Note: Each new general transition you add will appear in your Project List and in the dropdown menu's list of available transitions.

+

Tip: Delete any of the transitions from your Project List by highlighting the transition > right-clicking > Delete.

1. Selecting the transition in the Project List will display the control options in the Properties panel such as duration, preset, background, etc. Each transition will vary slightly.

+

1. Switch between transitions during broadcast by selecting the desired transition so the blue border indication is present in the Video Switcher panel.

+

Using Transitions with the Shot Launcher#

There is the option to add a transition to any of your Shots as well, as long as one of the live video sources is enabled as a background.

1. Select the Shot in the Project List to display the Shot Properties tab in the Properties panel.

+

1. Choose the live video source for the background to open transition options.

+

1. Choose the transition from the dropdown menu.

+

The selected transition should now be triggered when your Shot is played on/off air.

Set up a stinger#

A stinger is a graphic title — a short animated logo, a branded wipe, a motion graphic with sound — that you promote to act as a transition between live video sources. When triggered, the stinger animates on top of the outgoing source, the source switch happens at a defined moment inside the stinger's timeline (the cut point), and the stinger animates off over the new source.

A stinger is distinct from an FX transition. FX transitions are procedural pixel effects (dissolves, wipes, slides) computed live; stingers are pre-rendered graphic titles with embedded animation and audio. Both appear in the same Switcher dropdowns; the type used depends on which transition you pick. VideoPro also offers per-layer FX transitions configured on the layer's Properties panel — that's a third, separate mechanism used at design time.

This article covers bringing the graphic into the project, marking it as a transition, setting the cut point, and using it from the Switcher, Instant Replay, and Shot Layouts.

Set up a stinger: Before you start#

• You need a graphic intended to act as a transition. VideoPro ships a Stingers folder in the Library; you can also create your own in the Designer.
• For a custom stinger, plan the cut point: the frame at which the underlying source switch should happen. A good cut point is the moment the stinger fully obscures the screen — the cut is invisible because the audience can't see it.
• Keep stingers short; broadcast practice puts most in the 0.5-2 second range.

Add the stinger to the project#

1. From the Library, drag the stinger graphic into the Project List. Stinger graphics ship in the Stingers folder; custom graphics can come from any folder.
2. The graphic appears in the Project List like any other title.

At this point the graphic is a regular title, not yet a transition. The next step changes that.

Mark the graphic as a transition#

1. In the Project List, right-click the graphic.
2. Choose Enable As Transition.

The graphic is now flagged in the project as a transition. It appears in the Switcher's Cut Default dropdowns and in the Instant Replay entry/exit transition lists alongside the FX transitions.

To reverse the promotion, right-click and choose Disable As Transition. The graphic returns to behaving as a regular title.

Set the cut point in the Designer#

The cut point is the moment within the stinger's timeline when the source switch happens. Without one, the stinger plays but the switch happens at the timeline boundaries — usually visible to the audience.

1. Open the stinger in the Designer Timeline.
2. Find the marker strip above the layer tracks.
3. Right-click the marker strip at the frame where you want the cut — usually the frame where the stinger fully covers the screen.
4. Choose Add Transition Midpoint.

The marker both flags the title as a transition and sets the cut point at that frame. Drag the marker to move the cut point; save the title.

[NOTE]

The marker-strip context menu also offers **Add Pause Point**, **Add Fade In Endpoint**, **Add Fade Out Startpoint**, and **Add Custom**. Pause points hold the timeline at a frame until the operator advances; fade endpoints bound animated fades; custom markers are user-named references. Only **Transition Midpoint** sets the stinger cut point.#

To remove a marker, right-click it directly. The context menu's first entry is **Delete** followed by the marker's name (for a Transition Midpoint, that's **Delete Transition**; for a Custom marker, it's **Delete** plus the name you gave it).#

Use the stinger as a Switcher transition#

1. Switch to the Live workspace layout. In the Switcher panel, find the Cut Default slots at the bottom right.
2. In one of the slot dropdowns, pick your stinger from the list. Stingers and FX transitions are shown together.
3. Click the slot so it has a blue border — that's the active transition.
4. Cut between two live video sources. The stinger plays; at the cut point, the underlying source switches; the stinger animates off over the new source.

The stinger fires immediately on the cut command. FX transitions wait for any outgoing layer animations to finish before they begin.

Use the stinger for Instant Replay and Shot Layouts#

For Instant Replay: in the Switcher panel, click Instant Replay. In the On Replay Start and On Replay Stop dropdowns, pick your stinger. See Set up Instant Replay.

For Shot Layouts: when a Shot's background is a live video source, the Shot can carry its own transition. Select the Shot, open the Shot Properties tab, set the background, and pick the stinger from the transition dropdown. The stinger plays when the Shot is taken on or off air.

Stinger audio#

Stinger titles can carry embedded audio — the "whoosh" that goes with the wipe. The stinger's audio plays through the Program mixer bus during the transition. This is one of the visible differences from FX transitions: stingers can include sound design, FX transitions cannot.

The mixer does not show the stinger as a separate channel. To adjust a stinger's volume, edit the title's audio in the Designer.

Set up a stinger: Edge cases#

• No cut point = bad timing. A stinger without a Transition Midpoint marker still plays, but the source switch happens at the timeline boundaries — usually visible to the audience. Always set the cut point.
• No on-air preview. Once the cut is given, the stinger plays through. There is no scrub or preview-while-running.
• A slot holds one transition. Stingers and FX transitions don't stack at the Switcher level. Per-layer FX transitions (set on the layer's Properties at design time) are a separate mechanism that can still apply to titles while a stinger transitions the source switch.

Set up a stinger: Related#

• Set up transitions — the broader transitions setup workflow, including FX transitions.
• The Switcher panel — the Cut Default slots that hold the active transition.
• Set up Instant Replay — picking entry and exit stingers for replay.
• Designer Timeline — where the cut point is set.

Set graphic transition overrides#

Use FX Transitions when a graphic needs its own play or update animation. The Play Transition controls how the graphic appears. The Update Transition controls how the graphic changes while it is already on air — such as when Live Values edits or Values Grid rows update the graphic.

You set both on the FX Transitions tab of the Properties panel, per graphic, without touching the rest of the project's transitions.

Play Transition vs. Update Transition#

• Play Transition — the transition used when the graphic builds in (off to on).
• Update Transition — the transition used when the graphic is already on air and a value change arrives. Set this to give a value change its own animation.

Each transition has its own duration.

Choose a transition#

1. Click the Play Transition selector. A menu opens listing every transition installed for your project, with None and Mix at the top.
2. Pick one. The selector closes and the menu button shows the chosen name.
3. Set the Duration in the row below using the time edit.
4. Repeat for Update Transition if you want a distinct animation on value changes.

Default for both selectors is None. Mix is a straight cross-fade between the previous and new state; None disables the transition entirely.

Note: The row that sets the Update Transition's duration is labeled "Update Transition" rather than "Duration" — the time field in that row is the duration.

When the tab appears#

The FX Transitions tab only appears when the selected item is a graphic and your VideoPro edition includes FX transitions.

How this differs from other transitions#

FX Transitions are per-graphic build-in and update animations. They don't change how the Switcher moves between sources — that's a Switcher transition or stinger, set up at the production level. See Set up transitions and Set up a stinger.

Set graphic transition overrides: Related#

• Properties panel
• Live Values tab
• Values Grid tab
• Set up transitions

Switching & instant replay#

Cut between live video sources inside VideoPro and roll back the action for replay, without a separate switcher.

Use this chapter when VideoPro is switching live sources, Shot Layouts, or replay internally instead of only feeding graphics to an external switcher. Use the Switcher panel when VideoPro is handling the video switching for a compact production, or when live video sources already need to be inside VideoPro for graphics, replay, or streaming. The Switcher panel cuts between inputs; Instant Replay captures a continuous buffer so you can roll back any moment without prepping a clip.

Switching & instant replay: What's in this chapter#

• Use the Switcher panel — use this to configure and operate the in-app video switcher.
• Set up Instant Replay — use this to set up the replay buffer at project time.
• Instant Replay during the show — scrub the buffer, set in/out points, pick a speed, drop markers, and use Quick Settings mid-show.

Switching & instant replay: Related#

• Live video inputs — bring sources in before you can switch between them.

Use the Switcher panel#

Live video switching is available in VideoPro to allow the operator to easily switch between all live sources from their own Live Video Switching panel during broadcast. For versatility purposes, there is the option to switch the Live Video Switching control on and off at your convenience to reactivate control back in the Project List with all the other graphics. The Live Video Switching panel allows you to group, view, and control all live sources from a single panel versus having to sift through the Project List when time is of the essence.

1. Ensure your Live Video Switching panel is open by clicking the Switcher icon in the top Menu Bar so that it highlights in blue, or go to View > Video Switcher so there is a check visible.
2. Add a new live video source by going to one of the following:

• File > New > Live Audio/Video > choose video source from the options connected.
• In the Project panel > Right-click > New > Live Audio/Video > choose video source from the options connected.

+

The live video source will now be visible in the Live Video Switcher panel and a Live Audio/Video tab will open when the layer is selected. Repeat for all live video feeds you plan on using.

1. Select the video source in the Live Video Switcher to play live.
2. To take a live video source out of the Switcher (and out of Instant Replay), uncheck the Include in Switcher / Instant Replay control in the Live Audio/Video tab of the Properties panel. (The live video source must be selected in the Project List for the Live Audio/Video tab to appear.) Audio Mixer inclusion is governed separately.

Note: There is an option to change the Live Audio/Video to a different source by clicking the source-labeled button in the Live Audio/Video tab in the Properties panel > Windows Device > choose a different source.

Click behavior during Instant Replay#

Tile clicks behave differently when Instant Replay is armed:

• For a source that is not armed for replay, clicking the tile cuts that source to Program (no transition).
• For an armed source, clicking the tile drives the replay state machine. Depending on the current state, the click either starts replay playback or switches the active replay source while playback continues.

During replay playback, each armed tile splits into two regions: a small live-feed inset and a larger replay-buffer region. Clicking the inset cuts back to the live feed (returns the replay state to ready). Clicking the buffer region cuts that source onto the active replay output. Scrubbing the buffer position is done from elsewhere in the Instant Replay UI, not by clicking the tile.

Right-click and auto-layout#

Right-click a tile to open the source context menu — the same menu as File > New > Live Audio/Video. Use it to add, remove, or reconfigure live sources without leaving the Switcher panel.

The Switcher tile grid adapts to the dock dimensions and source count. Resizing the dock or adding sources triggers an automatic re-layout so each tile uses as much room as the panel allows.

Set up Instant Replay#

VideoPro includes Instant Replay — a continuous circular buffer recorded from one or more armed live video sources, plus an in-Switcher panel for trimming and rolling clips on air. This article covers the project-time setup: arming sources, picking buffer length, and choosing the entry and exit transitions.

For the runtime operator workflow (scrubbing, in/out points, playback speed, freeze frames, Quick Settings during the show), see Instant Replay during the show.

Important: Instant Replay does not currently work with Audio Sources.

• Basic Project Setup
• Configure Instant Replay
• Resource Use Cases

Basic Project Setup#

1. Ensure your Live Video Switching panel is open by clicking the Switcher icon in the top Menu Bar so that it highlights in blue, or go to View > Video Switcher so there is a check visible.

+

1. Add a new live video source by going to one of the following:

• File > New > Live Audio/Video > choose video source from the options connected.
• Anywhere in the Project List > Right-click > New > Live Audio/Video > choose video source from the options connected.
• In the bottom of the Project List panel, click Add New Live Audio/Video > choose video source from the options connected.

+

Note: Available sources include NDI, SDI, any USB connected video device, or a live feed via Zoom, etc.

+

1. The live video sources will now be visible in the Live Video Switcher panel and a Live Audio/Video tab will open when the layer is selected. Click each to preview.

+

1. Choose a Stinger or Transition to enter and exit Instant Replay by going to the Library > Stingers or any folder with a Transition and drag into your Project List.

+

Your project is now set up to configure Instant Replay from within the Video Switcher panel.

Configure Instant Replay#

VideoPro uses a circular buffer to record throughout your broadcast. Choose one of the discrete buffer lengths: 15, 30, 45, 60, or 90 seconds. Follow the steps below to set up your Instant Replay settings for broadcast.

1. In the Video Switcher panel, select Instant Replay on the bottom right.
2. Within the Instant Replay Options Window, select your Replay Buffer Length. The memory required is dependent upon the buffer length you have selected, as well as your project frame rate and resolution.

+

1. Set your Stinger or Transition: On Replay Start and On Replay Stop.
2. If you are using an external switcher, check the Don't Use VideoPro For Switching box.
3. Under Recording Sources, toggle to Arm all the video feeds you plan to use for Instant Replay clips.
4. Click Enable Instant Replay to start the Buffer Recording.

You are now in Recording Mode indicated by the red button in the lower right and you can see the buffer is running. For the operator workflow once recording has started — scrubbing, trim, speed, freeze frames, Quick Settings — see Instant Replay during the show.

Resource Use Cases#

Below are examples of estimated RAM usage scaled based on number of camera sources and buffer time. This RAM usage is in addition to the RAM used by VideoPro itself, any other running software, and the system in general. We recommend not to have Instant Replay use more than 60–70% of the RAM available to the system. A higher percentage of RAM usage may result in potential performance or stability issues.

Project settings of 1920x1080 30p/i:

• 2 sources w/ 30s buffer — 5.6 GB
• 2 sources w/ 60s buffer — 11.2 GB
• 4 sources w/ 30s buffer — 11.2 GB
• 4 sources w/ 60s buffer — 22.4 GB

Project settings of 1920x1080 60p/i:

• 2 sources w/ 30s buffer — 11.2 GB
• 2 sources w/ 60s buffer — 22.4 GB

Note: Resource usage scales linearly regardless of the variable changed. Also, whether the project is using a progressive or interlaced frame rate is irrelevant.

For a visual reference, see the Instant Replay tutorial. If you have any further questions or issues, please submit a Support Ticket.

Instant Replay during the show#

Once Instant Replay is configured and recording, this article covers the moves an operator makes on air: scrubbing the buffer to find the moment, trimming with in and out points, picking a playback speed, using Freeze Frame to hold a moment, dropping markers, and adjusting transitions and mute behaviour mid-show from the Quick Settings menu.

For initial configuration — buffer length, source arming, entry and exit transitions — see Set up Instant Replay.

Instant Replay during the show: Before you start#

• Instant Replay must be enabled and the buffer must be in Replay ready (green dot). Replay recording (red dot) means the buffer is still filling.
• At least one source must be armed. Only armed sources can be played back.
• The Switcher panel must be visible.

The Instant Replay bar#

The bar runs along the bottom of the Switcher panel. From left to right: the settings cog (tooltip Edit instant-replay settings), cut buttons, the buffer timeline with playhead and in/out drag-handles, the playback speed dropdown, and the Play / Pause / Live button.

At the bottom right of the Switcher panel, a status indicator shows the buffer state: red dot with Replay recording during recording, green dot with Replay ready when the buffer is full enough to play back.

Find the moment: scrub the timeline#

1. Wait for the Replay ready indicator.
2. Drag the playhead along the timeline to scrub through the buffer. The Preview shows the frame under the playhead.
3. Release the mouse to set the playback start to that frame.

The smaller window in each source tile shows the live feed; the larger window shows the buffer at the current playhead position.

Trim with in and out points#

The in-point and out-point handles on the buffer timeline trim the replay clip to just the moments that matter.

1. Drag the in-point handle to where the clip should begin. The handle snaps to the playhead when you release.
2. Drag the out-point handle to where the clip should end.
3. Drag either handle again to adjust.

In and out points persist until you move the handles or clear the buffer — useful when you want to replay the same trimmed moment more than once.

Choose a playback speed#

The speed dropdown offers four discrete options: 0.25x, 0.5x, 1.0x, and 2.0x. There are no intermediate values.

The default speed at the start of a session is 0.5x. Change it from the dropdown at any time — the change applies to the next playback start.

Play, pause, resume#

Click the play button to start playback from the in point (or from the playhead if no in point is set). Click again to pause. Click again to resume.

When playback reaches the out point, the clip auto-exits with the configured On Replay Stop transition and the channel returns to live.

Hold a frame across multiple angles#

To hold one frame on air while you cut between camera angles of the same moment:

1. Pause playback at the frame you want to hold.
2. Click each armed source tile in the Switcher to show that source's buffer at the same paused frame — multi-angle stills.
3. Click play to resume normal playback.

Markers#

Up to 8 marker slots are available for jumping to specific moments in the buffer. The markers are designed for control-surface and shortcut access; check your Stream Deck / Companion mapping or the Settings cog for the binding details.

Quick Settings (cog)#

The cog at the bottom left of the bar opens an in-place menu so you can change replay options without leaving the panel:

• Transition: on replay start — pick a different entry transition from the project's transitions.
• Transition: on replay stop — pick a different exit transition.
• Mute graphics during replay — toggle whether the channel's running graphics are taken down during replay.
• Don't use VideoPro for switching — toggle for setups where an external switcher handles the cut and VideoPro only plays back the clip.

[NOTE]

**Mute graphics during replay is on by default.** If you want graphics to remain visible through the replay, open Quick Settings and turn this off. Operators who expect graphics to persist are sometimes surprised the first time.#

== Multi-angle: switching sources during playback#

While playback is running, clicking a different armed source tile swaps the displayed source to that source's buffer at the same playback position — same moment, different camera. Speed and trim points carry across the switch. Clicking a non-armed source exits replay and returns to live.

Recording pauses during playback#

A warning icon on the bar marks an important detail: the buffer is not updated while a replay is playing. Recording resumes when the channel returns to Replay ready.

This matters for long clips. A 20-second playback is a 20-second gap in what is recorded for the next replay. Plan around back-to-back plays.

To resume recording immediately, exit replay mode (click the Live button or click a live source tile).

Exiting replay#

• Click a live (non-buffered) source tile to switch to live and play the On Replay Stop transition.
• Let playback reach the out point — auto-exit fires the same transition.
• Click the Instant Replay button or the Live button to exit immediately.

Instant Replay during the show: Related#

• Set up Instant Replay — initial setup, buffer length, source arming.
• The Switcher panel — the panel the Instant Replay bar lives in.
• Set up transitions — picking the entry and exit transitions used by replay.

Audio mixing#

Use the VideoPro Audio Mixer to balance audio coming from media clips, live video sources, and microphone inputs.

Reach for this chapter when your show carries sound — when graphics include audio beds, when live video sources contribute their own audio, or when you need to mute or duck a source under another. It covers the live Audio Mixer panel and, separately, how Shot Layouts automate the mix as you switch shots.

Audio mixing: What's in this chapter#

• Audio Mixer panel — operate the live in-app audio mixer.
• Automate audio with Shot Layouts — store per-shot audio settings that apply automatically as you switch shots.

Audio mixing: Related#

• Set up your production — section overview
• Live video inputs — for sources that bring their own audio in.
• Use the Audio Visualizer — diagnose audio routing, mute, and level problems.

Audio Mixer panel#

The Audio Mixer panel controls the audio sources that contribute to Program. Use it to set source levels, mute sources, monitor audio locally, and control the master Program mix.

Shot Layouts can also automate the mix as you move from shot to shot — a separate workflow from this panel; see Automate audio with Shot Layouts. On this panel, each source's Override button decides whether a shot's stored audio drives that source.

Program audio, monitor audio, and shot automation#

• Program audio is the audio VideoPro sends with its output. The Audio Mixer controls the Program audio mix.
• Monitor audio is what you hear locally through speakers or headphones. Changing the monitor device or muting a source in the monitor does not change Program audio.
• Shot Layouts can automate the Program mix. When you take a Shot Layout, VideoPro can apply the audio levels, mute states, or pan settings stored with that shot.

Add audio sources#

VideoPro can use audio devices that are connected to your computer and available to the system. Add the sources you want to use to the Project List; audio-bearing sources then appear in the Audio Mixer.

1. Right-click in the Project List and choose New > Live Audio/Video > Audio Device, then choose your source.
2. Repeat for each audio source you want to include in Program.

Per-source controls#

Each source fader in the Audio Mixer carries a meter and gain fader, a mute button (headphones icon), and — when a Shot Layout drives the source — an Override button.

• Gain fader — drag to set how much of this source is sent to the Program mix.
• Mute (headphones icon) — mutes the source in the Program mix. The headphones dim when muted and brighten when active.

+

+

• Override — controls whether Shot Layout audio automation drives this source. See Automate audio with Shot Layouts.

Note: The meter scale runs from -64 dB to +7 dB. The scale extends above 0 dB because VideoPro processes audio in floating point; treat 0 dB as the practical ceiling.

Source meters read each source's own level and don't move with the Master fader; the Master strip meters the final Program mix.

Note: Every audio-bearing source on the active channel gets its own fader — there is no limit on the number of faders. The Audio Mixer is scoped to the active channel, so each channel shows only the sources that are live on it; a source that goes offline is hidden until it reconnects.

A small arrow toggle at the top of the panel collapses the per-source faders so only the Master fader is visible. Click it again to restore the source row.

Master fader#

The fader strip on the right of the panel labeled Master controls the overall Program audio mix — the audio that travels with Program output to destinations that carry audio. Monitor audio is controlled separately; see Choose the monitor audio device.

Choose the monitor audio device#

The monitor device is where local monitoring plays — what you hear at your station. It does not change the Program audio mix.

1. In the Audio Mixer, right-click the headphones or click the arrow next to it, and choose the monitoring device.

+

1. Or go to Settings > Audio Monitor and select from the available devices.

+

Mute a source in local monitoring only#

Use Mute audio in monitor when a source should still contribute to Program but should not be heard through local monitoring.

Select the source and, in its Live Audio/Video properties, check Mute audio in monitor. The source stays adjustable in the Audio Mixer and keeps feeding Program; it just isn't heard at your station.

Audio Follows Video#

Use Audio Follows to make an audio source active only when a selected video source is live. This is useful when cameras or live video sources each have their own audio feed and you want the audio mixed in only while the matching video is on.

The Audio Follows option is on the source's Live Audio/Video tab, alongside the Mute audio in monitor checkbox:

Click Audio Follows to see your options:

The list shows all available live video sources along with Always On. Choose Always On to keep the audio available and mix it manually, or choose a video source to have the audio turn on only when that video source is live.

Note: Shot Layout audio automation takes priority over Audio Follows. If a Shot Layout controls the source's audio, the shot's stored audio settings override the Audio Follows behavior.

Display output audio#

The Audio Mixer controls the Program audio mix. To choose which audio device the Display output uses, go to Program Out > Display Setup > Audio, or use the Display window's settings. See Output graphics to a display.

Diagnosing audio issues#

When audio doesn't behave the way you expect — no audio on air, echo, glitches, or one source sitting at the wrong level — open the Audio Visualizer. It draws every audio source, mixer bus, and output in one picture with the live signal flowing through each connection, so you can see where audio is being muted, mis-routed, or clipping. Open it from the View menu.

See Use the Audio Visualizer for how to read it.

Audio Mixer panel: Related#

• Program Monitor panel
• Program Monitor audio controls
• Shot Layouts & Shot Launcher
• Output graphics to a display

Automate audio with Shot Layouts#

Beyond the live Audio Mixer panel, VideoPro can change the audio mix automatically as you move from shot to shot. A Shot Layout stores audio settings — level, mute, and pan — for the sources in the shot, and applies them when you take that shot. Different shots can carry different mixes: a camera shot brings up that camera's audio, while a replay or graphics shot lowers or mutes it.

You author these settings on the Shot Audio tab as you build a Shot Layout — a separate place from the live Audio Mixer panel, which mixes the current Program by hand.

Set levels and mutes for the shot#

The Shot Audio tab shows a fader for each audio source in the shot:

• Faders — drag a source's fader to set the level it plays at when this shot is taken. The value is stored with the shot.
• Mute button — the speaker icon at the bottom of a fader mutes that source for this shot. The source stays in the project but isn't heard while the shot is on air.

These levels and mutes take effect automatically when you take the shot — for the sources whose Override is on.

The Override button#

Each source's fader in the Audio Mixer has an Override button that decides whether a Shot Layout drives that source:

• Override on — the shot's stored audio settings (level, mute, pan) take effect on this source when the shot plays, and adjusting the controls sets the levels stored with the live shot.
• Override off — the shot leaves this source alone; your manual mixer setting stays in place as shots change.

Automate audio with Shot Layouts: Related#

• Audio Mixer panel — the live mixing surface.
• Shot Layouts & Shot Launcher — building and running shots.

Streaming & delivery#

Use this chapter when VideoPro is sending or capturing the finished result instead of feeding a graphics path into another production system. This includes RTMP and SRT streaming, multi-destination streaming, virtual webcam output, image sequences, and watch folders.

These delivery paths differ from the graphics outputs in Set up graphics output: some destinations receive Program as a primary output, while others receive a copy, a stream, a file, a virtual device, or an integration-specific output.

Streaming & delivery: What's in this chapter#

• Streaming with VideoPro — the streaming starting point: pick a service and configure an RTMP destination.
• Stream with SRT — low-latency Secure Reliable Transport with encryption and packet recovery.
• Stream to multiple destinations — encode once and push to several services simultaneously.
• Output graphics as a Virtual Webcam — appears as a camera in Zoom, Teams, Meet, and any other app that consumes a webcam.
• Output graphics as an image sequence — numbered PNG or JPG frames in a folder, for downstream compositors.
• Output graphics to a watch folder — a single, continuously updated PNG or JPG file, for systems that monitor a folder.

Streaming & delivery: Related#

• Set up graphics output — Display, SDI, NDI, OMT, TriCaster, and OBS paths into the production system.
• Connect Zoom Manager (Meeting Workflow) — for sending VideoPro output into a Zoom meeting.
• Troubleshooting — if the stream drops or a delivery path stops producing output.

Streaming with VideoPro#

VideoPro publishes its program output to live-streaming services in real time. You can stream to one destination or, in editions that include Multi-Destination Streaming, several at once — including a mix of RTMP services and SRT.

This article covers RTMP services. For SRT specifically, see Stream with SRT. For sending the same broadcast to multiple destinations, see Stream to multiple destinations.

Supported services#

VideoPro ships with built-in presets for these RTMP services:

• YouTube Live
• Facebook Live
• LinkedIn Live
• X (Twitter)
• Twitch
• Switchboard Live
• Generic RTMP (any other RTMP endpoint)

For each preset (except Generic RTMP), VideoPro shows a clickable link to the service's stream-setup page so you can grab the URL and stream key without leaving the dialog.

Open the Streaming Setup dialog#

Two ways:

• Click Start Streaming in the top bar. If you have no destination configured yet, the Streaming Setup dialog opens first; the OK button reads Start Streaming.
• Choose Settings → Streaming…. The OK button here reads Save Settings — clicking it does not start the stream, only saves the configuration.

Set up an RTMP destination#

1. Open Streaming Setup (above).
2. If your license includes multi-destination streaming, you'll see one or more destination tabs at the top of the dialog. Click an existing tab to edit, or click + to open a menu of available services and pick one — a new destination tab is added for that service.
3. Choose the service from the Service dropdown.
4. (Optional) Click the configuration link to open the service's stream-setup page in your browser. Copy the Server URL and Stream Key from there.
5. Paste the Server URL and Stream Key into the corresponding fields. The stream key is masked by default — click Show to reveal it.
6. Give the destination a Name (any label you'll recognize) and tick the Active checkbox.
7. (Twitch only) Pick a server location from the dropdown. Twitch accepts any of its listed ingest servers, but choose the one nearest you for best quality.
8. Pick a Format preset (resolution, frame rate, and bitrate). The default is Project, which matches the project's frame size and frame rate. Other presets — for example 1920 × 1080 at 30 fps, 4500 Kbps, and lower-resolution options for bandwidth-limited uplinks — are listed below it.
9. (Optional) Tick Save Destinations to Project to embed the destination in the project file. Otherwise, destinations live in your user registry and don't travel with the project.
10. Click Start Streaming (or Save Settings, depending on how you opened the dialog).

Stop streaming#

Click Stop Streaming in the top bar.

Where to find your stream URL and key#

The exact location of the stream key changes from time to time. The configuration link in the Streaming Setup dialog always opens the current page.

Status while streaming#

The top-bar status panel shows each destination's name and current bitrate, color-coded:

• Green — connected and streaming (e.g., 4500 Kbps)
• Yellow — connecting
• Orange — reconnecting (with attempt counter, e.g., Reconnecting (1))
• Red — error
• Gray — idle

Hover over a destination's status to see its server URL and any error detail.

Reconnect behavior#

If a destination drops mid-stream, VideoPro reconnects automatically up to 3 times with 2, 4, and 8 second waits between attempts. If the server rejects the connection within 2 seconds of accepting (typical of an invalid stream key that the platform validates lazily), VideoPro waits 10 seconds before retrying. After 3 unsuccessful attempts, the destination goes red; other destinations keep streaming.

Troubleshooting#

Streaming with VideoPro: See also#

• Stream with SRT
• Stream to multiple destinations

Stream with SRT#

SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) is a low-latency streaming protocol designed for delivering live video over unpredictable networks. Compared to RTMP, SRT adds packet loss recovery and AES encryption while keeping latency in the hundreds of milliseconds.

Note: Availability: Some VideoPro editions include SRT streaming. If you don't see SRT as a service option in the Streaming… dialog, your edition may not include it — contact NewBlue support to add it.

When to use SRT#

• You're sending to a cloud ingest, broadcast facility, or hardware decoder that supports SRT.
• You need lower latency than RTMP can provide (typically 200–500 ms vs. multiple seconds).
• You need encryption end-to-end without relying on TLS proxies.
• You want to send the same broadcast to multiple destinations simultaneously, mixing SRT and RTMP — see Stream to multiple destinations.

Set up an SRT destination#

1. In the VideoPro playout window, click Start Streaming in the top bar (or open Settings → Streaming…).
2. In the Service drop-down, choose SRT.
3. Choose a connection mode:
   • Caller (default): VideoPro connects out to a remote SRT receiver. Enter the receiver's hostname or IP and port — for example, live.example.com:9000.
   • Listener: VideoPro opens a local port and waits for a remote caller to pull the stream. Leave the host empty and just enter a port — for example, :9000.
4. (Optional) Enter a Stream ID if your receiver requires it. Some SRT gateways use Stream ID for routing or authentication.
5. Click Advanced to expose:
   • Latency (ms) — 200 ms is a good default. Use 100 ms or less on a local network; raise to 300–500 ms for cross-continent links. The receiver must use a comparable latency setting.
   • Passphrase — 10–79 characters. If set, the stream is AES-encrypted. The receiver must use the same passphrase.
   • Overhead % — 25% by default. Raise this if your network drops packets frequently — it reserves more bandwidth for retransmissions.
6. Click Save Settings (or Start Streaming, depending on how you opened the dialog).

Status indicators#

While streaming, VideoPro shows:

• Server URL (Caller mode) or Listener :port and Waiting for caller (Listener mode, before a connection arrives).
• Round-trip time (RTT) in ms.
• Current bitrate.
• Packet loss count, if any.

Latency tuning rule of thumb#

• Local network: 20–60 ms
• Regional (same country): 100–200 ms
• Intercontinental: 300–500 ms

A safe rule is latency ≥ RTT × 3.

Stream with SRT: Troubleshooting#

Stream with SRT: See also#

• Streaming with VideoPro — RTMP services
• Stream to multiple destinations

Stream to multiple destinations#

VideoPro can stream the same broadcast to several services at once — YouTube and Twitch and LinkedIn at the same time, for example, or any mix of RTMP services with one or more SRT destinations. VideoPro encodes the program once and sends the same encoded video and audio to every active destination.

Note: Availability: Some VideoPro editions include Multi-Destination Streaming. Without it, VideoPro limits you to one destination at a time. If you click + and see "You have reached the maximum number of streaming destinations (1).", your edition doesn't include this feature — contact NewBlue support to add it.

Add a destination#

1. Open Settings → Streaming… (or click Start Streaming when no streams are configured).
2. Click the + button in the top-right of the destination tab row.
3. Choose how to create the destination:
   • New Service — create a destination from a built-in preset (YouTube Live, Twitch, Facebook Live, LinkedIn Live, X (Twitter), Switchboard Live, Generic RTMP, or SRT — SRT availability also depends on your edition).
   • From Preset — create a destination from one of your saved presets (see Presets below).
4. Fill in the URL and stream key (or, for SRT, the host and port).
5. Make sure Active is ticked. Inactive destinations are saved with the project but not started.
6. Repeat for as many destinations as you need.

Remove a destination#

• Click the x on the destination's tab, or right-click the tab and choose Remove Service.
• A confirmation appears: "Are you sure you want to remove '...'?".
• You can't remove the last remaining destination — there must always be at least one tab. VideoPro shows: "You must have at least one streaming destination."

Start streaming all destinations#

Click Start Streaming in the top bar. Every Active destination is opened simultaneously. Each connects independently.

Watch each destination's status#

The top-bar status panel shows one widget per active destination, with name and current bitrate, color-coded:

• Green — connected and streaming
• Yellow — connecting
• Orange — reconnecting (with attempt counter)
• Red — error
• Gray — idle

Hover over a destination for its server URL and any error detail.

When one destination fails#

A failed destination does not stop the others. VideoPro keeps the working streams running and shows a partial-failure warning so you know something needs attention. Each destination tries to reconnect on its own — see the reconnect rules in Streaming with VideoPro. After 3 attempts the destination goes red and stays there; other destinations are unaffected.

If destinations fail their initial connection, VideoPro keeps the session running and shows the errors per-destination in the status bar — it does not auto-stop. Read the status text to see which destinations connected and which need attention.

Presets#

A preset is a saved destination configuration. Useful for: a tour of weekly streams to the same set of services, or moving the same set of destinations between machines.

• Save — right-click a destination tab → Save as Preset…, give it a name.
• Apply — click + → From Preset → pick the preset, or use the same path from the right-click menu. A new destination tab is created from the preset (with its own ID, so editing it doesn't change the preset).
• Delete — right-click a destination tab → Delete Preset → pick the preset.

Presets live in your user registry and are local to your machine.

Save destinations with the project#

By default, destination credentials live in your user registry and travel with the user, not the project. Tick Save Destinations to Project in the Streaming… dialog to embed the destinations (URLs, stream keys, names, active flags) in the project file. Useful if you want a project to ship with its destinations or share a project for testing.

Warning: Project files become sensitive when you save credentials into them. Don't share such projects publicly.

Format settings are session-wide#

Output resolution, frame rate, and bitrate are picked once per session — every destination gets the same encoded stream. There is no per-destination encoding. Choose the lowest preset that meets the requirements of your most demanding destination, and bear in mind your upload bandwidth needs to be roughly the bitrate × number of active destinations.

Stream to multiple destinations: See also#

• Streaming with VideoPro — RTMP services and the basic streaming flow
• Stream with SRT

Output graphics as a Virtual Webcam#

VideoPro can publish each playout channel as a virtual webcam, so apps like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, OBS Studio, and any other camera-aware app can pick VideoPro as their camera source. The setup steps differ between macOS and Windows.

Turning it on inside VideoPro#

In the playout window, click the Program Out menu and choose Virtual Webcam. There is one virtual webcam per channel — different channels appear as separate camera sources in your meeting app.

The video format is 1920 × 1080 at 30 fps. VideoPro resamples to that fixed format at the boundary, regardless of your project's resolution or framerate.

Alpha#

The Virtual Webcam is an opaque camera source — meeting apps composite it onto their own background, so the consuming app sees the channel pre-flattened over black. If you need to deliver a key-able feed with alpha to a downstream tool, use the OBS Studio output or NDI instead.

macOS: approving the camera extension (one-time setup)#

The macOS virtual webcam is implemented as a camera system extension. The first time you select Virtual Webcam, macOS asks you to approve it. You only need to do this once.

Requirements#

• macOS 13 (Ventura) or later.
• VideoPro must be installed in your Applications folder. macOS refuses to install camera extensions from any other location. If you launched VideoPro from ~/Downloads, drag it into /Applications first and relaunch.

Approval steps#

1. Open the Permissions panel in VideoPro. The Virtual Camera row shows the current state.
2. Click Activate Extension. macOS submits the activation request and VideoPro switches to Waiting for your approval.
3. Click Open System Settings. macOS opens Privacy & Security.
4. Scroll to the bottom and click Allow next to the blocked VideoPro camera extension.
5. Return to VideoPro. The Virtual Camera row will switch to Active when macOS finishes loading the extension.

If the Allow prompt has disappeared, click Retry in VideoPro to re-trigger it.

Restart-after-upgrade#

When VideoPro ships a new version of the camera extension, macOS may need a restart before the new version is active. The Virtual Camera row will say Restart required. VideoPro keeps working normally; the virtual webcam is just temporarily unavailable until you reboot.

Common errors#

• "Applications folder required" — drag VideoPro into /Applications and relaunch.
• "macOS policy is blocking the virtual camera" — check System Settings → Privacy & Security. An MDM profile or parental control may be blocking system extensions.
• "Another copy of the virtual camera extension is already installed" — uninstall the duplicate from System Settings → Privacy & Security → Login Items & Extensions, then click Retry.

The dialog maps each macOS error to a remediation hint. If the dialog says "This is a build or signing issue — please contact support," the installer is broken; reinstall from the official download.

How the camera appears in your meeting app#

In Zoom, Teams, Meet, OBS, etc., choose VideoPro Virtual as the camera source.

Output graphics as a Virtual Webcam: Audio#

The macOS Virtual Webcam carries video only. Apple's CMIOExtension camera framework does not provide an audio path — there is no microphone counterpart you can pair with the camera. If you need to send audio from VideoPro to a meeting app, set the meeting app's microphone to a separate audio device (a real microphone, a virtual audio device like BlackHole or Loopback, or VideoPro's separate audio output) and run audio in parallel with the camera.

Windows: how the virtual webcam is installed#

The Windows Virtual Webcam is a DirectShow filter registered automatically when VideoPro is installed. There is no in-app activation step and no separate permission prompt.

Output graphics as a Virtual Webcam: How the camera appears in your meeting app#

In your meeting app, choose Virtual Webcam VideoPro x32 as the camera source.

Note: On the device name: The literal device name shown by Zoom, Teams, and other apps ends in x32. This is a legacy artifact in the name string — the filter itself is 64-bit and runs on 64-bit Windows. Just choose the entry that begins with "Virtual Webcam VideoPro".

Output graphics as a Virtual Webcam: Audio#

The Windows Virtual Webcam carries video only. If you also need to send audio from VideoPro to your meeting app, route audio through a separate audio device.

Output graphics as a Virtual Webcam: Tips#

• One Virtual Webcam per channel. To rename a channel, double-click the channel name, type the new name, and press Enter.
• To delete a channel, right-click (Windows) or Control + click (macOS) the channel name, choose Delete, and confirm.
• The Virtual Webcam mirrors the channel's Program Monitor in real time — anything you bring live with Play appears in the camera feed.

Output graphics as a Virtual Webcam: See also#

• Output graphics to OBS — for use specifically with OBS Studio (and other apps with the NewBlue plugin), this path offers lower latency, full alpha, and audio.

Output graphics as an image sequence#

Note: Formerly called "PNG Sequence" in older versions of VideoPro.

If your VideoPro license includes the Image Sequence output, you can write rendered graphics frame-by-frame to a folder. Streaming and compositing tools that read sequential image frames can pick up the files as VideoPro writes them.

Each rendered frame becomes one file. Animations are captured as a sequence — for a 50-frame animation, VideoPro writes 50 images.

File format#

The output format is determined by your project settings:

• Alpha on — files are written as PNG with transparency.
• Alpha off — files are written as PNG by default. To request JPG instead, give the setup file a .jpg (or .jpeg) extension. JPG is smaller but does not support transparency.

For more on the alpha and premultiplied alpha settings, see Set the project format.

Set up the output#

1. Create a folder on your computer where VideoPro should write the image sequence.
2. In the VideoPro playout window, click the Program Out menu and choose Image Sequence Setup.
3. In the Set File Name for Image Sequence dialog, navigate to your folder and type a filename. The filename you type is used only to choose the folder and (for non-alpha projects) the file extension — the actual files VideoPro writes are numbered (see below).
4. Click Save.
5. From the Program Out menu, choose Image Sequence to enable the output.

Run the output#

In the Project List, click a graphic's Play button. VideoPro writes one image per rendered frame to your folder, named:

lower-thirdsLower Thirds.png (the first channel)

lower-thirdsFull Screen.png (the second channel)