NDI

An NDI screen sends its picture over the local network to a video mixer: vMix, OBS with the NDI plugin, a TriCaster, or anything else that takes NDI. The mixer sees it as a camera, so the words can go over the livestream without a capture card or a second cable. It is free, and counts as one screen like any other.

Adding one

On the Screens page, press Add screen, pick NDI as the destination and name it. The name is what mixers list, after the computer’s own name: HALL-PC (Livestream). Rename the screen and the source is renamed too, so a mixer looking for the old name loses it until you pick the new one there.

Set the size and the frame rate to what your stream runs at: 1920×1080 and 25, 30, 50 or 60 frames a second are the usual ones. 1080p is the sensible most; a larger size costs the computer memory for every NDI screen.

A transparent background

Pick Transparent under Behind the theme and the screen sends only what the theme draws, with nothing behind it. In the mixer it keys over a camera by itself: put a lower third theme on the screen and the verse sits on the preacher’s shot with no chroma key to tune. Only NDI and Blackmagic screens offer it.

The first time on a Mac

macOS asks whether BibleLook may find devices on your local network. Allow it, or no mixer will see the screen. If it was refused, turn BibleLook back on under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network.

On Windows the firewall may ask the same; allow private networks.

What the tile tells you

A saved NDI screen says how many mixers are receiving it, and when one of them has it on program, a red On program mark shows on its tile in the rail and on the Screens page. Identify skips a screen that is on program, so the number never lands on the stream.

When nobody is receiving, the screen draws less often to spare the computer, and catches up as soon as a mixer connects.

If a screen cannot send, the tile says why. The usual one is hardware acceleration: NDI screens need it, so if it is off under Help → Troubleshooting, turn it back on.

NDI screens carry no sound.

About NDI

NDI® is a registered trademark of Vizrt NDI AB. BibleLook includes the NDI runtime; more about NDI is at ndi.video.