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Multicast NDI Streams with OBSBOT Tail Air

multicast ndi streams with OBSBOT Tail Air

NDI (Network Device Interface) technology in OBSBOT Tail Air enables different video production software and hardware to communicate with each other and transfer high-quality, low-latency video between systems. Multicast is beneficial in scenarios that require the synchronous delivery of identical content, such as live streaming, video conferencing, and real-time multimedia teaching.

If the video quality transmitted by the user is high, it may consume excessive transmission bandwidth. With the latest firmware upgrade, OBSBOT Tail Air now supports the multicast function for NDI Streams. This article will show you how to reduce the high bandwidth consumption by utilizing multicast to send multiple NDI streams of OBSBOT Tail Air.

*Note: If you are not familiar with networking, handle multicast settings with care to avoid technical errors.

Prerequisites:

  1. OBSBOT Tail Air (with an activated NDI License Key and the latest firmware)
  2. Obsbot Start App or OBSBOT Center software (the latest app/software version)
  3. NDI Tools
  4. USB-C to Ethernet Adapter (necessary for the wired network connection)
  5. Net Switcher or Router (necessary for the wired network connection)
  6. Ethernet Cable (necessary for the wired network connection)

Multicast Your OBSBOT Tail Air as Follows:

1. Before you start, make sure the Tail Air and your computer are on the same network through a wired or wireless connection. See how to set OBSBOT Tail Air with a wired NDI connection by watching the tutorial video below.

2. Next, ensure that the NDI on the Tail Air is activated. You need to turn the NDI Mode on in the Obsbot Start App or the OBSBOT Center software.

ensure the NDI on the Tail Air is activated

3. Open the NDI Tools on your computer and enter the Studio Monitor in the NDI Tools.

open the NDI Tools

4. Click on the icon in the upper left corner to select your device.

click to select your device

5. Click on the icon in the bottom right corner to access the Web UI.

click to access the Web UI

6. Go to the "Settings", and turn on the Multicast switch.

turn on the Multicast switch

7. Fill in the Multicast address. The Multicast address must be in the range of 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255 (For example, as shown in the following screenshot: 239.255.0.0). Then, fill in the Multicast subnet mask. The Multicast subnet mask must be in the range of 255.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.252 (For example, as shown in the following screenshot: 255.255.0.0).

fill in the Multicast address

8. Click the "Save" button below to save the settings.

click the save button

Bandwidth Comparison with Multicast Enabled:

1. When multicast is not enabled and only one Studio Monitor in NDI Tools is used to pull video streams, the bandwidth can be observed at 21.7 Mbps using network traffic monitoring software.

bandwidth can be observed at 21.7 Mbps

2. Open another Studio Monitor in NDI Tools to pull another video stream at the same time without multicast enabled, the bandwidth approximately doubles to 42.6 Mbps.

the bandwidth approximately doubles to 42.6 Mbps

3. After enabling multicast, the bandwidth decreases to 22.0 Mbps, closely resembling the bandwidth (21.7 Mbps) where only one Studio Monitor is used to pull video streams.

the bandwidth decreases to 22.0 Mbps

Upgrade your firmware and optimize your video production workflow with multicast functionality. Don't miss out on more firmware upgrade details of OBSBOT Tail Air and other updates of OBSBOT in June.

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