Overview
Hive not only ingests video from your cameras, it can also send video back out via NDI output to your production switcher, auxiliary software, or other devices on the network. This two-way flexibility enables powerful workflows where Hive serves as a dynamic hub in both ingest and distribution.
This article details how to connect Roland, Blackmagic ATEM, TriCaster, and ROSS switching systems to Hive; both as input sources and as recipients of output from Hive. You’ll learn how to use HDMI, SDI, USB, and IP protocols like NDI, RTSP, and RTMP to create a hybrid production environment with real-time video routing in and out of Hive.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Launch Hive and Select Your Studio
Open Hive, sign into your account, and select your studio.
Ensure your Hive Bridge is connected and online.
You’ll see the Source Tray on the left and the Output Panel controls at the top of the UI.
2. Outputting Video from Hive to a Switcher (NDI)
To send video sources from Hive to a connected external switcher over the network:
In the top center toolbar, click the Start Output button.
A dropdown panel will appear. Click the Settings (cogwheel) icon directly next to it.
In the Output Settings window, you’ll see a list of available sources currently ingested by Hive.
Choose which sources to output via NDI:
You can enable NDI output for one, multiple, or all ingested sources.
After selecting your outputs, click Start Output to begin broadcasting from Hive.
Once started, your Hive sources will become NDI discoverable feeds, accessible by:
Blackmagic ATEMs using NDI converters or companion software
TriCaster systems with native NDI ingest
ROSS or hybrid switchers using NDI inputs
Any NDI-compatible system on your local network
Tip: Make sure your Hive Bridge and switcher are on the same subnet to ensure NDI discovery works reliably.
3. Ingesting Switcher Outputs into Hive Studio
To bring video from your switcher into Hive for monitoring, recording, or redistribution:
A. HDMI or SDI Capture (Direct Ingest)
Connect the Program Out, Aux, or Multiview Out from your switcher (e.g., ATEM, Roland, ROSS) to:
A USB capture device (e.g., Elgato, Magewell) connected to your Hive Bridge.
A PCIe or Thunderbolt capture card in your bridge machine.
An HDMI-to-SDI converter, if your bridge accepts SDI.
A USB Output from your switcher into your bridge machine.
In Hive:
Open the Source Tray.
Click the plus icon (+) or any empty tile.
Select Video and add the source based on its label (e.g., “HDMI Capture 1”).
Rename the source in Advanced Settings for clarity (e.g., “Switcher Program Feed”).
B. NDI Input from Switcher
If your switcher supports NDI directly (e.g., TriCaster, ATEM + NDI converters):
Ensure the switcher and your Hive Bridge are connected to the same local network.
In Hive:
Open the Source Tray
Click the plus icon (+) or any empty tile
Select Video and add the source based on its label (e.g., “<source>”)
Use tools like NDI Studio Monitor to verify NDI availability on your network before adding to Hive.
C. RTSP Ingest
For switchers or encoders that support IP streaming:
Enable RTSP or RTMP streaming on your switcher or external encoder.
Copy the stream URL (e.g.,
rtsp://ip-address/stream,rtmp://gateway/ingest).
In Hive:
Go to Add New Source > Manually Configure RTSP Stream.
Paste the stream URL and click Add.
If the stream is password-protected, embed the credentials in the URL or confirm with your encoder admin.
How It Works and What to Expect
Hive bridges ingest and output video using standard AV-over-IP protocols and direct capture hardware. Whether pulling in a switcher feed or sending program outputs back out via NDI, the workflow is designed to be transparent and stable.
Here’s what to expect:
Any ingested source (camera, HDMI, NDI, RTSP) can be routed back out of Hive as an NDI stream.
Any switcher output, whether HDMI, SDI, or IP, can be added to Hive as long as it reaches the bridge through capture or network.
Choose your Outputs: NDI outputs from Hive. You can toggle each independently per source.
Hive acts like a router: you can pass sources between Hive and your switcher to support hybrid or parallel workflows.
Tips, Limitations, and Best Practices
Use clear naming in Hive to distinguish between switcher program, multiview, or aux feeds.
Label outgoing NDI feeds on the receiving system for quick routing into TriCaster, OBS, vMix, or other switchers.
Keep NDI devices on the same network segment to ensure visibility and low-latency performance.
Use hardware encoders for SDI-to-NDI or HDMI-to-RTSP conversion if your switcher doesn’t support IP natively.
NDI output is limited to active sources. If a source is not currently connected or active, it will not be available for output.
NDI discovery may fail across VLANs unless manually routed or bridged, consult your IT team.
HDMI capture requires EDID negotiation: some switchers require “live” HDMI handshakes to begin outputting.
FAQs
1. Can Hive send video back to my switcher?
Yes, using NDI output. Enable NDI on the sources you want to broadcast via the Output Settings panel.
2. Can I route multiple Hive sources to different switcher inputs?
Yes. Each Hive source can be output as an individual NDI stream, which your switcher can ingest on separate channels.
3. What if my switcher doesn’t support NDI or RTSP?
Use a capture card for HDMI or SDI output, or a third-party encoder to convert feeds to NDI or RTSP.
4. Does Hive support multiview ingest from my switcher?
Yes, any switcher feed (Program, Aux, or Multiview) can be captured if output to HDMI/SDI or IP.
5. Can I ingest and output simultaneously?
Yes. Hive supports full-duplex routing, sources can be ingested and simultaneously routed out as NDI.
6. What resolution does NDI output support?
Resolution is dependent on the ingested signal. Hive will output NDI in the same format as it was received.
Use Cases
1. Sending Hive Camera Feeds to a TriCaster Show
Enable NDI output from Hive and map those feeds as inputs on your TriCaster over the local network.
2. Receiving a Blackmagic ATEM Program Feed in Hive
Use an HDMI capture device, a Direct USB Connection, or BirdDog NDI encoder to route the ATEM’s output into Hive for preview or recording.
3. Creating a Hybrid ROS Monitoring Workflow
Capture multiview HDMI out from a ROS switcher and output Hive sources back as isolated NDI channels.
4. Routing NDI Outputs to OBS for Overlay and Broadcast
Enable NDI output in Hive and capture the stream in OBS for live graphics and stream encoding.
Hive is capable of bi-directional integration with professional video switchers. Whether you’re sending multiple isolated camera feeds to a TriCaster, ingesting a Roland program feed via SDI, or bouncing video back and forth with an ATEM and NDI tools, Hive provides a highly interoperable and low-latency environment. With support for SDI, HDMI, RTSP, RTMP, and especially NDI, it forms a bridge between traditional hardware workflows and modern IP-based video production.