NDI Router assigns local NDI sources to virtual outputs that receivers can use; Studio Monitor lets you preview and inspect available feeds. For separate NDI networks that need to connect across a WAN, use NDI Bridge rather than treating Router as a remote transport tool.
The practical sequence is to install NDI Tools for your operating system, confirm source discovery, preview the feeds, create Router destinations, and verify what each receiver receives. A picture in Studio Monitor is useful evidence, but it does not by itself prove that the routed signal or a later production chain is ready.
What switching and routing do
NDI carries video between devices on a network. In this workflow, a camera, computer, or media source transmits an NDI feed, while an NDI-capable receiver takes one as an input. Router provides a software way to assign a source to a named destination. NDI describes Router as a virtual switcher, so this documented workflow does not require a separate hardware video matrix.
It helps to separate three jobs. Studio Monitor is for viewing sources and inspecting them. Router assigns a source to a virtual output for a receiver. Bridge connects remote NDI infrastructures when the endpoints are on separate networks. These tools are related, but they are not interchangeable.
For example, a small studio might have a camera, a laptop showing slides, and a computer playing a holding image. An operator could inspect those feeds in Studio Monitor, then use Router to assign the camera to a virtual output called “Programme” and connect a receiver to that output. The receiver is where the selected feed enters the next part of the production chain.
Router is a control and routing application, not a claim that all video is processed inside it. NDI’s Router documentation says it creates virtual outputs used as sources by NDI receivers; the media stream connects the transmitting device and the receiver directly. That distinction is useful when tracing a fault: Router’s assignment can be correct while discovery, the sender, the network, or the receiver still has a problem.
If your eventual goal is a continuous YouTube channel rather than a studio with live sources to switch, distinguish that job from NDI routing. A workflow based on recorded teaching material, for instance, has different continuity concerns; see the guide to running a GATE preparation stream from recorded lectures. This article focuses on routing NDI feeds, not on preparing or scheduling a YouTube broadcast.
Install NDI Tools for your system
Start at NDI’s official Tools download page and choose the installer that matches the operating system you intend to use. NDI’s installation guide directs users to the official site for current installers. Tool availability and instructions can change, so check the current package and its operating-system notes instead of relying on an old tutorial or a package for another platform.
Install NDI Tools on the computer that will run Router and, where useful, Studio Monitor. If the sending sources or receiving applications run on other computers, they also need to support NDI. Installing Router on one computer does not make an ordinary video source appear as NDI automatically; the source must actually be transmitted as an NDI feed and the receiver must be able to receive one.
Plan which machine has which job before you configure routes. A simple setup might use one computer to run Router and Studio Monitor, a separate camera or computer to transmit, and a production computer as receiver. That is a topology example, not a requirement: source, control application, and receiver may be arranged differently if their software and network can discover one another.
The published Windows requirements for NDI Tools include a 1Gbps LAN minimum. Treat this as a stated minimum, not a guarantee of performance or a complete bandwidth plan for your particular number and type of feeds. Video workload, other traffic, and the devices involved matter. NDI’s Windows Router product page also lists platform and hardware requirements; check the current page for the machine you will deploy. Do not assume that a Windows product-page requirement applies to every operating system.
Find and preview feeds in Studio Monitor
Open Studio Monitor and look through its available NDI channels. The list gives you a practical first check that a sender is visible to the computer. Select a feed to inspect its image and, if you have multiple feeds, compare them there before assigning them in Router. Studio Monitor can display multiple feeds and includes PTZ controls for supported cameras, according to NDI’s Studio Monitor page.
Use a naming scheme that makes the sources recognisable to the operator who will be working later. “Front camera”, “Slides laptop”, and “Break slate” are more useful in a source list than vague names such as “Input 1”. If you can change sender names, make the changes at the source and confirm them in the receiving tool. Avoid guessing from a thumbnail when two cameras show similar views.
A visible preview answers a limited question: can Studio Monitor find and display this source from this computer at this time? It does not establish that the eventual receiver is connected to the right output, that the whole route remains stable, or that a downstream broadcast encoder has correct audio and video settings. Think of preview as an inspection step rather than a production sign-off.
If a sender is missing, first check whether it is on and actually transmitting an NDI feed. Then check whether the computer running Studio Monitor is on the expected network and whether the relevant devices can discover one another. NDI’s 2023 white paper describes discovery as the condition for two NDI devices to pass video and discusses Access Manager as a way to set a Discovery service address. It is useful general context, not a full current network troubleshooting manual.
Route local sources with NDI Router
Open Router and enter its configuration mode. Create source buttons for the feeds you intend to route, then create destination buttons for the receiving applications or roles. A destination is a named virtual output, not a physical port. Choose a name that will be obvious on the receiver, such as “Programme” or “Confidence monitor”. Presets can be useful if you need to recall a set of assignments, but only create them if they make operation clearer.
Router’s documented configuration allows up to 64 sources and 64 destinations. This is an application limit, not a recommendation to run that many active feeds. Begin with the sources and destinations you need, and keep their labels understandable. A volunteer taking over a devotional channel at night should be able to identify the intended feed without deciphering a private naming convention.
After creating a destination, connect the NDI receiver to the virtual output with that destination’s name. Then, in Router, select the destination and choose the source to assign to it. Repeat for other destinations. If a receiver is meant to show slides while another takes a camera, give the destinations distinct names and verify each pairing rather than assuming that selecting a source changes every output.
The order matters: the receiver subscribes to the Router-created virtual output, and Router assigns the chosen source to that output. The actual media path is from the transmitter to the receiver; Router’s role is to manage the assignment. If the receiver cannot see the destination, troubleshoot output discovery and the receiver’s source list before repeatedly changing the chosen source.
For a local setup, keep the source, Router, and receiver on a network where they can discover one another. Router is for local source-to-destination assignment; it does not connect remote networks. A more general guide to keeping a long-running channel dependable is the blog’s checklist of common livestreaming mistakes, which covers operational risks beyond the particular NDI route described here.
Check the receiver and routed feed
After making an assignment, inspect the receiver itself. Find the destination output in the receiver’s NDI source list, select it, and check that the image matches the source you intended. If you have audio in the source and receiver workflow, check that separately as well. A correct-looking picture does not confirm that the receiver is using the intended audio or that the subsequent production application is configured correctly.
You can use Studio Monitor to inspect a routed output where it is available to that computer, but do not confuse that with checking the actual production receiver. The receiver may be on a different machine or have different discovery and input conditions. Confirm the feed where it will really be consumed: for example, in the production application that will take the camera or slides as an input.
Change the Router assignment deliberately to test switching. Note which output is selected, switch that destination to another known source, and verify the receiver changes to the expected picture. Then restore the intended source. This catches mistaken destination selection and confusing labels before they become a problem during a live hand-off.
If the preview is black or stale, isolate the steps instead of changing several settings at once. Confirm the sender is live, Studio Monitor can see it, Router lists it as a source, the receiver has selected the right virtual destination, and that destination is assigned to the intended source. Record which step first fails. This sequence makes it easier to distinguish a discovery issue from an assignment or receiver issue.
Use Bridge when networks are remote
When your source and receiver are on separate NDI infrastructures across a WAN, the task changes from local routing to remote network interconnection. NDI Bridge is the tool in this set intended for that job. Router should not be treated as the link between two remote networks, and Bridge is not a prerequisite for routing devices on one local NDI network.
Bridge provides Host, Join, and Local modes. Host and Join are used to establish remote connections, while Local mode can transcode or repeat a requested stream for multiple receivers. The appropriate mode depends on which network is making a connection and how the streams need to be made available. Consult the NDI Bridge documentation for current configuration details rather than copying settings from an unrelated network.
Remote use brings additional connection details to check, including reachable IP and port, matching group and key settings, and buffering. NDI’s Bridge product page lists a default port and encryption and compression details; those are Bridge-specific facts, not settings to apply to Router’s local workflow. Recheck the vendor’s current page before configuring a deployment, especially if a firewall or managed network is involved.
Buffering is a trade-off: more buffering can favour smoother playback over lower latency. A remote camera used for a conversation may need a different balance from a feed used as background material. Test with the actual connection and content, and decide what delay is acceptable for the production rather than assuming a setting will suit every WAN.
Bridge Local mode also should not be mistaken for a remote connection. It can be relevant when a local stream needs to be repeated or transcoded for receivers, but ordinary local Router assignment remains a separate workflow. If all devices are on one discoverable network, begin with Studio Monitor and Router; add Bridge only when the network topology calls for it.
Test the complete signal path
A reliable check follows the signal through each hand-off: sender, discovery, preview, Router source and destination, receiver, and any production application after it. Test at the time and on the machines you will actually use. A route that works from an operator’s desktop does not prove that a control-room receiver or an unattended overnight setup is configured the same way.
Use a recognisable test image or a brief planned source change. Confirm that the sender is transmitting, Studio Monitor displays the expected feed, Router has the correct destination assignment, and the receiver shows the same intended content. If your workflow includes another application or a YouTube encoder, check that application’s input and audio separately. This article does not establish that NDI preview alone validates a live broadcast.
For a setup intended to run for long periods, include recovery in the rehearsal. Restart the receiving application or sender in a controlled test and check whether discovery and the intended route return as expected. Observe rather than assume that a selection persists. Keep a short written record of source names, destination names, and the known-good assignment so another operator can recover without experimenting on air.
Do not infer network capacity from a successful preview of one feed. NDI’s published Windows minimum for LAN is general guidance, and the reviewed documentation does not supply a workload-specific bandwidth calculation for your combination of feeds and devices. If you add cameras or high-resolution sources, test that actual workload and watch for dropouts or delayed updates. If the goal is to send a prepared programme to YouTube continuously, a routed feed is only one element; the guide to a prebuilt cloud streaming workflow describes a different operating path for recorded content.
If your ongoing channel pain is leaving a local computer running just to repeat a prepared video, StreamNeo removes that particular burden by turning an uploaded video into a YouTube stream that continues with your computer switched off. That is separate from using NDI to switch live local sources, and it is YouTube-only.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Does NDI Router carry the video stream itself?
Router creates virtual outputs and assigns sources to them; an NDI receiver connects to the chosen output. NDI documents the media stream as connecting the transmitter and receiver directly, so Router is not a substitute for either endpoint.
Can Router connect two remote NDI networks?
No. Use Router for local source-to-destination assignment on an NDI network. NDI Bridge is the tool intended to connect remote NDI infrastructures across a WAN, with connection settings that must be checked for the deployment.
Does a Studio Monitor preview prove the route is ready for production?
No. It confirms that Studio Monitor can display a source, but it does not prove that Router assigned the intended destination or that the production receiver and downstream application are working correctly. Check the feed at the actual receiver and test the complete signal path.
Do I need Bridge for local routing?
No. For sources and receivers that can discover one another on the local network, use Router for assignments and Studio Monitor for inspection. Bridge is for remote interconnection or its specific local repeat/transcode use, not a requirement for ordinary local routing.