---
title: Adding a Source - NDI
slug: zen-master/adding-a-source-ndi
docTags:
createdAt: 2024-12-27T16:33:27.136Z
---
ZEN Master can receive a Source directly from an NDI input. Because NDI streams are provided to the Broadcaster as raw video frames, you need to encode the stream by selecting a Transcoding Profile that encodes both the video and audio (i.e. doesn't pass through either the video or audio).
:::hint{type="info"}
- NDI Sources are only supported on v14+ Broadcasters.
- PID Mapping and SCTE 35 logging are not available with NDI because this data does not appear in NDI streams.
- NDI sources can be resized but not padded with black bars. Enabling the “Keep aspect ratio” checkbox in the transcoding profile will cause the transcoder to fail
:::
The following procedure describes how to add an NDI Source in ZEN Master. In addition, an explanation of each of the configuration parameters is given in the table below.
## To add an NDI Source:
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In the main navigation, click **Sources**.
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Click **+ Add**.
The **Create New Source selection** window is displayed.
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Click on **NDI**.
The **Create New NDI Source** window opens.
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In the **Info** section, in the **Name** field, enter a unique name to identify this Source in the system.
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In the **Tags** field, select one or more of the predefined Tags from the drop-down list.
Tags are used for access control. By selecting a Tag, you are relating this Source to that Tag. Tags are associated with certain roles (through the Users & Roles screen), and roles, in turn, are associated with users and user groups. If you would like to create a new Tag, see [Creating a Tag](docId\:YpM9tw81ap6nq8sTKv4Rd).
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In the **Events Configuration Profile** field, select from the dropdown list the profile that you would like to apply to this Source. By default, the Default profile is applied.
:::hint{type="info"}
*Events Profiles* consist of a series of rules that determine precisely how various types of Events are logged and what results they trigger.
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The Source's location is used to represent it in the proper position in the Map display (see [Maps](docId\:sFZM6JvoRvuigo7X0dNUE)). By default, the location is determined automatically based on the Source's IP. If you would like to manually set the location of the Source (Optional), use the following procedure:
- Click on the **Edit** icon next to the **Location **field.
A search box is shown below the **Location** field.
- Enter identifying info for the location (e.g. street address, zip code, coordinates).
Search results are displayed below the search box as you type.
- Click on the desired location.
The selected location populates the **Location** field.
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In the ** Configuration** section, in the **Ingest Cluster** field, select from the drop-down list one of the available Ingest Clusters as the destination for the Source.
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In the **Target Broadcaster/s** field, select your broadcaster preference. Either select a specific broadcaster to be used OR specify your preference for using primary vs. backup broadcasters, options are: *Prefer Primary Broadcasters, Primary Broadcasters only, Backup Broadcasters only* or *Prefer Backup Broadcasters.*
:::hint{type="info"}
For managed clusters, it is not recommended to select a specific broadcaster, as the broadcaster’s availability may not remain stable.
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In the **NDI Stream** field, select from the drop-down list the desired NDI stream on the local network where the Broadcaster is hosted.
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In the **Profile** field, select one of the pre-configured Profiles to apply to this Source. If you would like to create a new transcoding profile, see [Adding Transcoding Profiles](docId:3L1DNIo6v_15jzCFdhRKN) .
:::hint{type="info"}
You must select a Transcoding Profile that either encodes both the video and audio or transcodes one and removes the other. A profile that passes through either the video or audio cannot be used.
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If you would like to assign the transcoding process to a multi GPU Broadcaster, select the **Assign to GPU** checkbox, and then select from the drop-down list the desired GPU instance. Options are: 0(default), 1, 2 and 3.
:::hint{type="info"}
This feature is useful if you are running several heavy transcoding activities, as it enables you to distribute the load among several different GPUs.
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In the **Pad to CBR** field, enter the amount of CBR padding to be added (in kbps).
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In the **Audio Reference Level** field, enter the audio reference level (0-20).
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If you would like to generate email notifications whenever a PID change is detected, select the **Alert on PID changes **checkbox.
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In the **Public Output** field, if you would like to allow access to the stream directly through a supported player, select the **Allow** checkbox.
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If you selected the **Allow** checkbox, then enter a password in the **Password **field to authenticate access to the stream.
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Under **Content Analysis** select one of the following options:
- **Full **- select this option if you would like to enable full Content Analysis (CQA), including analysis of the stream's audio and video content, including audio levels, audio silence detection, frozen video detection, and more.
- **TR101 Only** - select this option to perform TR101 analysis only (without video and audio content analysis). The analysis can be used to check the integrity of the TS and the most important elements of the stream. The analysis includes priority 1 and 2. To learn more about TR101 analysis see [TR 101 290 Technical Report](https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_tr/101200_101299/101290/01.03.01_60/tr_101290v010301p.pdf).
- **None **- no content analysis is enabled.
:::hint{type="info"}
It is generally recommended to enable full Content Analysis unless it is causing technical problems. If Content Analysis is disabled, the system won't detect errors in the video and audio content of the stream and won't generate warnings for such events.
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If you would like to monitor CEA-608 closed captions, select **Monitor CEA-608 **checkbox**.**
:::hint{type="info"}
Monitoring CEA-608 Closed Captions requires using a version 14.4 or newer Broadcaster.
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If you would like to monitor CEA-708 closed captions, select **Monitor CEA-708 **checkbox**.**
:::hint{type="info"}
Monitoring CEA-708 Closed Captions requires using a version 14.4 or newer Broadcaster.
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If you would like to disable auto-pull, select the **Disable Auto-Pull** checkbox.
:::hint{type="info"}
Disabling Auto-Pull will lock Channels using this Source to the Source's Ingest Cluster and Targets to the Source's current active Broadcaster. This setting only applies to Pass-Through Channels.
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If Auto-Pull is *enabled*, in the **Auto-Pull Latency \[ms]** field, specify the maximum latency for auto-pull actions. (Default: 1000 ms)
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In the **WebRTC Playback** section, select the desired playback method.
:::hint{type="info"}
WebRTC enables you to monitor the stream via web browsers and mobile applications with real-time communication (RTC). WebRTC needs to be activated independently for each Source in ZEN Master (by default it is disabled).
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Select one of the following options:
- **Disabled **- users will not be able to view this Source using WebRTC (default)
- **Pass-Through** - passes the stream through to WebRTC without transcoding. This option *can only be used *if the input stream is already in a WebRTC compliant format (video - H.264 codec with *Baseline *or *Main *profile and no B frames, Audio - Opus codec).
- **Auto **- ZEN Master automatically transcodes the stream using the optimal profile for each specific user. In this option Zixi Broadcaster will decode the video, transforming it into RAW frames, which will be passed to the WebRTC library, where it will be re-encoded for each individual user.
:::hint{type="info"}
Best quality. However, if monitored by multiple users this can consume extensive resources.
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- **1080p/720p/480p/360p** - ZEN Master transcodes the stream to a WebRTC compliant profile with the specified resolution. The transcoding is done by Zixi Broadcaster's transcoder.
:::hint{type="info"}
This method requires a Zixi Broadcaster with X264 or Nvidia for transcoding. This method allows many users to monitor the stream without encoding separately for each individual user, which saves CPU capacity. Since there is only one stream version, it is recommended to encode to a low resolution and low bitrate so that the stream will be viewable by all users monitoring the stream.
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Additional SCTE-35 options are available when you expand the **SCTE-35 Manipulation** section:
Here you can:
- Enable SCTE-35 Insertion
- Specify the length of a search window for a NULL packet for SCTE-35 intertion
- Set the SCTE-35 PID
- Remove any existing SCTE-35 messages from the stream
See the **Parameters Table** below for an explanation of these options.
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In the **Initial State** section, select the Disabled checkbox if you would like to disable this Source upon initial configuration.
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Select the **Muted** checkbox if you would like to disable error/recovery notifications for this Source upon initial configuration.
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Under **Audio Sources Configuration**, assign one or more audio channels to one or more Audio PIDs. Following the assignment of the audio channels to the audio PIDs, you will be able to encode them separately and include them in the MPEG-TS. For example: Let's assume the NDI source has 8 audio channels (0...7). You can create 4 audio PIDs with the following configurations:
PID 1002: 0,1
PID 1003: 2,3
PID 1004: 4,5,6,7
PID 1005: 2,3
To assign channel(s) to a PID:
- Under **Channel**, assign a channel to the PID by selecting a channel for from the drop-down menu.
- Repeat the process to add additional channels to the PID.
- To configure additional PIDs, click **Add+** and select the corresponding channel(s).
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If you would like to adjust the advanced settings, click **Advanced**.
The **Advanced** settings fields are displayed:
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If you would like to track usage for this Source, enter your **Billing Code** details. See [Billing Codes](docId\:lalXJ_N928TeGCPDpBirJ).
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In the **Auto Pull MTU** field, specify the maximum transmission unit (largest data packet that a network-connected device will accept) in bytes for the Auto Pull.
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To set the detection of frozen video, in the **Frozen Video Minimal Duration** field, specify the default minimal duration in seconds of frozen video after which the Broadcaster will trigger a Frozen video alert. Default: 10 seconds. This setting is supported for Broadcaster version 16.3 and higher.
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To set the detection of blank video, in the **Blank Video Minimal Duration** field, specify the default minimal duration in seconds of blank video after which the Broadcaster will trigger a Blank video alert. Default: 10 seconds. This setting is supported for Broadcaster version 16.3 and higher.
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Click **Save**.
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## NDI Source Configuration Parameters Table
| **Parameter** | **Description** |
| --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| ***Info*** | |
| Name | Specify a name for the NDI Source in ZEN Master. |
| Tags | Select one or more of the predefined Tags from the drop-down list.
Tags are used for access control. By selecting an Tag, you are relating this Source to that Tag. Tags are associated with certain roles (through the Users & Roles screen), and roles, in turn, are associated with users and user groups. If you would like to create a new Tag, see [Creating a Tag](docId\:YpM9tw81ap6nq8sTKv4Rd) . |
| Events Configuration Profile | Select from the dropdown list the profile that you would like to apply to this Source. By default, the *Default* profile is applied.
Note: *Events Profiles* consist of a series of rules that determine precisely how various types of Events are logged and what results they trigger. |
| Location (Optional) | The Source's location is used to represent it in the proper position in the Map display (see [Maps](docId\:sFZM6JvoRvuigo7X0dNUE)). By default, the location is determined automatically based on the Source's IP. Enter identifying info for the location (e.g. street address, zip code, coordinates) and select the desired location from the suggestions that are shown. |
| ***Configuration*** | |
| Ingest Cluster | Select from the drop-down list one of the available Ingest Clusters as the destination for the Source. |
| Target Broadcaster/s | Select your Broadcaster preferences. Either select a specific Broadcaster to be used OR specify your preference for using primary vs. backup Broadcasters. Options are: *Prefer Primary Broadcasters, Primary Broadcasters only, Backup Broadcasters only *or* Prefer Backup Broadcasters.*
Note: For managed clusters, it is not recommended to select a specific Broadcaster, as the Broadcaster’s availability may not remain stable. |
| NDI Stream | Select from the drop-down list the NDI stream on the local network where the Broadcaster is hosted. |
| Profile | Select one of the pre-configured transcoding profiles to apply to this Source. If you would like to create a new transcoding profile, see [Adding Transcoding Profiles](docId:3L1DNIo6v_15jzCFdhRKN) .
Note: You must select a Transcoding Profile that either encodes both the video and audio or transcodes one and removes the other. A profile that passes through either the video or audio cannot be used. |
| Assign to GPU | Select this checkbox if you would like to assign the transcoding process to a multi GPU Broadcaster, and then select from the drop-down list the desired GPU instance. Options are: 0 (default), 1, 2, and 3.
Note: This feature is useful if you are running several heavy transcoding activities, as it enables you to distribute the load among several different GPUs. |
| Pad to CBR \[kbps] | Specify the amount of CBR padding to be added (in kbps). |
| Audio Reference Level | Specify the audio reference level (0-20). |
| Alert on PID changes | If you would like to generate email notifications whenever a PID change is detected, select this checkbox. |
| Public Output | If you would like to allow access to the stream directly through a supported player, select the **Allow** checkbox. |
| Password (for Public Output) | If you selected **Allow** in the *Public Output* field, specify a password in this field to authenticate access to the stream. |
| Content Analysis | Select one of the following options:
* **Full** - select this option if you would like to enable full Content Analysis (CQA), including analysis of the stream's audio and video content, including audio levels, audio silence detection, frozen video detection, and more.
* **TR101 Only** - select this option to perform TR101 analysis only (without video and audio content analysis). The analysis can be used to check the integrity of the TS and the most important elements of the stream. The analysis includes priority 1 and 2. To learn more about TR101 analysis see TR 101 290 Technical Report.
* **None **- no content analysis is enabled.
**Note**: It is generally recommended to enable full Content Analysis unless it is causing technical problems. If Content Analysis is disabled, the system won't detect errors in the video and audio content of the stream and won't generate warnings for such events. |
| Hyde Thumbnail | Disables the Source thumbnail from appearing in the Sources list and other places. Disabling thumbnail may improve system performance. |
| Monitor CEA-608 Closed Captions | If you would like to monitor CEA-608 closed captions, select this checkbox.
Note**:** Monitoring CEA-608 Closed Captions requires using a version 14.4 or newer Broadcaster. |
| Monitor CEA-708 Closed Captions | If you would like to monitor CEA-708 closed captions, select this checkbox.
Note**:** Monitoring CEA-708 Closed Captions requires using a version 14.4 or newer Broadcaster. |
| Disable Auto-Pull | If you would like to disable auto-pull, select this checkbox.
Note: Disabling Auto-Pull will lock Channels using this Source to the Source’s Ingest Cluster and Targets to the Source’s current active Broadcaster. |
| Auto-Pull Latency | Specify the maximum latency for auto-pull actions. The Broadcaster will update the latency as required, by using the maximal defined latency and then reducing the latency gradually. (Default: 1000 ms) |
| WebRTC Playback | Select the desired playback method.
Note: WebRTC enables you to monitor the stream via web browsers and mobile applications with real-time communication (RTC). WebRTC needs to be activated independently for each Source in ZEN Master (by default it is disabled).
Select one of the following options:
* **Disabled** - users will not be able to view this Source using WebRTC (default).
* **Pass-Through** - passes the stream through to WebRTC without transcoding. This option *can only be used *if the input stream is already in a WebRTC compliant format (video - H.264 codec with *Baseline* or *Main *profile and no B frames, Audio - Opus codec).
* **Auto **- ZEN Master automatically transcodes the stream using the optimal profile for each specific user. In this option Zixi Broadcaster will decode the video, transforming it into RAW frames, which will be passed to the WebRTC library, where it will be re-encoded for each individual user.
Note: Best quality. However, if monitored by multiple users this can consume extensive resources.
* **1080p/720p/480p/360p** - ZEN Master transcodes the stream to a WebRTC compliant profile with the specified resolution. The transcoding is done by Zixi Broadcaster's transcoder.
Note: This method requires a Zixi Broadcaster with X264 or Nvidia for transcoding. This method allows many users to monitor the stream without encoding separately for each individual user, which saves CPU capacity. Since there is only one stream resolution, it is recommended to encode to a low resolution and low bitrate so that the stream will be viewable by all users monitoring the stream. |
| ***SCTE-35 Manipulation *** | |
| Enable SCTE-35 Manipulation | Select checkbox to enable SCTE-35 Manipulation. |
| SCTE-35 PID | Set the SCTE-35 PID in which the messages will be inserted. |
| Remove Existing SCTE-35 | Remove any existing SCTE-35 messages from the stream. |
| Replace with NULL | Replace any existing SCTE-35 messages with NULL. |
| ***Initial State*** | |
| Disabled | Select this checkbox if you would like to disable this Source upon initial configuration. |
| Muted | Select this checkbox if you would like to disable error/recovery notifications for this Source upon initial configuration. |
| **Audio Sources Configuration** | |
| Audio Sources Configuration | NDI input support up to 16 audio channels. The Audio Sources Configuration, allows you to select which channel(s) should be allocated to a certain audio PID. You can add multiple audio PIDs and mix and match. |
| Audio PID Channels | Select a channel from the drop down menu to be allocated to the Audio PID. You can select multiple channels for a single Audio PID. To configure additional PIDs, click **Add+** and select the corresponding channel(s). |
| ***Advanced*** | |
| Auto-Pull Billing Code | Specify the maximum transmission unit (largest data packet that a network-connected device will accept) in bytes for the Auto Pull. |
| Auto-Pull Billing Password | Enter the password that corresponds to this auto-pull billing code. |
| Auto Pull MTU (bytes) | Specify the maximum transmission unit (largest data packet that a network-connected device will accept) in bytes for the Auto Pull. |
| Frozen Video Minimal Duration (seconds) | Specify the default minimal duration in seconds of frozen video after which the Broadcaster will trigger a Frozen video alert. Default: 10 seconds. This setting is supported for Broadcaster version 16.3 and higher. For existing sources, you may need to restart the source. |
| Blank Video Minimal Duration (seconds) | Specify the default minimal duration in seconds of blank video after which the Broadcaster will trigger a Blank video alert. Default: 10 seconds. This setting is supported for Broadcaster version 16.3 and higher. For existing sources, you may need to restart the source. |
| Ignore Monitoring PIDs | Ignore PIDs for empty audio streams to prevent false warnings - enter a comma-delimited list of PID numbers that should not be monitored for null content. |