> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/live-video-input-pipeline.md). # How live video inputs work A live video input is any moving source you bring into Captivate as a layer or as a Switcher feed: a camera connected to the machine, an NDI stream on the network, a captured display or window, a web page, an SDI capture card, a network protocol like SRT, or a Zoom participant. They all enter the project through the same pipeline, which means once a source is open every consumer in the project can read it — the same camera can be a layer in two channels and a Switcher input without ever copying the captured frame. This article orients you to the input categories and how they map to the **Live Audio/Video** menu. Each type has its own dedicated article with the details you need when you set the source up. ## Live Audio/Video input categories When you go to **Add new item** > **Live Audio/Video** (or right-click in the Project List and choose **New** > **Live Audio/Video**), Captivate shows the categories below. Which categories are visible depends on your Captivate license, the hardware present, what’s discovered on the network, and any active integrations: * **Commonly discovered video sources** — **Windows Device** / **Mac Device** for USB and HDMI cameras (Media Foundation on Windows, AVFoundation on Mac); **NDI** for sources advertised on the local network; **Screen** for a full display; **Window** for a single application window. * **User-created / preset sources** — **Browser** (a web page; use **Add Browser** to create a URL preset), **SRT** / **RTSP** / **RTMP** (network protocols; use the **Add …** entries), and **Media Clip** (use a saved media item as a live video source). * **Hardware / protocol sources** — **Blackmagic** and **AJA** for SDI capture cards; **OMT** for OMT senders; **Zoom** when a Zoom meeting is joined and producing per-participant feeds. * **Audio-only sources** — **Audio Device** (input devices the OS exposes) and **System Audio** (the desktop’s own audio output). The same menu is reused in the Switcher panel’s right-click **Add input** menu, so the source you create as a layer also becomes selectable as a Switcher input. ## How sources persist Once a source is open, the whole project can share it. Multiple layers and the Switcher can read from one source simultaneously — there is no duplicate capture and no extra CPU cost when the same camera feeds two places. Sources that disappear (a camera unplugs, a network stream drops) are marked failed and re-opened automatically when they return. You do not need to remove and re-add the source after a brief interruption. Browser sources persist as project presets — their URL, name, and settings are saved with the project. NDI, screen, and device sources are discovered each time the project opens and are matched back to your layers by name. ## Test patterns Beyond the user-created and discovered sources, Captivate also includes built-in test sources — colored bars, test patterns, and similar — under the **Utility** entry. These behave like every other input and are useful for proving the output path before the cameras are connected. ## Audio comes with video Most input types carry audio alongside video. NDI, OMT, Browser, capture cards, and Mac screen capture all deliver audio into the project’s audio mixer. Windows screen capture is the exception — it does not capture system audio; pair it with a separate **System Audio** source if you need the desktop’s sound. Audio from a live input is routed through the Audio Mixer into the Program audio mix. See [Audio Mixer panel](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-5/the-audio-mixer.md) for the controls. ## Layering and the Switcher A live video source on its own is a layer in a channel — order it relative to your graphics layers in the Project List. Graphics typically sit **above** live video layers so titles render on top of the camera. When you add the same source to the [Switcher panel](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-4/the-switcher-panel.md), the Switcher cuts and dissolves between sources at the program output level. The layer in the Project List and the Switcher input share the same captured frame. ## Where to go next Each input type has its own setup article: * [NDI as a live source](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/ndi-input.md) — discovery, PTZ, audio. * [Screen as a live source](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/screen-capture-input.md) — display capture, Windows and Mac. * [Window as a live source](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/window-capture-input.md) — per-application window capture. * [Browser as a live source](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/browser-input.md) — URL-driven sources, transparent backgrounds, control pages. For cameras connected directly to the machine, see [Use live video sources](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/play-live-video-source-layers.md), which also covers PTZ controls and the Lock on for downstream keying option. ## Related * [The Switcher panel](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-4/the-switcher-panel.md) — cutting between live inputs. * [Audio Mixer panel](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-5/the-audio-mixer.md) — routing audio from live inputs. * [Set the project format](/set-up-your-production/set-up-your-project.md) — project resolution and frame rate, which all inputs are scaled to. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. 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