If an NDI source does not appear in Wirecast, the cause is almost always the network. Check that the sender and the Wirecast computer are on the same local network, that the NDI source is running, and that your firewall allows mDNS discovery on port 5353 and NDI traffic on ports 5960 and up.
Why is my NDI source not showing up in Wirecast?
Work through these checks in order. After each one, click the + icon in a layer, select Network, and look for the source again.
- Confirm the NDI source is running and actually sending. Restart the app or device if needed.
- Put both computers on the same local network and subnet. Wirecast auto-detects NDI sources on your local network only.
- Open port 5353 for mDNS device discovery.
- Open one port per NDI video channel, starting at port 5960, plus one more port for messaging.
- Check the firewall on both the sending computer and the Wirecast computer, not just the network firewall.
- If discovery still fails, for example across subnets or VLANs, set up an NDI Discovery Server. The Wirecast User Guide links to a Telestream article on this.
How to fix choppy or out-of-sync NDI video
Double-click the NDI shot to open the Shot Editor, then check the Shot Layer Properties tab:
- Choppy or dropped frames: turn on GPU Decoding to take load off the CPU, or set Bandwidth to Lowest for sources that do not need full quality.
- Audio and video out of sync: switch Timestamps from Provided by source to Provided by Wirecast. This can help when a source sends inaccurate timestamps, but heavy system load can make generated timestamps arrive late.
- Source out of step with other cameras: use Video Delay to line it up.
- Audio only, no picture: make sure Bandwidth is not set to Audio Only.
Troubleshooting checklist before a live show
- Test every NDI source on the show network, not only on the office network.
- Use a wired connection for main cameras where you can.
- Keep a list of the ports your IT team needs to allow.
See the network port list on the Wirecast hardware and tech specs page and more on the Wirecast NDI feature page.