Outputs

LiveWing has four output channels. Each channel can route any program source — switched program, preview, a camera ISO, replay output, or a multiview composite — to one or more transport destinations simultaneously. Multiple destinations on the same channel run completely independent encoder pipelines.

Output sources

Each output channel can be assigned one of these sources:

Transport destinations

An output channel can send to any combination of:

• RTMP — for platform streaming (YouTube, Twitch, etc.)
• SRT — for low-latency contribution and cloud ingest
• NDI — raw network video output, no encoding required
• OMT — LiveWing's native low-latency network protocol, no encoding
• Record — file to disk via the independent recording system

RTMP and SRT require hardware video encoding. NDI and OMT are raw (unencoded) and do not consume encoder sessions.

SRT

SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) is suited for contribution links, remote production, and cloud ingest. Configuration:

• Host and port — destination address (default port: 9000)
• Mode — caller (LiveWing initiates) or listener (LiveWing accepts incoming connections)
• Latency — SRT buffer latency in milliseconds (default: 120 ms)
• Passphrase — optional encryption passphrase
• Codec — H.264, HEVC, or AV1 (AV1 requires M3 or later)
• Video bitrate — in Kbps (default: 6000 Kbps)
• Audio bitrate — in Kbps (default: 128 Kbps)
• Adaptive bitrate — when enabled, LiveWing uses a 3-state controller (Stable / Degraded / Emergency) that drops 20% on mild congestion and 50% on severe congestion, recovers by 25% steps every 15 seconds, with a 30-second cooldown after each recovery. Minimum bitrate floor is 800 Kbps.

RTMP

RTMP is the standard for streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and similar platforms. Configuration:

• URL and stream key — from the platform's stream settings
• Codec — H.264, HEVC, or AV1 (default: HEVC)
• Video bitrate — in Kbps (default: 4500 Kbps)
• Audio bitrate — in Kbps (default: 128 Kbps)
• Keyframe interval — in seconds (default: 2)
• Adaptive bitrate — when enabled, adjusts encoder bitrate based on encoder load feedback

Independent encoder pipelines

Each transport (SRT, RTMP) on each output channel gets its own StreamPipeline with a dedicated video encoder, encode queue, ABR controller, and stream stats. A stalled RTMP connection cannot starve SRT. Each transport's codec and bitrate are independent.

Apple Silicon has a shared hardware encoder session budget. LiveWing caps active encoder sessions at 6 (shared across stream pipelines and recorders). A typical setup — one SRT stream, one RTMP stream, one recorder — uses 3 sessions.

Recording

LiveWing supports up to 4 independent recorders simultaneously. Each recorder has its own source, codec, bitrate, audio bus, output format, and directory. Recorders are entirely separate from stream outputs.

Recorder settings

• Source — Program, Preview, a camera ISO, Replay Out, or a multiview
• Codec — H.264, HEVC, or AV1 (default: HEVC)
• Video bitrate — in Kbps (default: 15000 Kbps)
• Output format — MOV (default) or MP4
• Resolution override — project resolution, 1080p, or 720p. Will not upscale.
• Audio bus — which bus mix to embed (default: Bus M). Change to record a clean feed or IFB independently.
• Output directory — where files are saved (default: ~/Movies/LiveWing)

Each recorder uses one hardware encoder session from the shared pool.

Per-output resolution

Each output channel and each recorder can override the project resolution to save bandwidth or storage:

• Project — use the project resolution (default)
• 1080p — 1920×1080 (only available as a downscale from 4K)
• 720p — 1280×720

LiveWing never upscales. If the override would exceed the project resolution, the project resolution is used instead.

NDI output

Sending an output channel to NDI puts it on the local network as a named NDI feed. Other NDI-capable software — video mixers, multiviewers, recording tools — can discover and receive it automatically. NDI output carries the channel's assigned audio bus.

OMT output

OMT output sends the channel over the Open Media Transport protocol on the local network. Like NDI, it requires no encoding and carries the audio bus alongside the video.

Fullscreen display output

External displays connected to your Mac can be assigned a fullscreen output source. LiveWing opens a borderless Metal-backed window spanning the entire display. The source can be anything — program, preview, a camera ISO, or a multiview. Display assignments are saved in presets and restored on load.