Start by deciding where the programme is cut. Keep using an existing studio or switcher when it already makes the programme, then use Callaba for the contribution, monitoring, recovery, recording, and delivery work that follows. Or, when AV Mixer is available in the Callaba 8.8 deployment you use, build the programme there from an SRT source or an eligible Callaba video-call participant track.
The two paths can share the same field contribution, Multiview, backup plan, and output checks. Use the Callaba remote production solution when choosing the wider deployment and production arrangement.
Use AV Mixer when the programme is cut in Callaba
AV Mixer must be available in the Callaba 8.8 deployment you use. It controls Preview and Program; Multiview remains a way to observe the workflow, not a way to switch it.
- Add a source. In Inputs → Stream → + Add stream, select SRT, an existing Streaming server, a Role, and a Stream ID only when that server requires one. Alternatively, in Inputs → Other → Video call, select an eligible Callaba room participant track and use Add; Add entire room is a separate choice.
- Build the scene in PREVIEW. Select or create a scene under Scenes, then verify that the intended video layer is present. Preview can be prepared independently of the live programme.
- Start and take PROGRAM. Choose CUT or FADE and its Duration, start Program from the current Preview, then use TAKE to commit the selected Preview scene. TAKE is unavailable until Program has started and Preview contains a video layer.
- Configure the destination. Use Production control → PUBLISH to configure the required SRT, RTMP, or NDI output, then check it at the receiving tool. Check the actual source, codec, network, and receiver together; choosing an output type alone does not prove the path.
- Choose the recording source. Recording can use Program or a selected output. In the normal studio record action, select an SRT output and confirm it is LIVE before recording.
Run the sequence with the event source and receiver before going live. Creating sources, starting Program, taking Preview, publishing an output, and recording change live resources.
Make field contribution measurable
- Choose the contribution protocol supported by both the field encoder and the Callaba workflow.
- Record codec, container, resolution, frame rate, bitrate range, audio channels, latency budget, and addressing.
- Configure access and network rules for the expected publisher rather than opening an unrestricted public input.
- Start one representative field feed and inspect picture, audio, connection state, bitrate, and available transport history.
For SRT, Caller and Listener describe how the connection is established; they do not by themselves define which side sends the media. Document source and destination separately from the connection mode so field and central teams use the same vocabulary.
If that feed will be switched in AV Mixer, add it as a Stream input only after the server and role are known.
Step 2: operate NDI through the Callaba UI
Callaba includes NDI discovery, machine identity, network address settings, configuration import or editing, and NDI adapters in the product UI. That gives operators a reviewed way to manage the Callaba side of an NDI workflow without making terminal access the normal control surface.
- Set the Callaba machine identity and approved discovery or network addresses.
- Discover the intended NDI devices and confirm that duplicate or unexpected sources are not selected.
- Create the adapter required by the production path and validate video, audio, timing, and naming at the receiving tool.
- Preserve the reviewed configuration so it can be restored or reproduced before the next production.
NDI behaviour still depends on network design, bandwidth, software versions, and compatible senders and receivers. UI control reduces operational friction; it does not replace network engineering or interoperability testing.
Step 3: give operators one diagnostic view
Add the field source, backup, production return where appropriate, programme output, and important delivery outputs to Multiview. Label every tile by job, not only by protocol. “Field primary,” “Field backup,” “Programme,” and “Platform output” are faster to interpret during an incident than a list of port numbers.
Choose the signal facts operators will watch. A live picture is important, but it does not replace input state, bitrate, connection identity, and destination status. Agree who may switch sources and who owns the final programme decision.
Step 4: test recovery as a separate production layer
Prepare primary and backup sources in advance. Test automatic and manual switching with the real decoder and downstream production chain. Measure detection, transition time, audio, timestamps, keyframes, and destination recovery. Callaba does not make a universal hitless claim; the observed result depends on the complete path.
| Failure test | What it proves | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Packet impairment | How the active contribution path behaves under measured loss, jitter, or reordering. | That another encoder or facility can take over. |
| Primary source stopped | Detection and transition to the prepared backup. | That every delivery destination recovers identically. |
| Manual operator switch | That the approved control and source labels are usable. | That automatic detection thresholds are correct. |
| Destination interrupted | How one output is diagnosed and restarted. | That the central programme source failed. |
Attach recording and delivery after source selection
Decide whether to record the field feed, the programme coming from the production system, or both. Check storage capacity, retention, and playback before the event.
When using AV Mixer, choose Program or a selected output as the recording source. In the normal studio record path, select an SRT output and confirm it is LIVE before recording; do not assume a field feed or every output is recorded.
Configure each delivery output for its actual receiver and verify it independently. A receiver problem should be diagnosed at that output rather than being represented as proof that the central Program source failed.
Cloud or self-hosted control
Use the cloud launch path for a fast proof or when a regional deployment fits the contribution and delivery topology. Use the self-hosted Linux path when Callaba must sit inside a production network or infrastructure boundary controlled by the team. In both cases, validate ports, bandwidth, storage, access, monitoring, and rollback.
Use the API after the operator path works
Once the UI workflow is stable, automate the parts you repeat: provision SRT contribution, configure the NDI handoff, or reproduce the monitoring and recording path.
For a programme built in AV Mixer, its API also covers sources, Program state, outputs, and recording. Keep server settings, source details, output settings, and manual recovery steps in the event runbook.
Remote production acceptance checklist
- Every source, output, operator, and failure domain has an owner.
- Contribution codec, timing, audio, bandwidth, and latency are tested end to end.
- NDI discovery and configuration expose only the approved production scope.
- Multiview labels describe production jobs.
- Automatic and manual failover were rehearsed.
- Recording and each delivery output can fail or restart independently.
Remote production workflow FAQ
Can Callaba run this programme-control path?
When AV Mixer is available in your Callaba 8.8 deployment, use it to add inputs, prepare Preview and Program, take CUT or FADE transitions, configure outputs, and record Program or a selected output. Test the actual source and receiver path before the event.
Can a conference guest become a mixer input?
The mixer can select eligible tracks returned from Callaba conference rooms. It does not make arbitrary third-party conferencing sources available, and not every participant track will be usable.
Does Multiview switch the programme?
No. Multiview is an observation surface. Select the scene in Preview and use the AV Mixer’s Program controls for CUT or FADE takes.
Does an SRT or NDI option guarantee a working path?
No. The selected source, output, codecs, server role, network, and receiver still need an end-to-end test.
When can the mixer record?
Choose Program or a selected output deliberately. The normal studio record action requires a selected SRT output that is LIVE.
