Sony FR7 SRT setup: send SRT to Callaba Gateway
More live video workflow notes and product updates.
Written by Iurii Pakholkov
Founder of Callaba. Building cloud video tools for SRT, RTMP, WebRTC, NDI, live routing, monitoring, recording, and production workflows.
Release: Callaba 8.4
Sony FR7 SRT setup is a direct camera-to-cloud contribution workflow: set the FR7 to SRT-Caller and send H.264 video to a cloud SRT Listener. Use this setup when FR7 is at the venue and Callaba is the cloud SRT receiver for monitoring, recording, routing, multiview, or restreaming.
The main path is direct SRT. Before the event, I recommend confirming that the installed FR7 firmware exposes the expected SRT streaming modes and that passphrase, latency, codec, and port settings match Callaba.
Quick answer
To use Sony FR7 with SRT, set FR7 as the SRT Caller and send the stream to a cloud SRT Listener. In this guide, Callaba works as the SRT gateway, receiver, monitor, recorder, and routing layer.
The FR7 sends one SRT contribution feed into Callaba. Preview, recording, routing, multiview, and restreaming are parallel downstream uses after ingest, not mandatory sequential steps.
- Sony FR7SRT Caller, H.264
- Callaba GatewaySRT Listener / receiver
- Preview
- Record
- Route
- Restream
- Multiview
What this setup does
The FR7 sends its camera feed over SRT to Callaba. Callaba receives the stream, shows incoming status and preview, and can use the same ingest for recording, routing, restreaming, web playback, API automation, and multiview.
This is useful when the camera is outside your production network and you need a stable contribution endpoint in the cloud instead of trying to pull from the venue.
What this model can and cannot do in this workflow
- Sony documents FR7 streaming choices including RTSP, RTMP, SRT-Caller, SRT-Listener, NDI|HX, and Off.
- For SRT, the FR7 uses H.264. Sony documents SRT Caller and Listener modes, latency, port settings, AES128/AES256 encryption, and passphrase configuration.
- RTMP and RTMPS are also documented through the RTMP URL setting and are H.264 workflows.
- RTSP and NDI|HX can use H.264 or H.265. NDI is NDI|HX2, not full-bandwidth NDI.
- The public FR7 Help Guide does not clearly list an SRT Stream ID field, SRT Rendezvous mode, or an SRT library version. Test any streamid query before relying on it for routing.
- The FR7 is a camera source, not an external encoder with SDI or HDMI input. Its outputs include SDI, HDMI, RJ-45 IP streaming, and SFP+ optical SDI output. The SFP+ connector is optical SDI output only, not ST 2110 and not optical input.
- RTMP/RTMPS require suitable software version support, and NDI|HX licensing is pre-installed from software Ver. 3.00 onward. Sony firmware Ver. 4.00 also notes improved SRT connectivity.
Sony documentation groups ILME-FR7 and ILME-FR7K in the same Help Guide. This page is about the streaming workflow for that FR7 family documentation, not lens-package differences.
Recommended workflow
For internet contribution, keep the FR7 at the venue as the SRT Caller and make Callaba the cloud SRT Listener. This avoids requiring inbound access to the camera network. The FR7 initiates the outbound UDP connection to Callaba, and Callaba becomes the receiver/server side of the workflow.
FR7 SRT-Listener mode is useful only when the production design can reach the camera from outside. In practice, that may require a public IP, UDP port forwarding, firewall rules, or a tested private network path.
When not to use this setup
- If the FR7, switcher, and recorders are on the same LAN or in the same room, SDI, HDMI, or local NDI|HX2 may be simpler.
- If the only destination is a public platform and you do not need SRT monitoring, recording, routing, or multiview, RTMPS from the FR7 may be enough.
- If your installed firmware does not expose SRT settings, update the camera first. If that is not possible before the job, use confirmed RTMP/RTMPS or a deliberate RTSP/NDI bridge workflow.
- Do not plan native ST 2110 from the FR7 without a separate converter or gateway.
Before you start
- Confirm FR7 firmware and that SRT-Caller appears in the streaming menu.
- Open the required UDP port to the Callaba server.
- Use H.264 for SRT from the FR7.
- Decide whether to use encryption. Passphrases are case-sensitive and whitespace-sensitive; a copied newline or trailing space can break the handshake.
- If you plan to use a Stream ID, test it with your exact firmware. Sony public FR7 pages do not clearly confirm a dedicated Stream ID field.
- If handshakes fail for unclear reasons, confirm firmware and SRT version compatibility through vendor support or release information.
Create the Callaba ingest
- In Callaba, create an SRT server.
- Set it to listen on a UDP port reachable from the FR7 venue network.
- Configure the passphrase and encryption only if you will enter the same values on the FR7.
- Copy the public host name or IP address and port for the FR7 destination URL.
- Open the receiver page before starting the camera stream so you can watch connection status, bitrate, preview, and audio.
Configure the FR7
In the Sony Web App, open the streaming settings and set Stream Setting to SRT-Caller. Use an SRT destination URL that points to the Callaba server, keep the stream in H.264, then set latency and encryption to match the Callaba ingest.
For a first internet test, start with moderate bitrate and latency. For example, 1080p30 often starts around 4-6 Mb/s, while 1080p60 often starts around 6-8 Mb/s. Treat these as first-test values, then adjust for uplink quality, production requirements, packet loss, and decoder behavior.
Settings table
| Where | What to do / field to fill | First-test value | Why / check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callaba | Create an SRT server and choose a UDP listen port | Any open UDP port, for example 5000 | FR7 connects to this receiver. |
| Callaba | Set encryption and passphrase if required | Off for first test, then AES with matching passphrase | Mismatch causes handshake failure. |
| FR7 Web App | Stream Setting | SRT-Caller | Keeps the camera as the outbound endpoint. |
| FR7 SRT-Caller settings | Destination URL | srt://your-callaba-host:5000 | Use the Callaba host and port. |
| FR7 SRT settings | Latency | 250-500 ms | Lower only after RTT, packet loss, and retransmits are stable. |
| FR7 SRT settings | Passphrase / AES option | Match Callaba exactly | Case, spaces, and copied newlines matter. |
| FR7 streaming format | Video codec | H.264 | SRT streaming on FR7 is documented as H.264. |
| FR7 audio streaming | AAC audio rate | 128 kbps or 256 kbps | Confirm audio meters in Callaba. |
Monitoring
When the stream is connected, Callaba should show connection uptime, incoming bitrate, preview, and audio activity. Watch RTT, packet loss, and retransmits before lowering latency or raising bitrate. If preview is present but audio is missing, check the FR7 audio source and AAC streaming settings first, then confirm meters in Callaba.
Failover and local ingest options
For production events, plan what happens if the main encoder, venue uplink, or primary contribution path fails. Callaba can be part of that continuity plan without changing the basic Sony FR7 ingest workflow.
Recording and playback
After SRT ingest is stable, recording and playback are downstream choices in Callaba. You can record the received feed, create web playback, restream to another destination, or route the same source into a multiview. These are parallel uses of the received stream, not a required serial chain.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Check in Callaba | Check on FR7 | Likely fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| No connection | SRT server is running and UDP port is open | SRT-Caller selected and destination URL is correct | Fix host, port, firewall, or NAT path. |
| Handshake starts then fails | Encryption mode and passphrase | AES option and passphrase spelling | Remove copied spaces/newlines or test without encryption. |
| Connection drops | RTT, packet loss, retransmits, incoming bitrate | Bitrate and latency | Raise latency or lower bitrate. |
| Video expected in H.265 | Decoder/player compatibility | Streaming method selected | Use H.264 for SRT. Use RTSP or NDI|HX only when HEVC is required and supported downstream. |
| Need Callaba to pull from camera | Use SRT Caller output from Callaba only if network permits | SRT-Listener settings and port | Use FR7 Listener only with tested inbound UDP, forwarding, and firewall rules. |
Official references
Useful resources for confirming exact menus and support details:
Vendor references
- Sony FR7 Help Guide: About Streaming
- Sony FR7 Help Guide: Stream settings
- Sony FR7 Help Guide: Starting and stopping streaming
- Sony FR7 specifications
- Sony FR7 firmware update information
Protocol references
Callaba resources
FAQ
Does Sony FR7 support SRT directly?
Yes. Sony documents SRT-Caller and SRT-Listener streaming for the FR7. I still recommend confirming the installed firmware and visible SRT menu before the event.
Should the FR7 be SRT Caller or SRT Listener?
Use FR7 as SRT Caller for most cloud contribution jobs. Use FR7 Listener only when the camera network can accept inbound UDP from Callaba.
Does FR7 have an SRT Stream ID field?
The public FR7 Help Guide does not clearly confirm a dedicated SRT Stream ID field. If your routing plan depends on Stream ID, test the exact firmware and any URL query format before production.
Can FR7 send H.265 over SRT?
No for this workflow. Sony documents SRT and RTMP streaming as H.264. H.265 is documented for RTSP and NDI|HX workflows.
Can I use RTMPS instead of SRT?
Yes, when the FR7 software version supports RTMP/RTMPS. RTMPS can be enough for a single platform destination, but SRT is usually better for contribution monitoring and recovery statistics.
Is FR7 a full-bandwidth NDI source?
No. Use it as NDI|HX2. Sony notes NDI|HX licensing is pre-installed from software Ver. 3.00 onward.
Next steps
Build the path in this order: create the Callaba SRT listener, configure the FR7 as SRT-Caller, verify preview and audio, then add recording, routing, restreaming, web playback, or multiview as needed.
Try Callaba Gateway with Sony FR7 SRT
Create an SRT server in Callaba, send the device feed to the gateway, and check the received stream. After ingest is stable, use Callaba outputs for preview, recording, restreaming, multiview, playback, routing, or API workflows as parallel downstream options.