SRT Gateway for Live Video Routing, Protocol Conversion, and Failover

Jun 08, 2026

Callaba on LinkedIn

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.

SRT Gateway guide · Last updated: June 8, 2026

An SRT gateway is software or hardware that receives, routes, converts, monitors, and redistributes live video streams using SRT and related IP video protocols. In broadcast and cloud production workflows, the gateway is the controlled handoff point between contribution sources, private networks, cloud systems, decoders, partners, recording, and playback destinations.

SRT means Secure Reliable Transport. It runs over UDP and adds packet recovery, encryption, latency control, caller/listener modes, and runtime statistics. A gateway uses those SRT sessions to move live feeds between networks and workflows, often while also converting to or from RTMP, RTSP, UDP/RTP MPEG-TS, HLS, WebRTC, NDI, or recorder/player outputs.

Quick answer: what is an SRT gateway?

An SRT gateway is the routing layer for live SRT video. It receives a live SRT stream from an encoder, remote venue, cloud app, mobile source, or partner feed, then routes or converts that stream to other destinations while exposing operational signals such as bitrate, RTT, packet loss, connection state, preview, recording, and failover readiness.

Callaba SRT gateway

Use Callaba as a software SRT gateway for live routing, monitoring, recording, and recovery.

Callaba is not a hardware encoder or SDI appliance. It is a cloud, AWS, private cloud, or self-hosted software control layer that can receive SRT feeds, prove that media is arriving, route outputs, record streams, expose API statistics, show sources in browser Multiview, and prepare backup paths for live operations.

Receive

Accept SRT from OBS, vMix, FFmpeg, cameras, mobile apps, hardware encoders, or partner systems.

Route

Send the same source to Multiview, recording, HLS/WebRTC playback, RTMP destinations, partners, or backup paths.

Control

Use live stats, preview, API, and failover logic to keep the workflow visible while the event is running.

Launch Callaba on AWS Open live Multiview demo View API docs

Inline workflow diagram

How an SRT gateway moves a live feed

Source

Encoder, camera, venue, mobile app, vMix, OBS

The source sends or receives a live feed using SRT caller/listener logic.

→

SRT gateway

Receive, route, convert, monitor, recover

The gateway is the decision point between contribution, private networks, cloud workflows, and outputs.

→

Destinations

Decoder, recorder, Multiview, player, RTMP, HLS/WebRTC, partner output

One input can become multiple controlled outputs when the workflow is designed that way.

This diagram is built with HTML and inline styles only. The gateway sits between the source side and the production or distribution side.

What is an SRT gateway?

An SRT gateway is the live video routing point that connects SRT contribution to the rest of the workflow. It can receive a stream from one network and make that stream usable in another network, another protocol, another region, or another production system.

In practical broadcast and streaming work, the gateway usually has four jobs:

Receive: accept SRT streams from encoders, cameras, mobile apps, software tools, remote venues, or partner systems.
Route: send the same feed to one or more destinations, such as decoders, recording, Multiview, playback, or partner outputs.
Convert: bridge SRT to downstream formats such as RTMP, HLS, WebRTC, UDP/RTP MPEG-TS, or file recording, depending on the platform.
Operate: expose live stats, preview, packet behavior, failover status, and API controls so the workflow can be trusted during a live event.

The important distinction is that a gateway is not only a protocol endpoint. It is the place where an incoming live feed becomes a managed production object.

SRT gateway vs SRT server

People often use these terms interchangeably, but the intent is slightly different.

Term	Main job	Typical question
SRT server	Accept or originate SRT sessions on defined ports and modes.	How do I receive an SRT stream?
SRT gateway	Receive, route, convert, monitor, and redistribute streams between networks or systems.	How do I move live feeds between contribution, cloud, production, and delivery?

A gateway may contain one or many SRT servers, but it also adds routing, output decisions, monitoring, conversion, recovery, and operational control.

SRT gateway solutions compared

The SRT gateway market includes hardware appliances, cloud services, software media gateways, and self-hosted control layers. The right choice depends on whether you need local SDI/NDI handoff, cloud routing, high-density distribution, enterprise broadcast routing, or API-driven live operations.

Gateway option	Best for	What to know
Callaba SRT Gateway	Cloud, AWS, private cloud, or self-hosted SRT routing with monitoring, recording, Multiview, failover, and API control.	Use it when the SRT feed is part of an operational workflow, not just a point-to-point pipe.
Haivision SRT Gateway	Enterprise broadcast routing, protocol conversion, and secure live video distribution across networks.	A strong reference point for dedicated SRT gateway appliances and enterprise deployments.
StreamRus OnPremise SRT & Multicast Gateway	On-prem software or hardware workflows that receive internet streams and replicate to multicast networks.	Useful when the gateway must bridge WAN contribution and LAN distribution.
LiveU Nexus	Cloud-native IP video gateway workflows with multiple contribution protocols.	Good fit when LiveU ecosystem integration and universal feed handling matter.
Quickstream Node	Software media gateway for transforming, managing, exchanging, and connecting live content.	Relevant when you need a broader IP video gateway across broadcast and streaming systems.

Common SRT gateway routing patterns

Contribution to cloud

Remote venue → SRT gateway → Multiview + recording + player

Use this when field feeds need to become observable cloud workflows.

Cloud to production

SRT input → gateway route → decoder, NDI, RTMP, or partner output

Use this when an internet feed must enter a production or partner chain.

Main and backup

Primary SRT + backup SRT → monitored switch → stable output

Use this when the live path cannot be allowed to disappear without an operator signal.

How to build an SRT gateway workflow in Callaba

Launch Callaba on AWS Marketplace or install it on Linux in your private environment.
Create one or more SRT servers for incoming feeds. Define port, latency, stream ID, and passphrase.
Open the required UDP ports in the firewall, security group, or network policy.
Send from OBS, vMix, FFmpeg, Larix, a camera, or a hardware encoder as caller.
Verify bitrate, RTT, packet loss, preview, audio, and active stream state.
Route the stream to recording, Multiview, HLS/WebRTC playback, RTMP destinations, backup outputs, or API-controlled downstream workflows.

Operator note: a connected SRT session is not enough. For a gateway workflow, always confirm media presence, audio, bitrate, RTT, packet loss, and at least one downstream output before the event starts.

Protocol conversion and output formats

A gateway often exists because one side speaks SRT and the other side needs something else. Conversion can mean protocol conversion, packaging, restreaming, recording, or handoff to another production system.

Input	Gateway action	Output
SRT MPEG-TS from encoder	Receive and monitor	Multiview, recording, or browser playback
SRT contribution feed	Route or restream	RTMP, HLS/WebRTC, partner output, or SRT route
Main and backup SRT paths	Monitor and switch	Stable program path, recording, and operator proof

Not every gateway performs every conversion. Some are transport routers, some are full media platforms, and some are hardware appliances with SDI, NDI, multicast, or decoder outputs.

What to monitor on an SRT gateway

A gateway sits in the middle of the live path, so it must prove both transport health and media usability.

Connection state: connected, disconnected, reconnecting, failed.
Incoming bitrate: whether media is still arriving.
RTT: timing pressure between sender and receiver.
Packet loss and retransmits: whether SRT is spending recovery budget.
Preview and audio: whether video and sound are actually usable.
Downstream outputs: recording, player, Multiview, decoder, RTMP, or partner output state.

Failover, NAT, security, and scaling

Caller, listener, and NAT traversal

Most cloud gateway workflows use gateway as listener and encoder as caller. That lets field equipment connect outbound to a stable public IP or DNS name. Some enterprise workflows need caller mode, rendezvous, proxy mode, VPN routing, or a gateway on both sides of the network boundary.

Failover and recovery

A production gateway should separate main and backup feeds, keep both visible, and make switching possible before viewers or downstream partners notice failure. Watch bitrate, RTT, packet loss, preview, audio, and output state before switching.

Security

Use firewall allowlists where possible, strong passphrases, stream IDs that identify event/source/role, and credential rotation between events. Treat public SRT ingest as a production edge, not as a casual test port.

Scaling

For many feeds, reserve UDP port ranges, document source-to-node assignment, place gateway instances near contribution sources or operators, and use API provisioning when events repeat across venues, regions, or clients.

FAQ

What is an SRT gateway?

An SRT gateway is software or hardware that receives, routes, converts, monitors, and redistributes live video streams using SRT and related IP video protocols.

Is an SRT gateway the same as an SRT server?

Not exactly. An SRT server usually means the endpoint that accepts or originates SRT sessions. An SRT gateway usually means a broader routing and conversion layer between networks, protocols, and production systems.

Can Callaba work as an SRT gateway?

Yes. Callaba can receive SRT feeds, monitor live statistics, show browser Multiview, record streams, route outputs, create player workflows, and expose gateway operations through API endpoints.

Does an SRT gateway convert SRT to RTMP or HLS?

Many gateway platforms can route or convert SRT into downstream formats such as RTMP, HLS, WebRTC, recording, or other SRT paths. The exact outputs depend on the gateway product.

When do I need an SRT gateway instead of a simple listener?

Use a gateway when the feed is part of a real workflow: routing, protocol conversion, recording, monitoring, failover, partner handoff, cloud production, private deployment, or API automation.

Try Callaba as your SRT gateway

Create SRT ingest points, monitor the live path, route feeds to recording, Multiview, playback, restreaming, partner outputs, failover, or API-driven production workflows.

Launch on AWS Self-host Callaba Open Multiview demo API docs