NDI Routing Window

Last updated 5 August 2026

The NDI Routing window is a matrix that routes NDI sources discovered on the network to hardware NDI devices — either Input Slots on other Backstage servers, or Converter (decoder) devices.

This window requires Enable Device Routing Window in Settings → NDI. With device handling disabled the window is empty and the menu entry is hidden.

How to open

  • View → NDI Routing — visible only when device handling is enabled.

  • The window also appears in right-click context menus alongside Video Routing and Audio Routing.

Matrix layout

The interaction is the same as the Video and Audio routing windows:

  • Rows — NDI Sources discovered on the network, under a collapsible Sources group.

  • Columns — NDI Devices on the network.

Click the checkbox at a source-device intersection to route that source to that device or slot.

Source rows

Every NDI source visible on the network appears as a row; sources that are offline are greyed out.

A source row may carry a web icon on the right. Clicking it opens the source's web control interface in a browser, and hovering shows the source's IP address.

Device columns

Device type

Column layout

Description

Brainsalt device

Group header with sub-columns

Another Backstage server advertising NDI Input Slots. Its hostname is a collapsible group header, with each Input Slot as a sub-column beneath it

Converter device

Single column

An NDI decoder device. No sub-columns

Each device column header carries a web icon, which opens that device's web control UI in a browser and shows its IP address on hover. Offline devices are greyed out and cannot be routed to.

Routing behaviour

  • Each device slot or converter accepts one source at a time — checking a new source unchecks the previous one.

  • Routing to or from an offline source or device is disabled.

  • If a source advertises that it belongs to a device and that device is offline, routing from that source is disabled too.

NDI Routing is not the NDI asset

The two are easy to confuse and do different jobs.

NDI Routing window

NDI asset

Purpose

Routes NDI streams to hardware devices on the network

Brings an NDI stream into Backstage as a playback asset

Target

Input Slots on other Backstage servers, or converter hardware

A surface or channel inside your scene

Use case

Distributing NDI streams across a multi-device installation

Playing an NDI source as content

Prerequisites

Requirement

Where

Enable Device Routing Window checked

Settings → NDI

At least one NDI source on the network

Discovered automatically

At least one NDI device — a Backstage server with Input Slots, or a converter

Discovered automatically

Common Mistakes

  • The window is empty, or the menu entry is missing — Enable Device Routing Window is off in Settings → NDI.

  • Checking a source unchecked another one — that is by design. A slot or converter takes one source at a time.

  • A source cannot be routed although it is visible — either it is offline, or the device it advertises itself as belonging to is offline.

  • Looking here to play an NDI stream on a surface — that is the NDI asset, not this window.

Tips

  • Brainsalt device groups collapse — click the group header to hide or show its Input Slots.

  • The web icons reach a device's or source's own control interface without leaving Backstage.

  • The matrix updates by itself as sources and devices appear or go offline.

NDI — adding an NDI stream as a playback asset

Video Routing Window — routing Projectors and Displays to outputs

Audio Routing Window — routing audio streams to mixers and outputs

Routing Windows — all the routing matrices