Live Edit Review

Use FlowCaster on the www.flowcaster.live site for real time group review of edit sessions anywhere in the world, without rendering or uploading your media to a server!  FlowCaster.live receives audio/video/captions/time code from the editor's output in real time, while providing a shared area of talk, webcam, commenting, and collaborative drawing, all time code locked to your edit.  Changes can be made in real time, or noted in the comments and drawing, and saved for later retrieval.  All the comments and drawings can be loaded as markers back into Premiere, Media Composer, Resolve and many others.  With Premiere, our custom flowcaster.live panel provides a sync locked output image with overlays and comments, to allow the editor to see the required changes, without leaving Premiere.  Full integration with Frame.IO is also supported via fioxml files. See more Live Edit Review.

Live Event Review

The FlowCaster Live Event Review captures SDI or IP signals simultaneously as high quality MXF files and as time code matched proxy MP4s. The FlowCaster.live collaborative review site can use the proxies in real time, while still recording, to log and mark up the live event, or any part of the event that has already occurred. The proxy markers and all the collaborative drawings simultaneously show up in a panel in Premiere, or in Avid MediaCentral, for the editor to use to work with the high resolution, edit while capture, MXFs. The editor can then use the high resolution MXF to edit clips and packages based on the input of the group on flowcaster.live to be sent out for broadcast and delivery. See more Live Event Review.

Synchronous Collaborative Review

In a synchronous collaborative review workflow, the operator selects a proxy file/timeline from any network storage that is available to all participants and begins a FlowCaster.live session. All participants join the FlowCaster.live session. Any of the participants can play, pause, and seek the media, and commands will be duplicated to everyone in the session's players, so that they all remain in sync for everyone. As they work through the material, everyone can comment, add notes, emoji, and drawings collaboratively, seeing everyone else's feedback as well. The session can be saved and loaded into Adobe/Avid etc. By using this method, rather than the Live Edit Review method, creatives can work together to make decisions without tying up an editor to drive the session, and more efficiently realize their vision. See more Synchronous Collaborative Review.

Asynchronous Collaborative Review

Any individual, at any time, can load a file session into FlowCaster.live and add comments, emoji, and drawings with time code accurate precision. Other stakeholders can join the session, or load the session data at a later date to add their comments and creative decisions. Once the session is complete, it can be saved out for the next stakeholder, or loaded into a new session, or directly into an Adobe or Avid editor, to implement the changes discussed in the session. See more Asynchronous Collaborative Review.

Work from home/cloud/remote monitoring

Shared desktop software and online conference sites are great tools for discussing a project. If you can use the compressed/low bit rate/random frame rate output signal for collaboration, then please check out the VirtualCam tab, where we describe sending your editor to meeting sites using FlowCaster.

However, specific workflows (including color grading) absolutely require the highest quality image display possible. With FlowCaster, audio/video is transported separately from the desktop sharing, using low latency/high quality compression, with the project frame rate. This gives you the ability to share a session online at a quality similar to that of a hardware output to an independent monitor. FlowCaster also supports HDR/HLG/WCG, any video resolution, up to 32 channels of high quality audio and ancillary data including closed captions, active format description and v-chip information.

Production team sharing/collaboration

There are a number of ways FlowCaster's audio/video and desktops can be shared to a group for collaboration:

• SRT MultiCast or Haivision Gateway - maintain direct control of encrypted feeds by using SRT to all the collaborators.  With the gateway, different users can be given different passwords and address/ports that can be fixed to a user's IP address for further security
• RTMP - send your output and desktops to any RTMP compatible server like twitch/youtube/facebook, and use the server's tools to share live audio/video, host chats and handle authentication
• WebRTC - use any WebRTC compatible server, to support live A/V chat, authentication and text chat for one on one or multiuser collaboration

Here is a page with more detailed information on Using IP video streaming.

Cloud production or capture feed

Using SRT, signals from your creative software (Adobe/Avid/Assimilate/DaVinci/etc.) or from baseband feeds (SDI, HDMI, NDI, IP) can be sent directly to the cloud and captured to MXF, MOV, AVI, MP4 or others by the FlowCaster Server.  Optionally, a proxy file can also be generated.  All FlowCaster Server capture files support edit while record and playback while record, for local clipping or editing in Adobe Premiere.  Signals can also be sent from the cloud, from Adobe/Avid/DaVinci/FlowCaster Server via SRT to be played locally as SDI or HDMI using a supported A/V device (AJA, Bluefish444, Blackmagic, Matrox).

IP format conversion

The FlowCaster Server can also be used to convert UDP, RTP, NDI and SRT to a new UDP, RTP, NDI or SRT stream.  The server supports both re-wrapping of the compressed data and transcoding of the signal to a new compression type.  As well as IP to IP, both baseband (SDI/HDMI) to IP and IP to baseband are also supported.

Cloud to cloud

FlowCaster supports cloud to cloud transmission.  Both compressed, via RTP, UDP and SRT, and uncompressed transports are supported.  FlowCaster also has the ability to read and write directly from cloud object storage, like Amazon's S3 storage.  File mode may also be used for guaranteed copies of media to be moved from one point to another.

FlowCaster provides a standalone application that can capture a local source, along with the creative tools output from: 

• SMPTE 2110 via Mellanox NVIDIA Bluefield-2 or Connect-X 6 (requires Rivermax license)
  • View FlowCaster videos on the FlowCaster YouTube page
  • Here is a Rivermax Setup page
• SMPTE 2110 via hardware
  • Matrox:  ST 2110 Network Adapters
  • AJA: Kona IP
• SDI/HDMI with a supported device 
  • AJA, Bluefish444, Blackmagic, Matrox
  • USB-2/USB-3/Camera UVC capture devices
  • Virtual camera sources
• Newtek^® NDI
• A Desktop

This allows FlowCaster to share the editor itself, via desktop sharing, or other software that does not directly support FlowCaster, via NDI, SDI/HDMI, or SMPTE 2110 capture.  Along with professional audio/video boards from AJA, Bluefish444, Blackmagic and Matrox, FlowCaster also supports USB-2/3 capture devices for low cost SDI and HDMI capture.

FlowCaster supports a wide variety of network transports.  The highest quality transport is SRT, which can transmit full HDR at up to 16 bits per pixel.  There are a number of ways to receive and view the compressed data.  Each player will have varying support for the available formats.

Windows/macOS/Linux

videoQC - Drastic's videoQC provides playback for SRT, RTP, UDP, BLS, CDI, HLS, NDI, RIST, RTMP, ST-2110, and WebRTC, and includes fullscreen, optional SDI/HDMI, waveform/vectorscope tools, and closed caption display.	VLC - VLC is a free player from VideoLAN that supports basic h.264/h.265 in UDP, RTP and SRT with two selectable audio channels and a full screen mode.	OBS - The Open Broadcaster Software supports receiving SRT streams with h.264 compression and two channels of audio.  It can be used for monitoring, compositing with other signals and re-transmission.

Free Players

Apple iPad/iPhone	Apple TV	Android
FlowCaster Player - The FlowCaster player supports h.264 and HEVC using the SRT, RTMP or RIST protocols.  It can be instantiated with the videoqc:// url protocol, just like videoQC	FlowCaster Player - The FlowCaster player supports h.264 and HEVC using the SRT, RTMP or RIST protocols.  It can be instantiated with the videoqc:// url protocol, just like videoQC.	FlowCaster Player - The FlowCaster player supports h.264 and HEVC using the SRT, RTMP or RIST protocols.  It can be instantiated with the videoqc:// url protocol, just like videoQC.
Haivision Pro Player - The Haivision Pro Player is a free player that can play back h.264 and HEVC, along with a selected pair of audio channels from the available audio channels.  It supports SRT.		Haivision Pro Player - The Haivision Pro Player is a free player that can play back h.264 and HEVC, along with a selected pair of audio channels from the available audio channels.  It supports SRT.

 Online Redistribution

FC Virtual Cam	RTMP	Wowza	BirdDog
FC VirtualCam - FlowCaster includes a virtual camera setting, which allows the output of FlowCaster to join a meeting as a camera, on sites like: meet․google․com, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, Webex Meeting, and GoTo Meeting.	RTMP - www.youtube.com, www.twitch.com, and many other sites can redistribute FlowCaster's RTMP h.264 signal with two channels of audio.	Wowza - Wowza supports both RTMP and SRT streams and can create a number of standard webcasting standards from them.	BirdDog - BirdDog accommodates multiple NDI® video, audio, and metadata streams on a shared connection using standard network infrastructures.

 

There are a wide range of software apps and devices that can be used to view FlowCaster output streams: https://www.drastic.tv/support-59/supporttipstechnical/240-viewing-flowcaster-streams

FC VirtualCam for Meeting Sites

FlowCaster now includes a Virtual Camera output so you can send FlowCaster streams to your preferred remote conferencing sites.

Our flowcaster.live site offers an impressive range of collaboration, approval, and review features including live edit, and event review. However, we also know that many companies have already chosen a site, and adapted their workflows to accommodate the available feature set. Depending on the number of users, moving the team over to a new site could pose challenges, and would take time.

The solution? Use the VirtualCam feature to stream your output to the site you are already using!

Many remote meeting sites already support virtual cameras, and will be quite ready to add the FlowCaster VirtualCam to a meeting.

We Support Your Existing Collaboration Solution

FlowCaster supports sites including: meet․google․com, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, Webex Meeting, and GoTo Meeting. There's no need to migrate to a new site to share FlowCaster's secure, high quality video streams with your team.

How to send an editor to your meeting

Install FlowCaster, and get at least a temp license. Run the Adobe/Avid/Resolve etc. editor. Set it to the FlowCaster Transmitter setting.

In Adobe Premiere, this is located at: Edit | Preferences | Playback.

Click the FlowCaster Transmitter Setup button.

This opens the FlowCaster Setup window. Use the Transmit Type pulldown menu to select FC VirtualCam.

Open your remote meeting site. Log in. Start a meeting. Open the device settings area, and find where they keep the camera settings. Use the menu to select FC VirtualCam.

Invite people to join and watch along with you.

Use FlowCaster to Send Other Sources

In addition to creative software such as Adobe/Avid/Resolve etc., FlowCaster can also send other sources to a remote meeting. The following inputs are supported:

NIC IP Video
AJA
AJA Shared Mode
Bluefish444
Blackmagic
UltraScope
Matrox
DirectShow/UVC
NDI In
Desktop
Adobe ScopeDirect
OpenFX ScopeDirect
Assimilate ScopeDirect

Send the Output of an AJA Board

The below example shows how to send the output of an AJA board to the meeting, using the FlowCaster VirtualCam feature.

Run FlowCaster.

On the Input tab use the board type pulldown menu to view available sources. In the below example, an AJA board is selected, and some of the other inputs are displayed.

On the Config tab set the Transmit Type to FC VirtualCam, and check the This Application button to use a source other than your creative software.

You may need to press the Enable button, and/or Set New Config button to enable the configuration changes in FlowCaster.

In the Config tab you can also check the Burn in TC checkbox to send burned in time code along with the board’s output.

 

FlowCaster.live The Free Remote Collaboration Site

Share High Quality Video With The Team

The FlowCaster.live website provides a point and click webcam/chat style meeting room, with a suite of tools for remote collaboration. It is free to use, but we can also provide a wider range of workflows with a range of support plans that provide use of FlowCaster software.

For details on the available plans and pricing, please go to the FlowCaster.live Plans and Pricing page.

Features in the Free Version

Even without FlowCaster software, the site provides a standard meeting room style webcam/chat site with a host of useful features.

FlowCaster.live web based collaboration is as quick and easy as using any meeting site, but with so many more tools! It provides frame accurate display of your input, with chat/webcam/telestration tools to make sure everyone's input is used in the creative process. No need to upload a file, and wait for a proxy to be generated. Simply point, click, and begin a session.

FlowCaster.live uses WebRTC to securely receive video, along with time code, captions, and metadata. Participants show up similar to other meeting sites, and can discuss the media aloud via the webcam, add text comments and emoji with the chat features, and place drawings on the screen to clarify or add to the discussion.

Anyone can sign up and create an account to get started creating sessions.

Features Added with FlowCaster Software

If the user is on support, FlowCaster software is included. There are details on the available plans and pricing here.

Alternately the user may purchase a permanent license of FlowCaster software and use it to send video via WebRTC to the Flowcaster.live site, or to alternate targets using the wide IP Protocol support.

• The Adobe/Avid/Resolve Plugin sends the editor output with time code, closed captions, ancillary data to a variety of targets including FlowCaster.live
• The Adobe/Avid/Resolve Plugin adds support for the Adobe Live Review CEP panel, which provides real time session feedback in Premiere, and Session Markers Import/Export for time code location based feedback.
• Adds wide IP Stream Output support, including BLS, CDI, HLS, NDI, RIST, RTMP, RTP, SRT, ST-2110 (requires optional HW/SW), UDP, and WHIP.
• Adds FC VirtualCam Output so the output of FlowCaster can show up as a webcam in meeting sites such as Zoom, Skype etc.
• Hardware Input provides support for a wide range of hardware input sources for SDI/HDMI, UVC/DirectShow, and NDI.
• Software Input provides support for a wide range of software input sources, such as Adobe/Avid/DaVinci/OpenFX, as well as software NDI sources.
• Cloud Storage setup and access
• Encryption / Watermark /Time Code Burn-in setup
• FlowCaster Components installed for videoQC file output via IP stream. Requires a valid videoQC Pro license.

Add a Watermark

You can add a watermark to what you are sending so the content cannot be commercially exploited. When setting up the Config, you can click a browse button and select an alpha blended PNG to superimpose over the image. Its location can be specified by entering X and Y location points for the top and left borders of the PNG.

Using the Session Markers to Implement Changes

Once everybody has reviewed and commented, the comments, drawings and any other feedback provided in the session can be exported to markers. The Session file can be opened in your editor and the comments and drawings are shown as markers on the timeline, matched to the time code locations at which they were made. Frame.io is fully supported, and other creative tools can also import and use the comments to conform all the edits discussed.

Try it Now and See

It's as easy as point and click. The link below opens the site.

www.flowcaster.live

Supported Sources

 Software

• Adobe - Premiere, After Effects
• Avid - Media Composer, NewsCutter
• Assimilate - SCRATCH family
• Blackmagic - DaVinci Resolve
• OpenFX - Windows, macOS and Linux
• Desktop - Any full screen

Hardware

FlowCaster can use various I/O cards and devices as input sources. To enable ST2110 I/O, specific 2110 capable hardware is required. Please see the Supported Hardware list for more details.

Supported Outputs

For setup details please see the following page on Using IP video streaming.

• BLS - (Browser Live Stream) Drastic's lightweight high quality protocol
• CDI - (AWS Cloud Digital Interface) high-quality uncompressed video for the AWS Cloud
• HLS Live - (HTTPS Live Stream) sends audio and video over HTTP for playback on iOS-based devices
• NDI - (Newtek Network Device Interface) Any NDI audio/video source
• RIST - (Reliable Internet Stream Transport) - an open-source, open-specification transport protocol designed for reliable transmission of video over lossy networks with low latency and high quality
• RTMP - (Real-Time Messaging Protocol). See the FlowCaster Quick Start guide for RTMP
  • youtube.com
  • facebook.com
  • twitch.com, etc.
• RTP - (Real-time Transport Protocol) - provides end-to-end, real-time transfer of streaming media, with jitter compensation, detection of packet loss, and reordering for out-of-order delivery
• SRT - (Secure Reliable Transport). See the FlowCaster Quick Start guide for SRT
• ST 2110/2022 - requires an optional license for Rivermax and Mellanox NIC.
• UDP - (User Datagram Protocol) UDP is one of the core communication protocols of the Internet protocol suite used to send messages (transported as datagrams in packets) to other hosts on an Internet Protocol (IP) network.
• WebRTC - (Web Real-Time Communication)
  • flowcaster.live
  • direct browser
  • millicast.com
• WHIP - (WebRTC-HTTP ingestion protocol)
  • flowcaster.live
  • direct browser
  • millicast.com

Features

• 8, 10, 12 or 16 bit per pixel video
• 16, 24 or 32 bit audio, up to 32 channels
• Uncompressed, h.264, h.264/HEVC or JPEG-2000 compression
• SRT, RIST, WebRTC, WHIP, UDP, RTP or NDI transports
• SRT, RIST and WebRTC/WHIP provide low latency, with end to end encryption

Supported Targets

There is a more comprehensive list at the following link: Viewing FlowCaster Streams

• Cloud - Millicast, BirdDog, Cloud 3, Haivision Gateway, FlowCaster.live
• Windows - VLC, OBS, videoQC
• macOS - VLC, OBS, videoQC
• Linux - VLC, OBS, videoQC
• iOS - FlowCaster Player, Haivision Player
• Apple TV - FlowCaster Player
• Android - FlowCaster Player, Haivision Player
• Social - Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, etc.

Any target may be watermarked with an alpha blended PNG image

Download FlowCaster

End User License Agreement International Canadian

Available for Windows (7 or greater), Linux (CentOS/Red Hat 7.4-7.8), or macOS (macOS 13 Ventura - macOS 14 Sonoma).

 

Download FlowCaster Version 7 for Windows 64

Adobe, Avid, Assimilate, Resolve (OFX), Bridge

Download FlowCaster Version 7.0 for macOS

Adobe, Avid, Assimilate, Resolve (OFX), Bridge

Download FlowCaster Version 7.0 for CentOS/Red Hat

Resolve (OFX), Bridge

Please check out a demo to confirm your workflow is supported. Once you are happy with FlowCaster, delivery is effected via licensing.

Download FlowCaster Players

Free Player for iPhone & iPad

Free Player for Apple TV

Free Player for Android Phones, Tablets and TV Boxes

Download FlowCaster Player for Windows 64 (videoQC)

Download FlowCaster Player for CentOS/Red Hat (videoQC)

Download FlowCaster Player for macOS (videoQC)

Download the FlowCaster Google Extension for Chrome

Download FlowCaster Google Extension for Chrome

The FlowCaster Google Extension for Chrome integrates Flowcaster meeting and review sessions with Google apps such as Calendar, Gmail and Contacts. Our extension provides a quick start icon in the toolbar to start a new meeting/group review, or schedule on your calendar. Within the calendar edit dialog, flowcaster.live links can be inserted to set up meetings in the future as part of the calendar event.

Download the FlowCaster Adobe Live Review Panel

Download the FlowCaster Adobe Live Review Panel from Adobe Exchange

The FlowCaster Adobe Live Review Panel provides real time feedback between Adobe editors (Premiere, After Effects etc.) and Drastic applications including FlowCaster and the flowcaster.live site. The panel is available through the Adobe Exchange, at the following link: https://exchange.adobe.com/apps/cc/108802/flowcasterlive.

If for some reason (corporate policy for example) you cannot access the Adobe site, there is a download link for our ZXP installer, here. It requires an installer designed for ZXP files, such as ZXP Installer. There are installation details on the following page: https://www.drastic.tv/support-59/supporttipstechnical/214-flowcaster-live-review-panel