Deltacast VideoMaster

Deltacast VideoMaster is the vendor interface for professional broadcast capture in WATCHOUT. VideoMaster boards come in different configurations — SDI-only, HDMI-only, mixed SDI/HDMI, ST 2110 IP-only, and mixed combinations. WATCHOUT handles whatever inputs the installed board exposes, routed to the GPU via direct-DMA (GPUDirect) for low latency and minimal CPU overhead. This is the right capture type when WATCHOUT receives professional broadcast or live-production sources.

Audio capture is not yet supported on Deltacast sources — only video. Embedded SDI audio and ST 2110 audio essences are not extracted by WATCHOUT. If you need that audio in the show, route it separately into an audio device on the node.

For Deltacast-based output from WATCHOUT, see SDI Output and ST 2110 Output. For broader ST 2110 commissioning (board setup, PTP topology, NMOS), see ST 2110 Video Over IP and Setting Up ST 2110.

Adding a Deltacast Capture Source

  1. Confirm the Deltacast VideoMaster board is installed in the Runner node, the driver is loaded, and (for ST 2110) the board has been commissioned — see Setting Up ST 2110.
  2. In the Devices window, select or create a capture device.
  3. In Capture Sources, click Add Capture Source.
  4. Set Node to the machine with the capture board.
  5. Click Refresh if the Deltacast inputs don't appear.
  6. Pick the input from Stream:
  • SDI / HDMI inputs are named by the board and the physical port.
  • ST 2110 entries have ST-2110 or ST 2110 in the name; the dialog detects this and shows the ST 2110 configuration block automatically.
  1. Configure the source properties (see the per-transport sections below).
  2. Click Add.

Common Properties

PropertyBehavior
FormatPixel format: Auto (recommended), UYVY (8-bit 4:2:2), or V210 (10-bit 4:2:2).
RangeSignal range. Auto uses the range carried by the incoming signal's colorimetry. Limited forces studio range — 16–235 in 8-bit UYVY, 64–940 in 10-bit V210. Full forces full range — 0–255 in 8-bit UYVY, 0–1023 in 10-bit V210. Both pixel formats honour the setting; the offsets differ because the bit depth differs.
Color SpaceOverride of the incoming signal's color interpretation. Auto lets WATCHOUT decide from the format; pick explicitly when the source's colorimetry is known.
Sync ModeOff — this source picks its own latency. Maintain — Deltacast sources of the same frame rate and transport type share latency estimation, so genlocked inputs (multiple SDI/HDMI ports on the same board, or multiple ST 2110 flows) stay frame-aligned with each other.

SDI and HDMI

A single Deltacast SDI board can carry one or more inputs; check the model's specifications for input count, supported link types (Single / Dual / Quad-Link), and HDMI version support.

ST 2110

ST 2110 captures subscribe to a multicast UDP flow on the network. The dialog has a Use SDP checkbox that switches between two configuration modes.

Manual Configuration (Use SDP off)

Type the multicast addressing directly. Use this when you know the sender's flow parameters.

FieldBehavior
Multicast AddressThe IPv4 multicast group of the primary video flow. Must be a valid multicast (224.0.0.0–239.255.255.255). Defaults to 239.1.32.32.
PortUDP port for the primary flow (1–65535). Default 20000.
SPS Multicast AddressOptional secondary flow for SMPTE 2022-7 Seamless Protection Switching. Leave empty if not using SPS redundancy. Defaults to 239.1.32.33 (only used when the field is non-empty).
SPS PortUDP port for the secondary flow. Only shown when an SPS Multicast Address is set. Default 20002.

For SPS redundancy details, see the same explanation on the ST 2110 Output → SPS page; the receiver-side behavior mirrors the sender's.

SDP File (Use SDP on)

Paste or load an SDP (Session Description Protocol) file that the sender publishes. The SDP carries every stream parameter — addresses, ports, codec, frame rate, colorimetry — and WATCHOUT subscribes accordingly. This is the easier path when the sender exposes an SDP (most professional ST 2110 senders and NMOS-routed infrastructure do).

  • Paste the SDP text into the textarea, or
  • Click the file-upload icon to load an .sdp file from disk.

NMOS-based routing infrastructure typically delivers the SDP automatically when a flow is patched. For unmanaged setups, ask the sender's operator for the SDP file.

Hardware Requirements

Common requirements for any Deltacast VideoMaster capture:

  • Deltacast VideoMaster board with input capability installed in the Runner node.
  • Deltacast drivers installed on the node. The driver package ships with the runtime libraries WATCHOUT needs — no separate SDK install is required.
  • Professional NVIDIA GPU with GPUDirect support (Quadro / RTX A-series / RTX Ada Generation, etc.). GPUDirect enables direct-DMA transfers between the capture board and the GPU framebuffer, avoiding a round trip through system memory. Consumer NVIDIA cards and non-NVIDIA GPUs do not support GPUDirect and cannot drive Deltacast capture at low latency.

ST 2110 adds the following on top:

  • PTP leader (often called the PTP grandmaster) reachable from the node — a dedicated PTP appliance, a PTP-capable switch, or another professional device.
  • Switch with IGMP snooping and PTP pass-through to prevent multicast flooding.
  • The board's two onboard network ports — one for the primary flow, the other reserved for SPS redundancy.

Resolution Behavior

The board delivers frames at the source's native resolution. See Capture Resolution for how the capture's Width × Height relates to the source.

Multiple Sources

A capture device can hold multiple Deltacast sources alongside other capture types. Add a source for each node when a single cue plays across more than one node — each node needs its own source bound to its own physical input. See Capture Devices → How Capture Devices Work for the full model.

Troubleshooting

For Deltacast symptoms and fixes (no inputs in dropdown, no ST 2110 frames, SDI signal loss, wrong colors), see Capture Issues → Deltacast VideoMaster.

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