About connecting video and audio sources

You can connect and disconnect video and audio sources while Pearl-2 is powered on and when it is powered off. However, for network video sources connecting via the Ethernet port, the source device sending the stream and Pearl-2 must both be powered on to make the connection.

Connect your video and audio sources to the following input ports on your system:

Cable and port connections

Source type	Input port
SDI	SDI port
HDMI (HDCP-protected) or DVI (adapter)	HDMI port
USB video (UVC) and USB audio (UAC)	USB 3.0 port (rear)
Ethernet	RJ-45 port. NDI, SRT and RTSP are digital sources you connect to your Pearl-2 via the Ethernet network port.
Audio	Audio input port: XLR or RCA

You can also connect RTSP sources such as IP cameras and even another Pearl-2 over the network using the Admin panel.

Application of amplified speaker signals to the audio line inputs exceeds the recommended ratings and may permanently damage the device.

The Admin panel automatically discovers all video and audio sources that you connect to the input ports on Pearl-2 and lists them in the Inputs menu of the Admin panel. Sources coming from the Ethernet network such as NDI, SRT and RTSP need to be added manually to appear in the Inputs menu. When a network source is added as an input, a corresponding audio source is automatically added to the list of audio sources for your channels, even if there is no audio. See Add an audio source to a layout.

When a video source is connected, the system automatically detects and adjusts the image capture settings every 60 seconds. The interval is configurable. Generally no further configuration is needed; however you can fine tune some settings using the Admin panel.

If no video source is connected to an input port or no stream is being transmitted from a source over the Ethernet connection, "No Signal" displays wherever that input is used in your channels and layouts. You can change that to display the default "No Signal" image for Pearl-2 or create your own custom no signal image. See Add a custom No Signal image .

Audio mixers and other line level devices can be connected to the XLR and RCA audio input ports on Pearl-2. Embedded audio from sources connected to the HDMI, SDI, and USB video ports is also supported. For specifications and guidance when connecting an audio source, see Tech specs and Selecting an audio source.

Changing the video or audio source while streaming or recording can cause the recording to stop or the stream frame size to change, depending on how your channel is configured. If the frame size changes, viewers may get disconnected and need to re-connect to the live stream.