About connecting video and audio sources

You can connect and disconnect video and audio sources while the Pearl device 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 the Pearl device must both be powered on to make the connection.

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

Cable and port connections

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

You can also connect RTSP sources such as IP cameras and even another Pearl device 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 device and lists them in the Inputs menu of the Admin panel. Sources coming from the Ethernet network such as 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. You can change that to display the default "No Signal" image for Pearl devices or create your own custom no signal image. See Add a custom No Signal image .

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.

Audio mixers and other line-level audio devices can be connected to:

• Pearl-2 and Pearl Nano - the XLR and RCA audio input ports .

Embedded audio from sources connected to the HDMI, SDI, and USB ports (only USB audio on Pearl Nano) is also supported.

For guidance on connecting an audio source, see Selecting an audio source .