NDI

NDI (Network Device Interface) sends video over the network — no capture card, no screen-sharing tricks. BibleCast publishes an NDI source the moment you enable NDI on any output — Broadcast, or the Audience and Stage outputs too. OBS, vMix, ProPresenter, or any NDI receiver picks it up instantly.

1. Install NDI Tools

BibleCast doesn't bundle the NDI runtime — it dynamically loads from NDI Tools (free), installed on your Mac. Download the package from ndi.video/tools and install it like any .pkg.

If you try to enable NDI without NDI Tools installed, BibleCast shows a message with a Download NDI Tools button that opens the official page. BibleCast works with current NDI versions (NDI 5 and 6) and detects the installed runtime automatically.

2. Enable NDI on an output

Open Display Settings, pick any output tab — Audience, Stage, Broadcast, or Broadcast 2 — and turn on NDI Output. Each output emits its own feed with its own source name and resolution: Audience and Stage send a copy of what you're projecting, while Broadcast (16:9) and Broadcast 2 (9:16) are transparent lower-third feeds for keying. The source appears on the network immediately under the name you set (e.g. BibleCast - Audience).

Allow BibleCast on your network

NDI runs over your local network, and macOS gates that behind two permissions. If your source doesn't show up in a receiver, it's almost always one of these:

  • Local Network (macOS 15 Sequoia and later) — the first time you enable NDI, macOS asks for Local Network access. Tap Allow. If you dismissed or denied it, macOS won't ask again — turn it on manually in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network and relaunch BibleCast. This is the most common reason a feed is invisible, and it fails silently — BibleCast still shows "enabled" while receivers see nothing.
  • Firewall — receivers open a connection into BibleCast. The signed app is normally allowed automatically, but if you turned on "Block all incoming connections" (or blocked BibleCast), allow it in System Settings → Network → Firewall.
Display Settings shows these same steps in-app whenever NDI is enabled but no receiver is connected — so you don't have to remember the exact settings path.

3. Add the source in OBS / vMix

  • OBS Studio: Sources → + → NDI Source → pick BibleCast.
  • vMix: Add Input → NDI / Desktop Capture → choose the BibleCast source.
  • ProPresenter: add BibleCast as an NDI video input and drop it on a layer (see below).

Use with ProPresenter

Already committed to ProPresenter? Keep it — let BibleCast be your Bible engine and feed the verses in. You get fast reference search, smart multi-translation, and keyboard-driven navigation without replacing your ProPresenter workflow. Two ways to connect:

  • Over NDI (recommended) — enable NDI on the Audience output (or a Broadcast output), then add BibleCast's source as an NDI video input in ProPresenter and place it on a layer. ProPresenter composites the verse over your backgrounds and owns the final screen output.
  • Same-machine overlay — set a transparent Audience theme and assign it to the display ProPresenter is on. BibleCast's verse text composites directly on top of ProPresenter's output, no NDI needed. Add an overlay tint if you need the text to stand out over bright backgrounds.

Lower-third strip

The default Broadcast theme places the verse and reference inside a bottom strip (lower-third), with the rest of the frame transparent. That means your receiver (OBS) only sees the strip — the rest of the canvas stays exactly as you composited it. Strip height and bottom offset are configurable in Display Settings → Broadcast tab.

Two broadcasts at once

Broadcast (16:9) and Broadcast 2 (9:16) are independent — each with its own theme, layout, and resolution. Typical setup: livestream on Broadcast (via OBS), vertical content for social platforms on Broadcast 2.

Common issues

  • Source doesn't appear in OBS — check the firewall. NDI uses mDNS for discovery. On macOS, make sure BibleCast has permission in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network.
  • "NDI runtime not installed" — install NDI Tools (see section 1) and restart BibleCast.
  • OBS and BibleCast on different Macs — works, but both have to be on the same local network.