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Combined Media Stream

Overview​

Combined Media Stream allows ITVDesk to merge multiple video and audio sources into a single video stream that is exposed as one virtual ONVIF IP camera channel.

This feature is designed for:

  • Multi-camera layouts
  • Operator + screen combinations
  • POS systems (screen + webcam)
  • Control rooms
  • Video walls
  • Training and monitoring scenarios

Instead of exposing each source as a separate channel or camera, ITVDesk renders all selected sources into one composed video output.

Combined media overview

Enabling Combined Media​

To create a combined media stream:

  1. Create a new Virtual ONVIF IP Camera
  2. In Camera Media Source, enable Combine Media
  3. Select the media sources you want to combine:
    • Screen Live
    • Webcam
    • Application Windows
    • External IP camera
    • Media from file
  4. Choose the desired layout mode
  5. Configure layout and scaling options
  6. Click Add IP Camera

The combined output becomes one video channel.

Supported Layout Modes​

ITVDesk currently supports the following layout modes for combined media:

Picture-in-Picture (PiP)​

One main video source is displayed full-screen, while another source is shown as a smaller overlay.

Typical use cases:

  • Desktop + webcam (presenter view)
  • POS screen + cashier camera
  • Operator monitoring
Picture in Picture mode

Wall 1 × 1​

Single source rendered full-screen.

This mode is useful when:

  • You want to switch between sources dynamically
  • The combined layout is temporarily simplified
Picture in Picture mode

Wall 2 × 1​

Two sources displayed side-by-side in a horizontal split.

Typical use cases:

  • Two monitors
  • Two webcams
  • Screen + external camera
Wall 2x1 layout

Wall 2 × 2​

Four sources displayed in a 2×2 grid.

Typical use cases:

  • Multi-camera surveillance
  • Video wall preview
  • Training or exam supervision
Wall 2x2 layout

Scaling and Positioning Options​

Combined Media provides fine-grained layout control:

Scaling Mode​

Defines how each source is rendered inside its tile:

  • Center (no upscale) – original size, no scaling
  • Fit – scales to fit within tile
  • Fill – fills the tile completely (may crop)

Tile Scale (%)​

Allows manual scaling of each tile in X and Y direction.

Position Control (PiP mode)​

For Picture-in-Picture:

  • Select the corner or position
  • Adjust overlay size using percentage slider
tip

All layout changes are applied in real time.

Audio Handling (Audio Muxer)​

ITVDesk includes a built-in audio muxer, allowing audio to be mixed into any media source, including Combined Media.

Key points:

  • Audio can come from webcam, system audio, or external source
  • One audio stream is muxed into the combined video output
  • Audio selection and enable/disable is configured in the main (front) camera settings, not in the source selection dialog

This allows:

  • Desktop video + microphone audio
  • Webcam video + system audio
  • External stream + local audio

Stream Configuration​

The Combine Media selection dialog is used only to:

  • Choose sources
  • Select layout
  • Arrange tiles

All video stream parameters are configured after the camera is created:

  • Resolution
  • Frame rate (FPS)
  • Video codec (H.264 / H.265 / MJPEG)
  • Bitrate and quality
  • Audio enable / disable
  • Recording enable / disable
tip

These settings are adjusted from the main camera (front) settings and can be changed without restarting ITVDesk.

Combined media stream settings

Performance Notes​

  • Combined Media performs real-time compositing
  • Each source is processed independently
  • Final encoding is done as a single stream
  • CPU-based multi-threaded processing ensures stability

Performance depends on:

  • Number of combined sources
  • Output resolution
  • Frame rate
  • Selected codec

For best results:

  • Use reasonable resolutions (e.g. 1080p)
  • Limit unnecessary sources
  • Prefer H.264 for widest compatibility

Common Use Cases​

Combined Media is ideal for:

  • POS systems (screen + cashier camera)
  • Operator monitoring
  • Training and exams
  • Control rooms
  • Video wall preview
  • Multi-source recording as a single stream

Summary​

Combined Media Stream allows ITVDesk to:

  • Merge multiple video and audio sources
  • Create professional multi-view layouts
  • Expose a single ONVIF/RTSP stream
  • Reduce device and channel complexity
  • Work with both modern and legacy VMS/NVR systems

This makes ITVDesk a powerful solution for advanced video composition without external hardware.

Next Steps​

👉 External RTSP / ONVIF IP Camera

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