showstack / software / casparcg
CasparCG Server
Open-source playout server for video, audio and HTML graphics, controlled over a text protocol called AMCP on TCP. Built at SVT for broadcast and used widely as a free graphics and playback engine in live production.
Protocols it speaks
| Protocol | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| osc | out | Sends per-layer status and playback position. Default port 6250 in casparcg.config. |
| ndi | bidirectional | NDI consumer and producer are both present in the shipped configuration. |
| art-net | out | An ArtNet consumer is documented in the shipped casparcg.config. |
What to watch for
AMCP commands must be terminated with both carriage return and linefeed. A client that sends only a newline will appear to connect and then do nothing.
The server needs an OpenGL 4.5 capable GPU. Integrated graphics on an old laptop will start the process and then fail at the first composite.
Configuration lives entirely in casparcg.config next to the binary. There is no UI, so a channel that is missing from that file does not exist as far as AMCP is concerned.
Typical use
- Lower-third and full-screen graphics playout driven from an automation system
- Free video playback engine behind a show control layer
- Blackmagic DeckLink SDI output in a broadcast or streaming rack
Sources
- CasparCG/server source repository — CasparCG project primary
- casparcg.config default configuration — CasparCG project primary
- CasparCG help wiki — Protocols — CasparCG project primary
- CasparCG help wiki — AMCP Protocol — CasparCG project primary
Understand the mechanism
Something wrong, or missing?
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