RTMP to VDO.Ninja

Stream from OBS, MELD Studio, or any RTMP encoder directly into VDO.Ninja

How It Works

VDO.Ninja uses WebRTC, which is browser-native but incompatible with traditional streaming protocols like RTMP. Meshcast bridges this gap by:

Your encoder sends RTMP to Meshcast servers, which convert it to WebRTC (WHEP) in real-time. VDO.Ninja then pulls the WebRTC stream like any other guest.

Requirements

• Meshcast account - Registered (free) account required (paid for higher quality)
• RTMP-capable encoder - OBS, MELD Studio, Streamlabs, FFmpeg, etc.
• Stable upload - At least 5 Mbps recommended for 720p

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Get Your Stream Key

   Log into Meshcast Dashboard and copy your stream key. It looks like live_xxxxxxxxxxxx.

2. Configure Your Encoder

   In OBS or your encoder, go to Settings → Stream and enter:

   Service

   Custom

   Server

   rtmp://[ip]:1935

   For the server URL, use one of our media servers. Check your dashboard for the recommended server, or use:

   US East rtmp://66.42.84.181:1935
   US West rtmp://155.138.237.3:1935
3. Set Stream Key

   Paste your Meshcast stream key in the Stream Key field.

4. Configure Output Settings

   Use these recommended settings for VDO.Ninja compatibility:

   Encoder

   x264 / NVENC

   Rate Control

   CBR

   Bitrate

   2500-4000 kbps

   Keyframe

   2 seconds
5. Start Streaming

   Click "Start Streaming" in OBS. Your stream should show as "Live" in the Meshcast dashboard within seconds.

Viewing in VDO.Ninja

Once your stream is live on Meshcast, you can pull it into VDO.Ninja:

Method 1: Direct WHEP URL (Recommended)

Use this URL format in VDO.Ninja's &view= parameter:

Method 2: OBS Browser Source

If adding to OBS as a browser source, use the Meshcast embed player:

Method 3: As a VDO.Ninja "Guest"

Create a VDO.Ninja room and use the Meshcast WHEP URL as a remote feed. Other guests in the room will see your RTMP stream as if it were a camera.

Use Cases

MELD Studio on Mac

MELD Studio doesn't have a virtual camera on Mac. Instead of screen sharing (high CPU, lower quality), stream via RTMP to Meshcast:

1. In MELD, go to Stream settings
2. Add Meshcast as a custom RTMP destination
3. Start streaming
4. Pull the WHEP URL into VDO.Ninja

Multi-Camera Setups

If you have multiple camera angles in OBS, you can stream each to a different Meshcast stream key, then pull all of them into VDO.Ninja as separate sources.

Remote Production

Guests in remote locations can stream via RTMP (which is more firewall-friendly than WebRTC) and have their feeds appear in your VDO.Ninja production room.

Troubleshooting

Stream not appearing?

• Check your stream key is correct (copy/paste, don't type)
• Verify the stream shows as "Live" in Meshcast dashboard
• Try a different server if one isn't responding

High latency?

• Use CBR rate control, not VBR
• Set keyframe interval to exactly 2 seconds
• Lower your buffer settings in OBS
• Choose a server closer to your location

Quality issues?

• Ensure your upload speed is at least 1.5x your bitrate
• Use 720p at 2500kbps for reliable quality
• Avoid 1080p60 unless you have 10+ Mbps upload

HEVC/H.265 not working in OBS browser source?

• OBS Browser Source uses Chromium 127, which does not support HEVC WebRTC playback
• Chrome 137+ fully supports HEVC in WebRTC
• Firefox has limited HEVC support
• Safari supports HEVC on macOS/iOS

Solution: If you need to view your stream in OBS Browser Source or older browsers, use H.264 encoding instead:

• In OBS: Settings → Output → Encoder: x264 or NVENC H.264
• Avoid "HEVC" or "H.265" encoder options when targeting OBS playback

Note: You can check your Chrome version at chrome://version. HEVC requires Chromium 137 or later.