Multiviewers
Signal monitoring systems that display multiple video sources simultaneously on a single screen.
What it is
About Multiviewers
Multiviewers are hardware or software systems that combine multiple video and audio signals into a single composite display, allowing broadcast operators to monitor dozens of channels, sources, or outputs simultaneously on one or several large screens. In a master control room, a multiviewer might show 32 channels, each with a video thumbnail, audio level meters, timecode, closed caption status, and alarm indicators — giving the operator a real-time overview of the entire channel lineup without switching between sources. Modern multiviewers (from Evertz, Grass Valley, TSL Products, and others) are software-configurable — operators and engineers can create custom layouts, define alarm thresholds, and assign signal sources dynamically without physical rewiring. In IP facilities, multiviewers receive ST 2110 streams directly from the network rather than requiring physical SDI connections. The multiviewer is the primary operational monitoring surface in playout, transmission, and production control environments.
What you can do with it
Capabilities
Design a multiviewer layout with video thumbnails, audio meters, and alarm indicators for a 16-channel lineup.
Assign a new IP source to a multiviewer pane by pointing it at an ST 2110 stream address.
Configure alarm thresholds for audio silence, black frame, and loss of signal on a monitored channel.
Save a layout as a preset and recall it during a scheduled channel reconfiguration.
Use the multiviewer's loudness monitoring display to verify a channel meets EBU R 128 loudness requirements before transmission.
How to learn it
Learning Resources
Manufacturer training — Evertz, Grass Valley, and TSL Products all offer installation and operator training
IBC365 (ibc.org/learn) — free webinars on broadcast signal monitoring and multiviewer technology
ScreenSkills broadcast technical operator apprenticeship — covers monitoring systems as part of broadcast operations training
On-the-job: multiviewer operation is typically learnt during induction in a broadcast facility
Pro Tip
Configure audio meters to display loudness (LUFS) not just peak levels from day one — a channel that looks fine on a peak meter but is 6 LUFS too loud will fail broadcast loudness compliance and cause a downstream complaint from the transmission facility.
Skills that use this tool
Roles that use this tool