Preferences

Laika’s behaviour is highly configurable through the Preferences dialog.

Opening Preferences

Menu → File → Preferences (or Ctrl+P)

The preferences window organizes settings into logical sections.

Bandwidth Mode

Full Resolution (Highest Bandwidth):
Receives video at maximum quality from NDI® sources. Uses significantly more network bandwidth per source (typically 100-200 Mbps per HD source).

Recommended when:

You’re on a dedicated 10 Gigabit network
You need maximum image quality for color/focus checks
You’re monitoring 1-2 sources only

Proxy Mode (Lowest Bandwidth):
Receives video at reduced quality (lower bitrate, some compression). Uses roughly 5-10 Mbps per HD source.

Recommended when:

You’re on shared Gigabit networks
You’re monitoring many sources simultaneously (4+ viewers)
Network congestion is a concern
Image quality is sufficient for monitoring purposes (not color grading)

Changing bandwidth mode:

Select the desired mode and click Apply/OK. All viewers reconnect at the new bandwidth level. This takes 2-3 seconds per source.

Latency Mode

Latency mode controls internal buffering on the receiving side.

Normal (Safe):
Largest buffer size. Handles network jitter and packet reordering gracefully. Adds 60-150ms latency.

Low:
Reduced buffering. Lower latency (30-80ms) but less tolerant of network issues.

Lowest:
Minimum buffering. Lowest latency (15-40ms) but will stutter on any network instability.

Which to choose:

For monitoring purposes (not program routing), Normal mode is recommended. The extra latency is imperceptible for monitoring, and stability is more important than absolute minimum delay.

Use Low or Lowest only if you need lip-sync accuracy or you’re using Laika’s NDI® Output in a live routing chain.

Transport Preference

Controls how NDI® transport protocols are negotiated with senders:

Auto (Recommended):
Laika and the sender negotiate the best transport (TCP, UDP, multicast) automatically based on network conditions.

Prefer High Bandwidth:
Hints to the sender you prefer full-quality transport when available.

Prefer HX:
Hints to prefer NDI®|HX (low-bandwidth codec) transport when available.

Most users should leave this on Auto.

Viewer Info Display

Controls what information appears on each viewer tile:

Off:
No text overlay — just video and audio meters. Maximum screen real estate.

Name Only:
Shows source name only. Clean appearance, still identifiable.

Full Details (Default):
Shows source name, resolution, frame rate, and connection status. Most informative for operators.

When to change:

Use “Off” for presentation displays or recording outputs where text overlays aren’t desired.
Use “Full Details” for control rooms where operators need diagnostics at a glance.

Audio Settings

Show Audio Meters:
Enable/disable audio meters globally. When off, meters disappear from all viewers.

Enable 16-Channel Audio:
Enable support for 16-channel audio metering (default is 8 channels). Doubles the meter count shown per viewer.

Audio Output Device:
Select which system audio device Laika uses for audio monitoring. Changes apply immediately if monitoring is active.

Green Threshold:
Audio level in dB where meters transition from green to yellow. Default: -20dB.

Red Threshold:
Audio level in dB where meters transition from yellow to red. Default: -6dB.

NDI® Output Settings

Enable NDI® Output:
When enabled, Laika broadcasts its multiviewer output as an NDI® source on the network. Other NDI® receivers can then monitor your multiviewer feed.

Output Name:
The NDI® source name other devices will see (default: “Fetch | Laika Multiviewer”).

Output Frame Rate:
Target frame rate for NDI® output (default: 30fps). Higher frame rates increase bandwidth and CPU load.

Output Pads with NDI®:
When enabled, NDI® output continues even when switching pads. When disabled, NDI® output pauses during pad switches.

See NDI® Output for detailed configuration.

Startup Options

Fullscreen on Startup:
When enabled, Laika launches directly into fullscreen mode. Useful for dedicated monitoring stations.

Dark Mode (Default):
Toggle between dark and light themes. Dark mode is default and works better in dimmed control room environments.

Advanced Options

Color Format Preference:
Controls internal color processing (UYVY, BGRA, RGBA). Leave on Auto unless troubleshooting color issues.

Maximum Texture Upload FPS:
Caps the rate at which video frames upload to GPU. Lower values reduce system load but may appear less smooth. Default: 60fps.

Reduce this if:

CPU usage is high
You’re monitoring many sources (8+)
You don’t need ultra-smooth motion (30fps is usually sufficient for monitoring)