Which Magewell encoders work with PealCast?

All of the Ultra Encode family — the AIO with both HDMI and SDI inputs, and the HDMI-only and SDI-only models. Any Magewell device that can add an SRT Caller or a custom RTMP destination can stream to PealCast; the steps are the same on each.

Why must the mode be SRT Caller rather than Listener?

Caller means your encoder starts the connection out to us, which is what works from behind a church firewall with no ports opened. Listener would mean waiting for us to connect in to your building. PealCast accepts caller mode, so leave Listener and Rendezvous alone.

The stream will not connect — what should we check first?

Three things, in order: that the mode is SRT Caller; that encryption is switched on and the passphrase matches exactly; and that the stream ID was pasted whole, with nothing trimmed from either end. Almost every failed SRT connection is one of those three.

Can it record while it streams?

Yes, and it is worth doing. The Ultra Encode records to an SD card or USB drive at the same time as it streams, which gives your church a safety copy that does not depend on the internet. PealCast also keeps the recording of every broadcast automatically, so this is belt and braces.

Can it stream to PealCast and somewhere else at the same time?

Technically yes — the Ultra Encode AIO can push up to six destinations at once. We would not point one at a free platform, though. PealCast is where your people watch, and that is what lets us hand you their names; a second copy on social sends part of your congregation somewhere that will never tell you who showed up.

Do we need the SDI model?

Only if your cameras or switcher output SDI, which is common once cable runs get long. HDMI is fine for shorter runs and costs less. The AIO takes both, which is the reason most churches buying new choose it.

PealCast works with
Magewell.

Add PealCast as an SRT destination in the Ultra Encode’s web interface and your service streams straight to us — no computer in the booth, and every viewer captured as a name you can follow up.

A box, not a computer

The Ultra Encode streams on its own. Nothing has to stay awake in the booth, and nobody has to remember which window to click before the service starts.

Built for SRT

Magewell has some of the best SRT support in the business, which is exactly what a shared church internet connection needs — dropped packets get recovered before anyone watching notices.

Now every viewer is a name

The moment someone watches on PealCast, they connect with a verified mobile number — and every Monday your team gets the Shepherd’s Report of who to welcome and who to check on.

Set up an Ultra Encode in 5 steps

Copy your PealCast SRT address

Start free, open your channel in PealCast and go to Stream Info. Switch the toggle to SRT and copy the address. It looks like srt://live.pealcast.io:778?streamid=…&passphrase=… — you are about to split it across the Magewell fields.

Open the Ultra Encode’s web interface

On a computer on the same network, browse to the encoder’s address (the unit shows it on its screen, or find it through Magewell’s discovery tool) and sign in. Everything below happens in this browser page.

Add PealCast as an SRT Caller

Choose Streaming Server in the left-hand menu, click Add Server, and select SRT Caller. Caller is the mode PealCast accepts — if you pick SRT Listener the stream will never connect.

Fill in the address, port, stream ID and passphrase

Address: live.pealcast.io · Port: 778 · Stream ID: the value from streamid= in your address · Encryption: AES-128, with Passphrase set to the value from passphrase=. Give it a name like “PealCast” so the booth knows what it is.

Set the video settings, then start the stream

Under the video encoder settings choose 1920×1080, H.264, CBR at 4,500–6,000 Kbps with a 2-second keyframe interval, and AAC audio at 48 kHz. Turn the PealCast server on and your service is live — with every viewer captured for the weekly Shepherd’s Report.

One address, four fields

PealCast gives you a single SRT address. Magewell asks for it in pieces, so here is exactly which piece goes where.

srt://live.pealcast.io:778?streamid=YOUR_STREAM_ID&passphrase=YOUR_PASSPHRASE

Address

live.pealcast.io

The hostname only — no “srt://” and no port.

Port

778

The number after the colon in your address.

Stream ID

The value after streamid=

Everything between “streamid=” and the “&”. Paste it exactly, including any slashes.

Passphrase

The value after passphrase=

Everything after “passphrase=” to the end. Turn Encryption on (AES-128) or the passphrase is ignored and the connection is refused.

Your passphrase is a password. Anyone who has it can stream as your church.

Prefer RTMPS? That works too.

Also fully supported

Every PealCast channel comes with both an SRT and an RTMPS address. On the Ultra Encode you can even configure both and switch between them, which makes it easy to test.

Add a second server, type RTMP

Streaming Server → Add Server → RTMP. You can keep the SRT one alongside it and simply switch which is enabled.

Paste the RTMPS URL and stream key

URL: your PealCast RTMPS address (rtmps://live.pealcast.io/live/) · Stream key: your PealCast stream key. ⚠️ The stream key is a DIFFERENT value from the SRT passphrase — copy it from the RTMPS tab in PealCast.

Leave the video settings exactly as they are

1080p, H.264, CBR, 2-second keyframes and AAC audio are identical on both protocols. Only the destination changes.

We still recommend SRT where you have it: it recovers from the packet loss that freezes a stream mid-service, and RTMPS has no such recovery.

The exact settings

Grouped by the section of the web interface each one lives in.

Streaming Server → Add Server → SRT Caller

Mode: SRT Caller — never Listener or Rendezvous
Address: live.pealcast.io
Port: 778
Stream ID: Your PealCast SRT stream ID
Encryption: AES-128
Passphrase: Your PealCast SRT passphrase
Latency: Choose 8000 ms — the highest the Ultra Encode offers. Magewell’s dropdown is a fixed list (30, 60, 120, 500, 1000, 5000, 8000 ms) and it defaults to 120, so this is one of the few settings here that genuinely needs changing. A big buffer rides out packet loss and congestion, and PealCast is not a low-latency stream, so there is nothing to lose.

Video encoder settings

Resolution: 1920×1080 — send full HD; we make the smaller versions for slower connections automatically
Codec: H.264 (AVC) — never H.265/HEVC, which will not play
Frame rate: 30 fps (or match your camera)
Bitrate control: CBR
Bitrate: 4,500–6,000 Kbps — 6,000 for high-motion worship, 4,500 for a talking head or slides
Keyframe interval: 2 seconds

Audio encoder settings

Codec: AAC
Sample rate: 48 kHz
Bitrate: 160 Kbps (128 is fine on a tight connection)

Still choosing a box? See the five encoders we recommend.

Magewell questions

Point your Ultra Encode at PealCast — and know who watched.

Start free, add PealCast as an SRT destination, and see the Shepherd’s Report on your own stream.

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PealCast works with Magewell.