# About automatic Channel

**Pearl Nano**

To get you started as quickly as possible, Pearl Nano comes pre-configured with an automatic channel called Auto. Simply plug a source into one of the video inputs and Pearl Nano automatically configures the channel's frame size to match the source resolution and configures a frame rate and bitrate. The detected video source's audio is also automatically added to the channel.

Embedded audio from a DVI source that is connected to the HDMI input using an adapter is not detected on automatic Channel. You must manually add the audio to the channel's layout using the custom layout editor.

You can start viewing the automatic channel immediately on the device screen or using a web browser on the same local network as the Pearl Nano. Browse to the following URL:

**Pearl Nano**

 http://<serial>.local/preview.cgi?channel=1

**For example:**http://d560515f.local/preview.cgi?channel=1

If Bonjour services, which permits browsing by serial number, are not installed on your admin computer, you can get the IP address of your Pearl Nano by doing the following:

**Pearl Nano**

Use the front screen to select System status screen and browse to:

http://<IP Address for Pearl Nano>/preview.cgi?channel=1

Links for other channel streams (i.e. RTSP or MPEG-TS) can be found by logging into the Admin panel and selecting **Status** in the Channel menu.

**Important considerations**

- The default auto channel has the related HDMI (or SDI) port selected by default. As soon as you connect your video source to the port, it appears automatically in the auto channel's custom layout. Changing the auto channel's frame rate or deleting the auto channel will change the frame rate used at the output port for that video input. Deleting the auto channel forces the video output port to use the original frame rate of the video input source.

- If you delete the auto channel, it will re-appear upon factory reset or when loading the default configuration preset.

- **Pearl Nano** - If you modify the automatic channel's video input source manually using the custom layout editor, the channel no longer functions as an automatic channel and the channel name changes to the name of the video source. To revert a channel back to an automatic channel, add **Auto** as the sole video source for the channel using the custom layout editor and delete the current channel name. When you press **Enter** using your keyboard to save the blank channel name, the channel reverts to the default automatic channel. Alternatively, you could perform a factory reset or apply the default configuration preset to restore the automatic channel; however, other important system settings and configurations will also revert to their default settings.

**Which signal does the auto channel use?**

The Pearl Nano has video input sensing, which means that it knows when a video signal is received from an attached source.

If you attach more than one video source to the video inputs  while the Pearl Nano is powered on, the first source you attach has the highest priority. If you attach more than one source  before powering on the Pearl Nano, the following priority is used:

| **Priority** | **Pearl Nano** | **Connector Type** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | All | HDMI (with HDMI Audio) |
| 2 - Pearl Nano | All | SDI (with SDI Audio) |

The auto channel uses a source until that source no longer has a signal. Then, it switches to the next highest priority signal.

If all the connected sources lose signal at the same time (i.e. for example, is SDI loses video signal and no other video signal is found) no change is made and the auto channel continues to use the current source. In this case, a no signal image is displayed for viewers.

Before using a channel, you should check the channel settings. You can fine-tune your channel to maximize the quality of your live streams, minimize the amount of bandwidth used, and ensure your video and audio encoding settings are optimized for your event. You can control exactly how the video is presented and streamed to shared destinations and multiple viewers.

Channel encoding settings may be automatically overwritten when using a Pearl Nano with a Content Management System.

> product: pearl-nano · topic: channels · source: pearl-nano-userguide.md · updated: Oct 7, 2026