Get from a fresh download to a ready-to-stream setup: install RePro Pulsar, approve the permissions it asks for, and confirm a healthy system. Everything Pulsar needs is in the installer, so it's mostly a few prompts on macOS or a firewall rule on Windows.
System requirements
Platform | Build | Installer |
macOS | Apple Silicon (ARM64) |
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Windows | x64 |
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The app is signed and notarised (publisher: REPRO STREAM LTD), so both systems treat it as trusted.
Windows + NDI: NDI discovery can rely on Apple Bonjour. If NDI sources don't appear, install Bonjour.
The health check
To confirm streaming and NDI are working, open the System Dependencies window:
Click the app version number in the main-window header (next to the "RePro Pulsar" title) to open About.
Click System Dependencies & Firewall.
There you can check NDI Runtime and GStreamer status and, on Windows, fix firewall access. On Windows this window also opens by itself shortly after launch if Pulsar spots a dependency or firewall problem.
Permission prompts (Screen Recording, Camera, file access) appear the first time you use the feature that needs them.
Install and verify on macOS
Open the RePro Pulsar DMG and drag the app into /Applications.
Launch RePro Pulsar from /Applications.
For screen/GUI capture: add a GUI source (see Screen / camera / testcard sources) and click Allow on the Screen Recording prompt. If no prompt appears, add it manually: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording → +, choose RePro Pulsar.app, toggle it ON, and relaunch.
For a webcam overlay: allow the Camera prompt (and Microphone for webcam audio).
For media files: allow the folder-access prompts (Documents, Desktop, Downloads, removable, network volumes) when macOS asks. See File sources.
Open the health check (header version → About → System Dependencies & Firewall) and confirm NDI Runtime and GStreamer both show Installed (green).
Build your first broadcast: Rows & sources, Outputs.
Which permission covers what
Permission | Needed for |
Screen Recording | GUI / screen capture |
Camera | Webcam overlay |
Microphone | Webcam / audio capture |
File-folder access | File sources |
Bluetooth | Tentacle Sync timecode |
Install and verify on Windows
Firewall access is the main first-run step.
Run the RePro Pulsar installer (
.exe).Launch RePro Pulsar. If a firewall issue is detected, the System Dependencies window opens automatically. Otherwise open it via the header version → About → System Dependencies & Firewall.
In the Windows Firewall section, click ✓ Fix Automatically (recommended) and approve the Windows admin (UAC) prompt. The status dots turn green / Allowed.
Confirm NDI Runtime and GStreamer both show Installed (green), then build your broadcast.
If a stream won't start and you missed the prompt: open System Dependencies, click Check Firewall Rules to see what's missing, then ✓ Fix Automatically and approve the admin prompt. Restart Pulsar if a stream was already failing.
Optional: NDI Firewall Protection (macOS)
This advanced feature locks your NDI sources to the local machine so external devices can't discover or pull them, while NDI keeps working on localhost. Pulsar gives you scripts to run yourself in Terminal with administrator (sudo) access.
Open Settings and find the NDI Firewall Protection card (see Settings & configuration).
Turn on Reveal Firewall Scripts (Experimental).
Click 💾 Save Scripts as Zip and choose a folder.
Extract the zip, open Terminal,
cdinto the folder, and run:bash ./ndi-firewall-enable.sh— turn protection on.bash ./ndi-firewall-status.sh— check the current state.bash ./ndi-firewall-disable.sh— undo it.
Tips & gotchas
On Windows, always allow BOTH Private and Public networks. Ticking only one makes streams fail when you switch networks and keeps the prompt reappearing. Fix Automatically does both for you.
A dismissed Windows firewall prompt won't come back, and streams then fail quietly. Use Fix Automatically or add the rules by hand. The prompt can also hide behind other windows.
Two firewall rules are needed on Windows (one for streaming, one for NDI discovery), so seeing more than one prompt is normal.
Where to next
Introduction — what RePro Pulsar is and how the pieces fit together.
The main window — orient yourself in the interface.
Rows & sources and Outputs (SRT / NDI) — build your first broadcast.
Troubleshooting — if streams won't start or sources won't appear.
Settings & configuration — including NDI Firewall Protection.