A Guide to Picture in Picture Streaming Setups

Picture in picture streaming means watching several video streams at once, arranged on a single screen. You can set this up in your browser using a tool like ViewGrid. The process is straightforward: you add the streams you want to watch, and they appear together in a grid layout, letting you switch audio between them with a click.

This method is useful for following live events from multiple camera angles, tracking different news sources, or keeping up with several creators during a collaboration. Instead of juggling browser tabs or using your browser's single pop-out player, you can build a custom dashboard of video feeds inside one window.

If you're interested in the general benefits of this kind of multitasking, our blog has an article called "A Practical Guide to Picture in Picture Streaming" that explores the concept further. This guide will focus on the practical steps to get your own setup running.

How to Set Up a Multi-Stream Grid

ViewGrid works directly in your web browser. There's no software to install, and you don't need an account to start watching. An optional free account lets you save layouts you create.

Here is how to build a grid for picture in picture streaming.

1. Add Your First Stream

Start by going to the ViewGrid multi-stream page. You'll see an empty grid with a prompt to add a video.

You have a few ways to add content:
Paste a link: Copy the URL of a YouTube video, a Twitch channel, a Kick stream, or a Rumble video and paste it into the input box.
Enter a channel name: For Twitch, Kick, and Rumble, you can just type the channel name (e.g., shroud).
Search YouTube: You can search for live streams or videos on YouTube directly from the input box.
Use an HLS link: If you have a direct .m3u8 video link, you can paste that in as well.

Once you add a stream, it will appear in the first cell of the grid. All streams start muted.

2. Add More Streams

Continue adding streams using the same method. Each new stream will fill the next available spot in the grid. As you add more, the layout automatically adjusts to fit them all on the screen.

On a desktop computer, you can add up to 20 streams to a single grid. On a mobile device, the limit is 6 streams to ensure performance and visibility on a smaller screen.

3. Choose a Layout

ViewGrid offers several grid arrangements. You can select a layout that best fits the number of streams you're watching, from a simple 2-stream split screen to a 20-stream wall. The layout controls allow you to manually select the grid structure (e.g., 2x2 for four streams, 3x3 for nine). This helps organize your view, especially when you have many feeds running.

4. Manage Audio

A common problem with watching multiple videos is overlapping audio. ViewGrid handles this by only allowing one stream to have audio at a time.

Every stream you add is muted by default. To hear one, click the speaker icon on that video player. The audio will switch instantly to your selected stream, and the previously active stream will be muted. You can hop between audio sources as often as you like with a single click.

Fine-Tuning Your Viewing Experience

Once your grid is set up, you have a few tools to manage your view.

Focus Mode: If you want to temporarily make one stream bigger without losing the others, click on its video frame. It will expand to fill the main area of the grid, with the other streams appearing as smaller thumbnails. Click it again to return to the standard grid view.
Fullscreen: Each individual video player has its own standard fullscreen button. This will make that one stream take over your entire screen, just as it would on its native platform.
Immersive View: To hide the top toolbar and get a cleaner look, you can enter immersive view. This gives the video grid maximum screen space.
Live Chat: For live streams from Twitch, YouTube, and Kick, you can open the stream's chat in a side panel. This lets you follow the conversation without leaving your grid. You can have one chat panel open at a time.

Sharing and Saving Your Layouts

One of the most practical features is the ability to share a specific grid you've created. The entire layout—all the streams and their arrangement—is stored in the page's URL.

To share your setup, just copy the URL from your browser's address bar and send it to someone. When they open the link, they will see the exact same grid you built. This is great for watch parties or for sharing a collection of sources for a live event.

If you want to save a layout for yourself to open again later, you can create a free ViewGrid account. This lets you save your favorite grids and access them from a personal dashboard.

Technical Considerations

While setting up a picture in picture stream is simple, there are a few things to keep in mind for a smooth experience.

Internet Connection and Computer Performance

Watching multiple video streams at once requires a stable internet connection and sufficient computer resources. Each stream consumes bandwidth and processing power.

If you notice streams are buffering or your computer is slowing down, here are a few things to try:
Reduce the number of streams: The most effective solution is often the simplest. Try removing a few streams from the grid.
Lower video quality: On each video player (e.g., YouTube's), you can manually lower the resolution. Changing from 1080p to 720p or 480p can significantly reduce the load.
* Close other applications: Free up system resources by closing other browser tabs or programs you aren't actively using.

There are no exact hardware requirements, as performance depends on the number of streams, their resolution, and what else your computer is doing.

Watching on a TV

ViewGrid is a browser-based tool, so it doesn't have a dedicated "cast" button. However, you can still display your grid on a television screen. The methods for doing this are general features of your devices, not specific to ViewGrid.

Common ways to do this include:
Using the web browser built into your smart TV to navigate to viewgrid.tv.
Connecting a laptop or computer to your TV with an HDMI cable.
* Using your computer or phone's built-in screen mirroring feature (like AirPlay or Miracast) to show your browser on the TV.

Mobile Devices

You can use ViewGrid on your phone or tablet through the mobile browser or the dedicated iOS and Android apps. The experience is optimized for smaller screens, with a clean interface and a layout limit of 6 streams.

Other Ways to Watch Multiple Streams

While ViewGrid is designed specifically for building video grids, there are other methods people use.

Browser's Native Picture-in-Picture: Most modern web browsers have a built-in PiP feature. Typically, you can right-click a video and select "Picture-in-picture" to pop it out into a small, floating window that stays on top of other applications. This is useful for one extra stream, but it becomes difficult to manage when trying to arrange three, four, or more separate floating windows on your screen.
Broadcasting Software: Tools like OBS Studio are powerful and can be configured to display multiple video sources in a "scene." However, this software is primarily designed for content creators to broadcast their own streams, not for simple viewing. The setup is complex and is generally more than what's needed just to watch a few streams.