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Audio defects - crackling noise

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GM
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Hello, 

I have a two projection project using 2 standalone HD225 players, synchronised with leader/follower and an ethernet cable. The video synch is working great, but I do get a crackling noise for the audio. The noise is there wether I use the analog port or through HDMI, so I am thinking it's the video file, but the noise is not present when I play the video on the computer. I have tried multiple video containers and codecs as well as audio formats.
Is there something that I can be doing wrong in the presentation file?
All feedback is welcomed, I have been at it for 2 days, nothings seems to work.
Thank you in advance.  

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16 comments

  • 0
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    Ashchristopher

    I ran into the same problem.  When I removed the syncronize feature and commands the player played fine.  This seems to be a bug with the sync feature.  I am using HD5 with the latest OS. 9.0.120

  • 0
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    Andreas Holmberg

    Did you find a solution to this problem?

    I just ran into the same problem. Two HD225 running two screen with a quadraphonic sound setup, using the headphone output of the HD225s

    Any workarounds? can I start the two players at the same time, without the syncronize feature and command?

    My plan-b is to use a computer instead of the Brightsigns, but Im not wanna go there 

     

  • 1
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    Ashchristopher

    I used a send/upd command. I made the udp something like START VIDEO 1 then on the other media players I had them use a udp event and labeled that START VIDEO 1 from a black still image. This has been working very well

  • 0
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    Andreas Holmberg

    Thats exactly what I need to do I think.

    The udp event, what is different from the synchronisation event? 

  • 1
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    Ashchristopher

    I believe the sync has a constant frame sync signal that is sent, and im guessing that the noise is that signal interference with the audio.

  • 1
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    Ashchristopher

    The udp is just a “trigger” so there a chance that the playback is slightly out of sync

  • 0
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    Andreas Holmberg

    I use the .ts format for the synchronisation. Mp4s was slightly off anyways even tho I used the synchronisation event

  • 0
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    Andreas Holmberg

    Can you guide me through setting up the UDP command? 

  • 0
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    Andreas Holmberg

    I ended up using Zachoff custom script and made the presentation in After Effect. . Everything runs smoothly and in sync now but 10-15 hours wasted on trying to troubleshoot something that turned but to be a bug

    Sad but true hope I never gonna see the BA Connected interface ever again

    https://www.zachpoff.com/software/brightsign-video-sync-scripts/

  • 0
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    melody scallion

    Chiming in to say thank you for posting this! I still troubleshooted until 2am (syncing 2x LS5s, each with different audio) but ultimately made the EXACT SAME presentation but used/formatted for HD3s, handed it off to my technician this morning and the sync is working perfectly, no stutters. This is a huge bug I can't believe hasn't been addressed yet.

  • 0
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    Will Cunningham

    Try rolling player OS firmware back to 9.0.75!!!

    https://docs.brightsign.biz/releases/brightsignos-releases

    Tests like anything after 9.0.75 and Enhanced Sync gets buggy, noticeable with the audio especially!

    Glad I found this post as was experiencing similar problems myself, and coming to the conclusion it was firmware  - audio stutter issues and playback issues on some XD1035's when using Enhanced sync - just doing what I have done a thousand times before on Flavor 4 brights etc but now its using Firmwares for the Flavor 5's.

    Didn't matter if BrightAuthor Classic, BA Connected, big or small video files, h264 or h265, high or low bit rates, complicated or super simple programs etc etc - whatever program when setting Player 1 as the Leader Player and using Sync commands to Player 2 set as follower, caused some audio crackling and some slow choppy playback when the main video started.

    Switch Off any concept of Enhanced sync - plays fine once again! And just using UDP commands - again all fine.

    But I really need Enhanced Sync for some artists multi screen videos!! Not just UDP start. Its Brightsigns special thing, so was really not happy! Use it all day everyday!

    Eliminated all variables - always the same. Tried a ton of different firmwares (ie available, forwards and back, newest and Beta) - all the same...until......

    Rolled firmware back to 9.0.75 on the XD1035 (older than the player shipped with and minimum suggested in BrightAuthor for an XD1035 (and also in BaConnected currently).

    Enhanced Sync back to normal! 

    Wouldn't be the first time I have rolled players back (kinda feel like firmwares are just settings) to get what I wanted - but frustrating working it out as Enhanced Sync is the gold standard that Brightsign offer, and the video file is normally the problem and this problem mimicks that, and normally Enhanced Sync is most awesome indeed (I totally rely on it).

  • 0
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    Andreas Rettig

    Hi, I'm facing the same issue, but the downgrade on my HD225 is always rejected as incompatible from 9.0.211
    Any way to solve that?

  • 0
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    Will Cunningham

    Yes rolling it back is not completely stress free - my roll back initiated some other crash issues using enhanced sync on firmware 9.0.75 if I used it to much (which was in the firmware notes as possible, but the audio start was clean!).

    Then when I had some newer XD1035's to further carry on my tests, they like yours refused to roll back to the firmware I wanted, as now incompatible. Great!

    So in your case you might as well put it on latest firmware (not beta) and the 2 work arounds are:

    1) If editing add some black leader to the video as that will cover this moment as its over quickly at the start (first 2 seconds is the problem for me).

    2) Or pure BA Connected Programming wise:

    Instead of using Sync Commands as the go to for sync use UDP commands to sync playback. Just the same creating keywords etc but UDP commands instead.

    Now this will not be Enhanced Sync which monitors playback all the time, but will just Start Sync your videos together (the orginal way brights used to work prior to enhanced sync being a thing, way back).

    I have found this the only work around for now and the speed of the flavor 5 brights means its a good option to stop this slow start and audio crackle issue. And if videos are reasonbable length all tight to with 2 frames of accuracy. Very acceptable. Obviously test it!

    But no more automatic snapping to the right moment if you unplug player 2 and reboot etc - so just remember its syncing everytime the Leader Video starts or loops etc! 

    I am constanty discussing this issue with brightsign themselves, and am going the UDP sync only route with flavor 5's (none of this happens with flavor 4 brightsigns), for now until eliminated.

    As now with latest firmwares and BrightAuthor Connected any selection of Sync Command means its Enhanced Sync automatically (unlike old BrightAuthor where you could switch on/off enhanced sync - we are stuck with this sloppy start using enhanced sync by default for now!).

    As said try just UDP commands in the same way as Sync Commands and see if that suits your project desire just fine overall. Fingers crossed!

    And this way does have some advantages in that its very easy to pause all videos across multiple players and things like that - which is not when using Enhanced Sync (as that cancels that sort of thing out by default). 

  • 0
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    Andreas Rettig

    Dear Will,

    many thanks for your quick and detailed reply!
    Maybe my problem is a little different - I can hear the effect during the whole video from time to time, sounds like tiny pauses. So a 2s black video wouldn't solve it for me.
    I'll try with UDP or the linked BrightScript solution.
    I also reencoded the video to be sure without effect, but I'll also try with some different formats (It is 4k portrait mp4).

  • 0
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    Will Cunningham

    Yes I've heard sometimes its audio at multiple points from others.

    Indeed do try the bright scripts first before getting lost in trying out different video encoder, because it feels like thats the solution (as that's often the problem) but this the first issue for me not solved by trying out different videos.

    Also the scripts if Zak poffs sync scripts, are indeed start sync udp style scripts, so if they stop the problem from occurring as others have said it shows its the current enhanced sync issues that are the problem so indeed the best thing to try first!

  • 0
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    Will Cunningham

    Also if using 4k video its recommended to make those in h265, not h264. Handbrake free software is great for making h265 videos. Basically if its 4k, use h265. Brightsign say h264 is OK now for 4k but in practice it runs risk of bit rate spikes with any longer videos so always h265 for 4k, in case thats the issue!

    Will

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