We have 2 XD1030 latest fw and BA etc..
Trying to sync 2 players with mpeg video files and 5.1 ac3. Identical video and audio streams. The output however remains black and at end of video it moves to the next video in sequence and displays video correctly (in sync), this video has 2 channel ac3.
Works with Enchanced sync disabled so the brightsign is happy to play the video files. Have tried MPEG-TS and MPEG-PS.
Are there any caveats with enhanced sync that need to be followed?
We recommend using the h.264 mov/mp4 files for sync. See the requirements in this FAQ:
Having spent the day doing a lot of trial and error the only configuration of file that works with video and ac3 is:
MPEG2-PS with AC3. Works flawlessly we are doing passive 3-D. 2 players 2 projectors etc...
Using MP4 would result in picture only and no sound. The audio works if the file is run through TSMuxer but then you get black screen with enhanced sync. However the file will then work in looping,normal sync or plain old interactive projects.
Based on your link only AAC is supported. Are there any plans to expand AC3 support into MP4/MOV? Now the preferred format has shifted from TS files to PS files (MP4/MOV)
Allowing universal support across all functions.
Also noticed that on start up or if one player drops of say network removed. the video jumps forward to catch up.
Does this mean at some point in the future you will be able to do basic transport functions e.g. go to time.
You're correct, the audio needs to be AC3 in an MPEG2 video file. We are working on adding support for MP4/MOV with AC3.
I am having a similar issue at one of our customers. The setup is: one XD1230 (the master) and two XD1030 (the slaves).
I tried using the enhanced sync, so the videos on the players would be in sync (can not use the videoWall as I also have some HTML overlayed over the videos). I set everything like it is explained in the tutorials and doumentation. The result is: the slaves play the videos and the videos and are in sync, the master display is black. The videos are exactly same on all players (eg. video 1 is the same file on all players, video2 is the same file on all players). If I don't use the enhanced sync (only user the sync commands) it is the same. If I use the same videos in a classic pesentation they work ok. So everything is sinced, but there is no image on the main display (the XD1230). FW is 4.8.114, BA is 3.8.0.41.
The video spec are attached (as reported by VLC). I am not the maker of the videos. Can you tell me what to say to the videoman/woman, so the videos will play in sync and be visible on all the TV's?
The spec you sent look ok, but it's not detailed. You can use a program like media info to get full specs. Can you send us the bpf files you used. I haven't heard of enhanced sync causing the video on the master not to play.
The issue is shomehow resolved. More info below.
I have two overlaying videos. One with some spots that are in constant loop, the other is a live video. The live video comes from a settop box. Both video zones are the same size, the live one is in front, the spots are at the back. This allows the users to show TV when they need it (when the settop box is off the spots are shown, when the settop box is powered, the XD1230 shows the TV programme, everything works nicely - great feature).
So I found out that the blackness on the main TV was because the player was showing the live TV (even though the settopbox was off, which it usually does not, so there was no picture, only blak). It seemed that when the enhanced sync was used (actually it worked like this even when the enhanced sync was disabled but the videos still had the sync actions attached). Then I tried to shrink the live TV zone to see what happened and everything, published and it worked fine. Then I re-stretched the live video zone to full screeen resolution, published and everything wass still ok. After the re-stretching everything looked as before the shrinking, but this time it worked ok. All subsequent tries to redo the "glitch" were unsuccessfull, the player at the office was always showing it ok.
I am suspecting this was something in the player (both players - in my office and at the customer - had the same firmware) and were previously running the presentation without the syncing. It looks like something was "stuck" and that the publishing with a smaller live video zone unstuck it.
If you want to test (if you will be able to reproduce the thing, as I can't do it anymore) I am sending the original file that had the problem ( I tried it at the customer and on a XD1230 I have at the office, both behaved identically). I also tried with diffrent videos and the result was the same.
I did some more testing and found out that the problem exists only when the configuration is published and there is no input on the HDMI in port on the XD 1230. If then you put something into the HDMI in and then again remove that video source everything works fine.
You don't even need my ba files. Just enable the enhanced sync, make two video zones:
zone1 - put in front, populate with live video
zone2 - put in the back and populate with a video (that sends some syncing actions).
Publish. The zone2 is covered with zone 1 (without any video playing in zone1).
If you now connect something to the HDMI in (let's say a Blu-ray or another BrightSign), play some content on the added device, and then disconnect it, the master player works as it should (the zone1 covers zone2 only when there is something coming into the HDMI In).
Hi Roni,
We have forwarded your request to developers for investigation (Bug 20243).
It seems that BrightAuthor doesn't have a mechanism to identify whether or not a video source is connected to the HDMI In of the BrightSign unit.
However, you could activate the Live Video playback via interactive event (UDP, Serial, Keyboard, button, etc.).
To do this, you need to select the zone that contains Live Video object, switch playlist to [interactive] type. Then, under Media Library, select [other] tab, click on [Event Handler] and drop it onto a playlist area. Double click on the Event Handler and check the boxes beside [Stop Playback] and [Set as initial state]. Then connect the Event Handler with the Live Video widget using a desired interactive event.
If a settop box is powered off, the XD1230 unit will play local videos as expected. Then, if a settop box is powered on, you will need to send a command to the player to switch playback from the Event Handler to the Live Video.
Thank you for the information.
What I found out is that actually, the BS already works as I like it. I don't need to send some commands because as soon as there is video on the HDMI IN the BS automatically displays that live video (with the proper presentation).
I setup the presentation like this (like in the attached file higher):
Layout:
zone1 (promo zone): w: 1920 h:1080, x:0, y:0, position Z: back
zone2 (live TV zone): w:1922 h:1080, x:0, y:0, position Z: front
Playlist:
zone1: some videos, connected with media end events in a loop
zone2: liveTV
A settop box is then connected to the HDMI IN of the XD1230.
Now if the settop is switched off, the XD plays and shows the videos loop (the zone1 that sits on top of the zone2 is invisible). As soon as the user powers on the settop box, the zone2 becomes visible and the display shows the live tv program. If the user then switches the settop back off, the zone2 hides and the videos are shown again. This way the users (bartenders) only need the settop box's remote to switch between the promo videos and the TV.
This works ok from the moment of the publishing. If the settop is off, after the publishing the player just shows the promo videos. Except when using enhanced sync (or any sync actions attached to the media end events). If the settop is off, after the publishing (of a presentation with enhanced sync) the player shows a black screen. The videos still play in the background (as they control the slave synces), but zone1 is covered by zone2 and since the settop is off, the live TV is black. But if a user then switches the settop on (so TV in zone2 becomes visible) and then immediately switches the settop back off, the zone 2 disappears and the promo videos are visible (everything starts working like when enhanced sync is not used, until the next publish, then this behavior repeats).
When I first reported the Issue the user did not try to use the settop box, and they just reported a black screen on the master TV.
I forgot to mention something.
In the zone with the promo videos there is also an initial "wait" image (like in your enhanced sync tutorial, the initial image that delays the start of the video). After 2 mins, the image launches the video file loop. So the image is in the same zone, with the same z positions as the following videos. The image is displayed correctly (the live TV zone does not cover it, live TV zone is not visible), but when the video starts to play the live TV zone is shown (and thus the videos are not visible).
Hi Roni,
In future firmware update (version 6.2+) the HDMI capture will be transparent whenever there's nothing being captured, so I believe this will fit your requirements.