This article will show how to setup Video Engine Logging.
1. Setup Logging
We want to catch the Bug on the fly, meaning we start logging, reproduce the bug, then transport the log files to the video engine devs to fix that Bug.
Start PLAYDECK, open Settings and click the APPLICATION Tab and on the bottom you have this line:
The first thing to setup is your Output Folder for the Log Files. This can be a shared Folder on your Network. Logs can easily consume up to 1 GB per Minute (on Verbosity 0 and all Modules). Plan enough free disc space, depending on the estimated time until Bug occurrence.
The next setup is Verbosity: Please always start Logging with 0 – Tracing, so the Video Engine Devs have ALL information. Only use any other Verbosity to check for yourself.
With the Modules setting we pick what modules to log. Here are your options. You can combine them with comma. Only use all, if you don’t know what kind of Bug you are dealing with.
– playlist,file: Playout, File Decoding, Clip Loading/Playing Error
– writer: Streams, Recordings, Encoding
– network: Streaming Protocols
– renderer: Device Output, NDI
– live: Inputs
– device: Everything Device related
– blackmagic: Everything Blackmagic related
– all: Log everything
2. Execute Logging
Once you check “Enable Video Engine Logging”, PLAYDECK will restart. It will create a new Subfolder (e.g. “2026-02-25_16-39-52”) with your designated Logging Path. This is to identify your current session.
Now wait until the bug happens. Then close PLAYDECK. This is important to finish writing all Log Files. If PLAYDECK hangs/freeze, kill it with the task manager.
Now we need to ZIP the contents of the session folder. Identify your session folder by the time you started PLAYDECK. Then right-click your session folder, select Compress to and pick 7z File (if available) or ZIP File. If PLAYDECK would still be open, this would result in an Error (Files still being written). Now lean back, compression could take some time.
Now you need to upload the Log Files to us. Please use this Guide for Uploads:
https://playdeck.tv/howto/upload-files/
Important: Don’t forget to create the Download Link and send us the Link to [email protected].
3. Cleanup
Be sure to delete the Log Files after ZIPPING to free disc space. PLAYDECK will not clean up the logfiles automatically.
Also make sure to deactivate the Setting “Enable Video Engine Logging” in PLAYDECK, as it will slow down your PLAYDECK performance. This setting is not meant to be enabled all the time.
