In the Studio Edition, PLAYDECK allows you to record an incoming video signal and create clips from this signal while the recording is still in progress (edit-while-ingest). Alternatively, the recorded video signal can be played back with any time delay to prevent unwanted material from being broadcast. In the form of time-shifting, this can ensure that a show can be aired in the desired broadcast area at prime time.
“Closed captions” refers to the insertion of text information into a video image to provide viewers with a transcripton of dialogues or sound effects, for example. The subtitles are synchronised with the video image. In contrast to “open captions”, closed captions can be switched on or off as desired.
PLAYDECK supports the two standards EIA-608 and CEA-708 and the output via Blackmagic playout cards as well as AJA, Deltacast and NDI.
Download PDF with information on 608 and 708 Closed Captioning:
Settings for Closed Captions
PLAYDECK offers three different ways to handle closed captions:
These can either be embedded in the output only (variant 1), displayed on the previews in addition to being embedded (variant 2) or permanently displayed on all outputs (variant 3).
You can set the desired behaviour in this drop-down field.
Please note, that (unlike SRT subtitles) the CC previews are displayed in accordance to the modes “Roll Up”, “Paint on” and “Pop Up”. These are set during the encoding process of your Clips or Live Input. Here is a 3rd party YouTube Video with information on the display modes:
Different Types of Closed Captions
Embedded CC and ASS Tracks
PLAYDECK will detect any embedded CC and ASS tracks, which you can select:
External CC Files
You can use external CC files with these extensions:
– VideoName.scc
– VideoName.mcc
– VideoName.anc
These must have the same base name as the Video “VideoName.mp4” and will be loaded automatically.
Device Support
Closed Captions will be transported by:
– Input and Output Devices (Blackmagic Design, Deltacast, AJA)
– Streams, encoded into MPEG-2, H265 and MPEG4
– NDI Input/Output, as Internal Format
– Recordings, captured as seperate SCC (608) or ANC (708) file
Please note, that Closed Captions for NDI have no industry standard, thus we use our own transport protocol. You can use this for PLAYDECK only (System to System), not with other Apps.
Subtitles are simple Pop Up Texts, which are loaded from external SRT Files. Subtitles are always rendered on the image and therefore also the output.
It is possible to have more than one SRT Files for one Video. All Files will be scanned, so you can select them:
The SRT Files can have any Name like “VideoName*.srt” and can be located in the Videos Folder or in one of the Subfolders “Subs” or “Subtitles”. For example if your Videos File is “VideoName.mp4”, then your SRT Files can be:
– VideoName.srt
– VideoName.en.srt
– Subs\VideoName Italian.srt
– Subtitles\VideoName French.srt
In addition to the output of the two playlist channels, PLAYDECK provides a very convenient view for the director or other crew members: A preview of a single or both playlist channels including the various countdown timers is available for output via a playout card, via an output of the local graphics card or for playback via NDI.
In connection with a remote connection to a connected Blackmagic ATEM video mixer, a vMix system or NDI, the tally state (Preview/Program) is also displayed in the preview window.
Settings for Production Window / Producer View
Use the radio buttons to set whether you want to use the two-channel view or the one-channel view with time, or whether you prefer the full-screen variant.
Use the radio buttons in the bottom line to set the audio output of the Director View.
The settings for Device Output, Desktop Output and NDI Output correspond to those for Channel 1 and Channel 2.
PLAYDECK supports both Internal and External Keying, given that the Output card supports it too. You can also output the key or fill signal seperatly.
Internal Keying
In Internal Keying mode, PLAYDECK will superimpose the video over an incoming signal on the same card:
Lets take the Decklink Duo 2 for example: It has 4 SDI Ports. We need to tell the Card, which 2 Ports will be used for Internal Keying with the help of Desktop Video Setup (Blackmagic’s own Setup-App):
The Decklink will now operate like this:
If we start PLAYDECK now, the INTERNAL Option becomes selectable as Device Output:
Once you activate the Device for Keying, PLAYDECK will automatically change your Background to TRANSPARENT and your Color Space to ARGB32 (to support Alpha Channel):
The Image shows PLAYDECK Overlays Sample: Create Overlay > HTML > Screen-Title.html.
External Keying
In External Keying mode, PLAYDECK generates both Fill and Key signals and the keying is made by an external keyer:
Lets take the Decklink Duo 2 for example: It has 4 SDI Ports. We need to tell the Card, which 2 Ports will be used for External Keying with the help of Desktop Video Setup (Blackmagic’s own Setup-App):
The Decklink will now operate like this:
If we start PLAYDECK now, the EXTERNAL Option becomes selectable as Device Output:
Once you activate the Device for Keying, PLAYDECK will automatically change your Background to TRANSPARENT and your Color Space to ARGB32 (to support Alpha Channel):
The Image shows PLAYDECK Overlays Sample: Create Overlay > HTML > Screen-Title.html.
We basically support all cards of the following manufacturers, since we always include the latest drivers. But because of the vast amount of cards out there, we only tested the most common ones.
Blackmagic Design
Important: Needs Version 14.5+ of Blackmagic Desktop Video Setup.
AJA
Deltacast
Bluefish444
DekTec
Magewell
Osprey
Stream Labs
Yuan
RustDesk is a free Remote Destop Software, which we use to login to remote systems. The main advantage of RustDesk over other Remote Desktop Connections is, that is does interfere with installed GPUs (eg. installing a Virtual GPU), therefore not interfering with PLAYDECK during Remote Access.
1. To get started, download our customized RustDesk from our website. This version will use our private RustDesk server (and not the public server) to protect your data and improve the connection speed.
https://get.remote-joy-event-media.de/
2. Once you start RustDesk for the first time, you will need to install it. Please deactivate “Install virtual display driver”, which might interfere with PLAYDECK.
3. After re-starting RustDesk, you will not need to activate “Start Service”. This is important to elevate priviliges to e.g. open the device manager. After that you need to setup a permanent password: Click on the Edit Icon next to “One-time Password”.
4. Then click on “Unlock Security Settings” and scroll down.
5. Please send us your ID together with your permanent password to [email protected]
6. (Optional) If possible, please start RustDesk on a secondary PC (No need to install) and test the connection to the System you have setup for remote support. Now thru this remote connection, on the secondary system, please try to:
– Open Device Manager
– Open Task Manager
– Open NVidia Panel
– Copy any File to this Folder: c:\Program Files (x86)\JoyEventMedia\Playdeck\
These tests make sure, that all needed support actions can be done remotely. If is likely, that any Anti-Malware or other Protection software breaks the connection. In that case please de-activate those Tools temporarily for the remote support session.
PLAYDECK support 32 Audio Channel per Output Channel. You can pass-thru Audio Channel (via SDI, NDI, Streams, ASIO), Mix-down to Stereo/Mono or Mix-up to Multichannel. Please note, that we have a sperate Post for Dante Virtual Soundcard.
Pass-thru
Enable Multichannel Audio by simply setting more than 2 Audio Channel in your Output Channel Settings. In this example we set 16 Audio Channel, as this is the native number of Audio Channel for SDI Output Cards:
Now you are good to go already. Your VU Meter will switch automatically to 16 Audio Channel:
Multichannel Audio is not also active for all Inputs and Outputs: SDI, NDI, Streams. You can check, if you click PREVIEW after activating your Device. All Previews have VU Meter as Overlays:
Here is another Example for Input Preview:
Mix-down
If you have Multichannel-Audio Content (or SDI Inputs) and want to Mix-down your Audio to MONO/STEREO, you would also need to increase the Audio Channel. In this case we use 16. This is important to tell PLAYDECK to process 16 Audio Channel (from Source eg SDI), otherwise all Audio Channel above 2 would be CUT/SILENT:
You can now select different ways to Mix-down your Audio. Please note, that there are seperate Settings for CHANNEL (Clips, Input Streams) and INPUTS (Device Input):
Multiple Audio Tracks
If your File has more than one Audio Tracks, you can switch the Audio Tracks by right-clicking the File and selecting AUDIO TRACKS:
To play ALL Audio Tracks at once, select ALL AUDIO TRACKS. Alle Audio Channel will be concatenated. In our example this would result in 6 Audio Channel for Output. So make sure to set your Channel to 8 Audio Channels, otherwise everything above 2 Channel will not be processed:
Note: Use any of the other Mixing Options to Mix-down to STEREO or similar.
Custom Mixing
For more advanced Mixing, you can click EDIT under MIXING SETTINGS. In this example we Mix-down 16 incoming Audio Channel to 4 outgoing Audio Channel. Please note, that there are seperate Settings for CHANNEL (Clips, Input Streams) and INPUTS (Device Input):
You can refine your Mixing even more by moving to the Content Level: Right-click any Playlist Item and select AUDIO CHANNEL MAPPING:
The best way to connect vMix with PLAYDECK (both ways) is NDI. Multichannel Audio is also fully supported.
Send Video from vMix to PLAYDECK
You only need to activate NDI as External Output like this:
Send Video from PLAYDECK to vMix
Activate NDI Output in PLAYDECK and add the NDI as new Source in vMix like this:
The best way to connect OBS with PLAYDECK (both ways) is NDI. Multichannel Audio is also fully supported.
Since OBS does does not deliver NDI out of the box, you need to install an additional PlugIn, which is a quick and easy process. Download the PlugIn here (scroll down and click on “distroav-6.0.0-windows-x64-Installer.exe”). It is installed like any other Windows application via Installer.
Send Video from OBS to PLAYDECK
The NDI PlugIn inserts a new Option into the Tools Menu. Pick NDI Output and activate it:
Send Video from PLAYDECK to OBS
Activate NDI Output in PLAYDECK. The OBS NDI PlugIn inserts a new NDI Source, which you can add to your OBS Scene like this:
PLAYDECK supports most Amazon EC2 server instances and the NVidia GPU Power they provide. This allows you to setup a cloud based infrastructure for NDI transport or other purposes.
We assume, you have a Amazon AWS Account and basic knowledge of EC2.
First, you pick a new EC2 instance, which supports a PLAYDECK installation:
Windows Server with a virtual NVIDIA GPU and pre-installed NVIDIA driver:
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/install-nvidia-driver.html#preinstalled-nvidia-driver
A typical instance would be “Windows 2019 / g4dn.xlarge” – It has a Tesla virtual NVIDIA GPU and good enough Specs to run PLAYDECK: 16 vCPUs (Intel Xeon), 64GB RAM, 1 vGPU (NVidia T4) with 16GB GPU RAM.
Now install the Instance via those Links or your EC2 Management Console.
To connect to the instance via RDP you first have to open Port 3389 in the Instance Security Settings.
Once connected, you find yourself unable to download anything via the Browser. Therefore enable Downloads like this: START Menu > Server Manager > Local Server > IE Enhanced Security Configuration > Off
Now download and install PLAYDECK as usual:
https://playdeck.tv/download/