Playout v.4 Important Notes
- 1 General Notes
- 2 Customers using a video device from Blackmagic
- 3 Customers using TeamViewer to access the Mac running Just Out
- 4 v2 Features which are not available with v.4
- 5 Codecs and Container Formats supported
- 6 Using v.2.x Channels in v.4.x
- 7 Renamed User Interface Application
- 8 For Customers Updating from previous versions to v.4.x
- 9 For Customers using the Event Option
- 10 Poster Frames in v.4.x
- 11 SMB issues using some versions of macOS
- 12 For Customers with more than 5000 Video files in a single Folder
General Notes
Before upgrading to v.4.x of our playout applications, please be aware of the following changes.
A new activation code is needed to use v.4 of just:live and just:play.
The MacPro5,1 is not supported anymore and we strongly recommend all customers using MacMini6,x and MacMini7,x to update to a new Apple silicon-based Mac mini M1 (Macmini9,1) or Mac mini M2 (Mac14,3, Mac14,12 (M2 Pro)).
There are new v.4 documents available, and we recommend all new and existing customers updating from a previous version to read the new user guides.
We ask all users updating from a previous version to follow our update guide which can be found here: https://toolsonair.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/TST/pages/3355543194/7.+Software+Installation+v4.0#Installing-a-new-Version-over-an-existing-Version
Customers using a video device from Blackmagic
just:play/live using Buffered Input: Due to a driver issue it is currently not possible to use the “Buffered Input” setting with video devices from Blackmagic Design. We are working with Blackmagic Design to fix the issue. Video devices from AJA are not affected.
Blackmagic Desktop Video Setup: Please do not give your BMD device which is used for playout a name using the text field “Label” under Product Notes. Doing so will prevent just:out from starting properly or crash it during start up.
Customers using TeamViewer to access the Mac running Just Out
Using TeamViewer to access a machine running Just Out, make sure you have the following settings deactivated in the Preferences of the TeamViewer client (the machine you use to connect to the machine running Just Out).
Failing to do so will switch the audio output away from the video device the same time you connect to the machine running Just Out using TeamViewer.
v2 Features which are not available with v.4
In v.4 some features are not available which have been available in previous versions. Some of those features may be available again in future releases, others had to be removed permanently.
If you need any of the features listed below, please do not upgrade to the new version and contact ToolsOnAir.
Not available in v.4 | Will be available in a future version |
|---|---|
GPI Out via JL-Cooper eBox | ❌ |
MOS Integration | ❌ Maybe different approach |
REST API Request and on:Core Workflows | ❌ |
Summary & Performance in Just Connect | ❌ |
Movies in GFX Compositions and/or playing on a GFX track | ❌ |
Custom Script | ❌ Maybe different approach |
Video Input Device for On Air window | ❌ Maybe as a stream |
Contour Shuttle Pro, (Euphonix) Avid MC Transport | ❌ Maybe other devices |
Web interface to control GFX | available with v4.1 |
Ability to save and load window layouts and positions | ❌ |
Undocking of windows and Master TC in just:live | ❌ |
Poster frame Mode in just:live | ❌ Maybe different approach |
Built-in RTMP Streaming out | ❌ Maybe different approach |
just:next | Not a separate application anymore, but the group function in the Multi Viewer provides the same function |
TOA Log Analyzer application | ❌ Maybe different approach |
MIDI TC out of the Just Out engine | ❌ |
720p24 and all 4K formats | ❌ Full Ultra HD support provided |
FAB | Native OP-47 support available |
Hardware based Up/Down Conversion on the input and output and different output formats |
❌ |
Import of Final Cut Pro compatible XMLs | ❌ |
Codecs and Container Formats supported
Due to macOS changes we can not support legacy codecs and container formats anymore.
Container Formats not available using v.3 and higher: .3gp, .avi, .dv, .f4v, .mkv, .mpegts
Codecs not available using v.3 and higher: Apple Animation (.mov)
If you rely on these codecs, please keep using v.2.x (or a previous version) and contact us. Some codecs/containers can also be added to the system by installing Apple's Pro Video Formats. Please find more information about Codecs and Containers in section 2.4 Supported Video Containers & Video Codecs (v4.0) and how to install support for additional Containers and Codecs using the Apple Pro Video Formats.
Using v.2.x Channels in v.4.x
While we have thoroughly tested the updating procedure from existing channels to v.4.x, we strongly recommend backing up existing channel(s) using the backup feature of Just Connect (see Advanced Settings) or by copying the channel from /Library/Application Support/ ToolsOnAir/Just Connect to an external storage, before performing the update.
Renamed User Interface Application
With v.3.x we introduced a unified control application for all ToolsOnAir applications called Just Control. During the setup, the administrator can define which one of the two available solutions/user interfaces namely just:live or just:play should be used for a certain channel.
For Customers Updating from previous versions to v.4.x
All customers upgrading from a previous version require a new v.4 activation code to be able to play out using Just Out without a watermark on the output. This activation code works for v4 as well as v.4.1.
For Customers using the Event Option
Event devices are migrated as part of the channel file from v.2.x to v.4.x as long as they are available under v.4.x. Crosspoints can not be migrated and have to be added manually.
Please → contact ToolsOnAir in case you have any questions regarding the migration from v.2.x to v.4.x.
Poster Frames in v.4.x
Poster Frames in v.4.x are generated uncompressed in contrast to version 2.x, where the Poster Frames have been generated using a compressed format. Because of this, generating the Poster Frames is much faster, but they are also taking more disk space compared to previous versions. Make sure to save them on a fast and big storage which is not the same storage you use as the repository of your movies. The internal SSD or another fast internal disk is perfect for storing the Poster Frames.
SMB issues using some versions of macOS
We have experienced performance issues with shared storage connections using older versions of the SMB protocol. If you encounter such issues please contact your storage provider for assistance. Alternatively, you might try using the following macOS Terminal commands, on all Macs running TOA software, to disable the SMB 1 protocol, which may improve the faulty behavior:
echo "[default]" | sudo tee -a /etc/nsmb.conf
echo "protocol_vers_map=6" | sudo tee -a /etc/nsmb.conf
For Customers with more than 5000 Video files in a single Folder
Whenever a movie is added/removed or changed, the content of the whole folder has to be scanned to update the Library. During our tests we have seen, that this can take a few seconds when there are more than 5000 files in a folder. Because of this we recommend limiting the amount of movie files in a single folder to a maximum of 5000.