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Playout v.2025.1 Important Notes

Playout v.2025.1 Important Notes

Owned by Georg Deisting
Last updated: May 05, 2025
7 min read

General Notes

Please be aware of the following changes before upgrading to just:live/just:play v.2025.1 or higher:

  • Customers using v.5.x or lower will need a new activation code to run v.2025.1 of just:live and just:play. Please send an email to helpdesk@toolsonair.com with your Company name and your current Machine ID to request a license activation key for version 2025.1 before upgrading. The new online licensing process will take a few seconds and require a one-time Internet connection.

  • There is new documentation available for version 2025.1, and we recommend all new and existing customers updating from a previous version to consult the new user guides.

We kindly request that all users upgrading from a previous version consult our update guide, which can be found here:7. Software Installation - Initial and Update (v.2025.x) | Installing a new Version over an existing Version

New online license activation process

All customers upgrading from a previous version require a new v.2025.1 online activation license to be able to play out using Just Out without a watermark applied on the SDI, NDI®, SRT, UDP or ST-2110 output. Before upgrading to the new version, please send an email to helpdesk@toolsonair.com with your Company name and your current Machine ID to request a license activation key for version 2025.1. The Machine ID for previous activation codes can be found on the provided Registration Card (PDF).

Date and Time Format

Please verify that your macOS Date & Time settings are compatible with the Gregorian Calendar format (Gregorian date formats include the following: “ddmonyy”, “ddmonyyyy”, “mm/dd/yy”, or “mm/dd/yyyy”). Using the Gregorian calendar ensures consistency and accuracy in the Date header, avoiding misinterpretation, synchronization, and activation errors. This is crucial for our Playout solutions to fetch and process the correct Start/Stop Date and Time information.

Customers using an INTEL-based Mac

Important Update: Starting with version 2025.1, the just:live and just:play solutions will be optimized exclusively for Apple silicon hardware (M1-M4) to provide you with the best performance and experience!

By fully transitioning to the Apple silicon platform, we ensure optimal performance, stability, and compatibility with the latest advancements.

If you are planning to deploy just:live or just:play on qualified INTEL-based Macs (MacPro7,1 or Macmini8,1) please consider using version 5.5!

Nevertheless, we will, of course, continue to support our customers who still have certified Intel-based Macs running qualified versions of just:live or just:play.

Please refer to our Supported Macintosh Models list for more information.

Customers using an AJA KONA LHe+ or AJA KONA LHi video device

The ability to switch to live using an AJA KONA LHe Plus or KONA LHi with our playout engine Just Out ends with v.2025.1. Although the video playout and real-time graphics functionalities are still supported, we recommend our customers to upgrade to a more recent AJA video card such as the KONA 1 as soon as possible. Please see our list of Supported Video Devices for more information.

Customers using an AJA video device with DSK based switch to live method

The ability to use any AJA device with a DSK based Switch-to-Live method, ends with v.2025.1. There is now a uniform Switch-to-Live buffered method available for all AJA and Blackmagic Design devices, which brings a maximum of stability and functionality with a delay of less than 12 frames.

Customers using Composition Builder composition with the “Just Out Engine Output” component in it

Just Out v.2025.1 does currently not support the “Just Out Engine Output” component to scale and reposition the currently playing video/live event. Because of this, a transparent rectangle will be shown instead of the video/live event.

Customers using TeamViewer to access the Mac running Just Out

If you’re planning to use TeamViewer to access a machine running the Just Out application, please verify that you have the following settings deactivated in the “Remote control” panel 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 at the same time you connect to the machine running Just Out using TeamViewer.

Features which are not available anymore

The comparison table below lists all the features which have been removed over the years when some may become available again in future releases, while others had to be removed permanently.

Please do not upgrade to the new version if you need any of the removed features listed below. Contact ToolsOnAir for advice on the ideal version for your playout scenario.

Not available in v.5

Will be available in a future version

Not available in v.5

Will be available in a future version

v2025.1: Support for INTEL-based Macs

❌

v2025.1: DSK based switch to live method using AJA devices

❌

Use the new buffered input method

v2025.1: Ability to receive or switch to a live incoming signal using an AJA KONA LHe Plus or AJA KONA LHi.

Use an AJA KONA 1 (or better) instead

v2025.1: Just Out engine output to scale/reposition the currently playing element in the video track, as part of a real-time GFX element

❌

Possibly, a different approach

v3 - GPI Out via JL-Cooper eBox

❌

v3 - MOS Integration

❌

Possibly, a different approach

v3 - REST API Request and on:Core Workflows

❌

v3 - Summary & Performance in Just Connect

❌

v3 - Movies in GFX Compositions and/or playing on a GFX track

❌

v3 - Custom Script

❌

Possibly, a different approach

v3 - Video Input Device for On Air window

❌

Possibly as a stream

v3 - Contour Shuttle Pro, (Euphonix) Avid MC Transport

❌

Possibly with other devices

v3 - Web interface to control GFX

available with v.4.1 and higher

v3 - Ability to save and load window layouts and positions

❌

v3 - Undocking of windows and Master TC in just:live

❌

v3 - Poster frame Mode in just:live

❌

Possibly, a different approach

v3 - Built-in RTMP Streaming OUT only

Note: NDI®, SRT and UDP support IN and OUT

NDI® support available in v.5.x

SRT and UDP support available in v.5.5

v3 - just:next

Not a separate application anymore, but the group function in the Just Control Multi-viewer provides the same function

v3 - TOA Log Analyzer application

❌

Possibly, a different approach

v3 - MIDI TC out of the Just Out engine

❌

v3 -720p24 and all 4K formats

❌

Full Ultra HD support provided

v3 - FAB

Native OP-47 support available

v3 - Hardware based Up/Down Conversion on the input and output and different output formats

 

❌

v3 - Import of Final Cut Pro compatible XMLs

❌

Codecs and Container Formats supported

Due to macOS changes, we cannot 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 (v.5.0) and how to install support for additional Containers and Codecs using the Apple Pro Video Formats.

Using v.2.x Channels in v.2025.1

When updating from version 2.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.

Please → contact ToolsOnAir in case you have any questions regarding the migration from v.2.x to v.2025.1 or higher

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 specific channel.

Video Poster Frames in v.2025.1

In version 2025.1, the Video Poster Frames are generated compressed, as it was the case in version 2.x. Even so, please make sure to save them on a fast and big storage, that 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 Poster Frames.

.composition Poster Frames using macOS Sequoia

When using macOS Sequoia (v15.x), .composition poster frames in the Library are showing only a placeholder element, instead of the real poster frame which has been saved with the template. Start composition:builder on the machine running just:control once and follow the instructions, to get the poster frames back in the just:control Library.

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 5,000 Video files in a single Folder

Whenever a video file is added/removed or changed, the content of the whole folder has to be scanned to update the Library. During our tests, we have observed that this can take a few seconds when there are more than 5,000 files in a folder. Because of this, we recommend limiting the amount of video files in a single folder to a maximum of 5,000.

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