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Change external display, videos don't play

When changing to a different external display, MiX16Pro (Mac) stops playing videos. It displays the first frame, but does not play the video. Only way I've found is to open each clip individually and click 'save.' Then it plays. Is this behavior normal? Makes it really hard to work on a set up offline, then show up at rehearsal ready to go, if I have to click through each and every clip just to get them to play.

14 replies

Hi,

simply close the app, change external display, reopen the app and load your project.

Regards,
Grega

R

Thanks, Grega. I tried exactly that. Upon reopening the app, videos do not play until I open the settings for each one individually and click 'Save.' It did it again last night, despite hooking up to the same projector system as the night before. Show is Friday - I have until then to figure it out.

In video channel settings there is video output option. Which devices are listed in your case?
Also please tell me which macOS do you have?

Regards,
Grega

R

Mac OS 11.2.3 on a 2021 MacBook Pro M1. At the theater, it showed "HDMI Extender" as the external display, as that's what's there (HDMI extender via Ethernet cable to the projector, as it's far from the control booth).

I worked on the playlist at home last night, connected to my external HDMI display, and it did it again. Nothing would play until I opened the settings for each individual clip and clicked 'save.' Have to play to get to the theater early to have time to click through over a hundred clips. Most frustrating.

Yes i agree that is crazy. I think i know what the problem might be. We will check it asap and release the fix.

R

Hi Grega;

Thanks for your replies and (hopefully) help. I truly appreciate your responsiveness. It really is an amazing piece of software. I got to final rehearsal a bit early tonight and went through all my clips (settings - save). Everything then played like it was supposed to. I'm up to just over a hundred items in the playlist on this show, and I still have some more to add!

Sorry if my frustration came through as less than friendly - not my intent. Just tired from late nights recently.

Cheers,

- Rob.

I have to reply to my own reply. :)

We are looking at the code and performing tests and there are no problems here. So we will need additional info from you. Each external display has its own ID, maybe in your case they are the same. One in a million, but it could be.

Please take a minute and do as follows:
- at home with your external HDMI display connnected create new project, load any video into channel 1 and save project, for example with a name "Home",
- in theatre with HDMI Extender connected also create new project (do not use the same as home), load any video into channel 1 and save project, for example with a name "Theatre".

Send both projects (without video files, just project files) to info@mix16apps.com.

Thank you!

I also have to ask if this option describe here https://mix16apps.helprace.com/i7-mix16-pro-for-macos-hide-menu-bar-on-external-display is turned OFF in your case?

In the Video Channel Settings, Video Output option should display all external displays connected, what exactly is listed in your case at home and in theatre. It should be something like External Display 1 - 1920 x 1080, because it is not possible that it is just "HDMI Extender".

Again thank you for your time and patience. In special cases like yours, your feedback is very important to get things solved.

R

Hi Grega;

The project files you requested have been sent to the email address you provided, along with screen shots of the video settings. I could have sworn it showed 'HDMI Extender' as the display using the extender and projector, but it didn't do that tonight.

Also, I do have the menus hidden on the external display with the 'separate spaces' option off. It's been this way throughout my use of MiX16 Pro.

Hope this helps!

- Rob.

R

BTW, and I know it's off topic, but I'm running video for this show alongside one who's running audio tracks, and he's on a PC. Any chance of a PC (i.e. Windows/Microsoft) version of MiX16? Here it does all these great things and would be perfect for audio clip cues, but he can't run it on the PC.

Sorry, but we do not have MiX16 for Windows.

I forgot to ask - what kind of adapter do you use for usb c to hdmi? Original from Apple or any 3rd party?

And thanks for the projects. As we expected external display IDs are the same. Which means they are incorrect for sure, so it looks like system does not get them from your hardware. That is why the question at the top of this reply.

R

The hub is by Aukey. https://www.newegg.com/aukey-cb-c78-dvi-hdmi-usb-audio-rj45/p/0J2-005J-00015?item=9SIAWR7DVU6346&source=region&nm_mc=knc-googlemkp-pc&cm_mmc=knc-googlemkp-pc-_-pla-aukey+store-_-hubs+-+network+%2f+usb+%2f+firewire-_-9SIAWR7DVU6346&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkbuKBhDRARIsAALysV4JdAWKIEwo5Ae3Ha2wlGaeN5iGiPyNcK9n5_E5y2Clz1yVb3zYZzcaAmSnEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

R

Hi Grega;

My troubles with the app continue. Despite hooking up the same projector the same way two nights in a row, I have to go through the entire playlist and 'reload' many videos that don't play until I open the prefs and Save each one.

I tried just clicking through all clips and re-saving them, but this still doesn't fully resolve all the issues. Some take multiple re-saves to get them to work properly. It's like the software needs time in the background to process each one, and if I click through and save them too quickly, it doesn't take.

It's not been all the same trouble videos, either. Some of the same ones have consistently been problematic, but others we not, then are, or were trouble, then are not. All clips are .MOV or .MP4 files.

All clips are standard definition, and the projector is displaying in HD via HDMI. Source video aspect ratios are all over the place, as the clips were collected from disparate sources.

One more show to go tomorrow in this run, so I'll just brute force my way through it.

Hope all this info helps you make improvements.

Cheers,

- Rob.

Hi,

again thank you for your info and your patience. We have checked the code and tested the app several times and can not find anything wrong. It works as expected on several computers with different hardware setups. However (this is really important) we are always using original Apple adapters. Some users had serious problems with 3rd party cheaper alternatives. I am not saying that this is the problem in your case and i don't want to blame hardware and just defend our software, but if you have a chance to test with original Apple USB-C to HDMI adapter: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MUF82AM/A/usb-c-digital-av-multiport-adapter it would be really great. Of course don't buy it just for this. If not possible to get one for testing we will try something else. 

When your Aukey hub is connected to the computer, go to System Preferences > Displays, tab Arrangement. Do you see both screens (laptop and external screen)?

It looks like system has to prepare drivers for your hardware for each video channel after hub is connected. Which is really strange, but we can not figure it out why after one or several save of channel settings does the trick. When looking at the code it feels like not possible at all.

Anyway we will do our best to solve your issue. We never had a case like this and we really want to know why this is happening.

Thank you.

Regards,
Grega

R

Using the Aukey hub, everything works correctly and as expected, except with Mix16PRo! (And I do mean everything - normal system functions, Netflix, Apple TV...) Looking at system displays and arrangement, it all works fine (except with Mix16Pro). 

The immediate show is over, and I will likely purchase the Apple OEM display adapter before the next one. If it will alleviate these issues, it will be well worth the money.

Hi,

uf that is weird.
But before buying anything please do as follows:
- make sure MiX16 PRO is closed
- connect your external display using existing hub
Then try like this:
- run MiX16 PRO, go to Options menu and disable external display
- load you project
- go again to Tools and enable external display
- play video
Or like this:
- run MiX16 PRO, go to Options menu and disable external display
- go again to Tools and enable external display
- load you project
- play video

Regards,
Grega