QLab for Video Playback

[CharlieH]

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick question:

I am running sound for our Performing Arts Evening at school on Thursday, and I have just been asked to play a video. I will be running all the audio from QLab, and as it can do videos too I would rather run it all from the same place. The only issue I have is that before the video cue, QLab doesn't blank the screen - it shows my desktop background. It then plays the video cue fine, and afterwards goes back to my desktop.

 

Is there any way to make it show a blank screen before and after the cue? I know I could just blank the projector, but I am going to be massively busy and so I don't want to risk missing it

 

Thanks Guys,

Charlie

[neilalexrose]

The only issue I have is that before the video cue, QLab doesn't blank the screen - it shows my desktop background. It then plays the video cue fine, and afterwards goes back to my desktop.

 

Is there any way to make it show a blank screen before and after the cue? I know I could just blank the projector, but I am going to be massively busy and so I don't want to risk missing it

 

 

Make your desktop black to start with for safety, and then in your cue list play a black slide from the very beginning, if it doesn't remain once you've played your video (which I think it should do if you don't stop the still image) then just start the black image again.

 

HTH

Neil

[TomWeston]

well....

 

I came accross this issue when in the same situation as you a few years back

 

having no time to sit and figure out Qlabs video controls and capabilities I just created a 10 sec black video on windows movie maker and exported it as whataver format was appropriate at the time

 

and created a Que 0.5 as this blank/black screen and put it on constant loop ( soo that this video would constantly play under all audio ques

 

then when it got to the video I wanted to play I created a stop que to end the black loop with an INSTANT FOLLOW QUE of the Video

 

this then had another auto follow of the clank screen so the desktop image would not be seen.

 

I think you can also fade between your video and the black video file at the end to make it look a little more pro !

 

Hope this helps

 

TOM-WESTON

[CharlieH]

Make your desktop black to start with for safety, and then in your cue list play a black slide from the very beginning, if it doesn't remain once you've played your video (which I think it should do if you don't stop the still image) then just start the black image again.

 

HTH

Neil

Brilliant, that works great. Thanks Neil

 

EDIT: Tom posted whilst I was Thanks Tom, Neil's idea seems a bit easier but I will use your one of fading back to the black screen at the end - would look better.

[Andrew Edwards]

+1 for making your desktop black. You normally only need to change it on the external display (You can have different backgrounds on multiple displays on a Mac).

For those who may have a lower powered mac(book), not wasting resources with a constantly displayed image or video may not be desirable. Especially if you are running numerous concurrent audio and HD video files.

 

As this is not a standard solid colour, you have to make a solid black image in your favourite image app and then add it to the solid colours.

 

Drew.

[CharlieH]

+1 for making your desktop black. You normally only need to change it on the external display (You can have different backgrounds on multiple displays on a Mac).

For those who may have a lower powered mac(book), not wasting resources with a constantly displayed image or video may not be desirable. Especially if you are running numerous concurrent audio and HD video files.

 

As this is not a standard solid colour, you have to make a solid black image in your favourite image app and then add it to the solid colours.

 

Drew.

Thats a point actually - The last thing I want is my Mac to crash! What kind of background apps can I close? I won't have any main apps open (internet, iTunes etc) but does anyone know of any background apps that aren't necessary, that are eating up CPU? At a glance, the big ones seem to be 'Dashboard Client' and 'PubSubAgent'. Does anyone know if I can close these without screwing up my computer? I have others, but I recognise the names and I am comfortable that I can close them, but I've got no idea about the 2 listed above! Will closing them actually make any noticeable difference?

[neilalexrose]

Thats a point actually - The last thing I want is my Mac to crash! What kind of background apps can I close? I won't have any main apps open (internet, iTunes etc) but does anyone know of any background apps that aren't necessary, that are eating up CPU? At a glance, the big ones seem to be 'Dashboard Client' and 'PubSubAgent'. Does anyone know if I can close these without screwing up my computer? I have others, but I recognise the names and I am comfortable that I can close them, but I've got no idea about the 2 listed above! Will closing them actually make any noticeable difference?

 

 

I remember reading on the Qlab list someone recommending you boot into safe mode, for preceisely that reason, especially if you are using your own personal mac, and not a dedicated show machine. Never tried it, so don't know if it's a goer or not.

 

Found it, it's in the Qlab wiki here

 

As always with things your are unsure of you need to do a dry run. I've only ever had Qlab crash on my once, and that was version 1 mid panto, and I'm still not convinced it wan't down to some midi issue with the midisolutions F8 I was having problems with. Haven't had any problems with version 2 so far. But still, I don't recommend doing live volume adjustments with mp3's or any other compressed audio files, crashed too many times during tech. All my audio is .wav or aiff now.

 

Might be worth a browse through the Qlab forums for anything further, the programmers are pretty hot at responding to queries and questions.

 

Neil

[CharlieH]

I remember reading on the Qlab list someone recommending you boot into safe mode, for preceisely that reason, especially if you are using your own personal mac, and not a dedicated show machine. Never tried it, so don't know if it's a goer or not.

 

Found it, it's in the Qlab wiki here

 

As always with things your are unsure of you need to do a dry run. I've only ever had Qlab crash on my once, and that was version 1 mid panto, and I'm still not convinced it wan't down to some midi issue with the midisolutions F8 I was having problems with. Haven't had any problems with version 2 so far. But still, I don't recommend doing live volume adjustments with mp3's or any other compressed audio files, crashed too many times during tech. All my audio is .wav or aiff now.

 

Might be worth a browse through the Qlab forums for anything further, the programmers are pretty hot at responding to queries and questions.

 

Neil

Fair enough - I won't be doing anything live - if the backing track is too quiet then I will fix the mix on the mixer etc. I am pushed for rehearsal time though - The first time I see some of the performances will be tomorrow and I have to do lighting designs as well as getting the sound working First proper run through should be just before the performance - so slightly nervous but will do my best at running it at home