Viz Mosart 5.11.0

Release Date: 2025-03-28

Introduction

Viz Mosart is Vizrt's powerful suite of tools for studio automation, production assistance, and advanced graphics control. It enhances consistency and efficiency in live and as-live production, so that even complex shows can be run error-free from a single operator position.

Viz Mosart controls devices flexibly according to templated sets of repeatable actions, automating that control according to stories prepared in a rundown and enabling creative manual interaction whenever needed.

In this document you will find listed all important changes since Viz Mosart 5.10.1. 

Release Highlights

With version 5.11.0 Viz Mosart, we have introduced a highly requested feature for EVS servers, an ability to play remote clips. We have also introduced some interesting features that open up new possibilities for connections between Viz Mosart and external systems. For details, see the New Features section of this document.

This release also brings significant improvements and bug fixes, as described below in Improvements and Fixed Issues.

Among notable improvements are that the Remote Control REST API Take Template command by default now behaves as a template Keyboard Shortcut, overwriting instead of inserting templates into Preview. Also, boundaries of floating windows in the GUI are now easier to adjust. We have also improved the new keyboard shortcuts editor introduced in version 5.9.0 and fixed a few issues.

New Features

Playout of remote clips with EVS LinX

• This version of Viz Mosart introduces playing remote clips on an EVS server. This enables playing video clips residing on a different physical video server than the one controlled by Viz Mosart. This can simplify newsroom workflows as you no longer need to distribute video clips to every video server used by Viz Mosart (MOSART-13204).

General HTML panels in GUI

• You can now add panels or windows displaying content from any HTML-coded URL to the Viz Mosart GUI. Your can display your panel as part of a GUI workspace, as a floating window. Configure your panel in General Settings. See the latest Viz Mosart User Guide (MOSART-13235).

Placeholders in the Generic REST driver

• The Generic REST driver, introduced in Viz Mosart 5.5.0 now allows placeholders. This enables items or parts of stories from the current rundown to feature in a Generic REST command. For a detailed explanation, see the Viz Mosart Administrator Guide (MOSART-13187).

As-Run Log REST API

• The As-Run log, now has publishing of As-Run Log events to a REST service. This is documented under System Logging in the Maintenance section of the Viz Mosart Administrator Guide (MOSART-13200).

Improvements

Remote Control API

• In the Remote Control REST API, the Take a Template command is extended with an optional insert parameter, which decides whether a template, when put into Preview, shall be inserted in front of any existing manual item or overwrite it. The default now is that insert is false, implying that the template will overwrite an existing one. This changes earlier behavior, where a template would always be inserted.
  This new default behavior is now the same as the default behavior for template keyboard shortcuts in the GUI client (MOSART-13122).

Overlay graphics handling

• In the GUI, Viz Flowics overlay durations are now shown according to the value configured in DefaultLowerThirdDuration. Earlier they would be displayed with the shortest possible duration (MOSART-13180).

• We have added support in Vizrt graphics (including Viz Flowics) when using Pilot Edge or Pilot workflows for a long-standing feature, Locator, which was previously only available through a little-used CG Template workflow. A graphic designated as a Locator is attached to the crosspoint that was used in the initial template when it was attached to the story.
  In this same story, when taking the same crosspoint again from a Viz Mosart template, (either as a switcher crosspoint or keyed crosspoint in a DVE box), the locator graphics will again be (re-)taken. See the section Viz Mosart and Viz Content Pilot (VCP) MOS Item Integration in the Viz Mosart Administrator Guide (MOSART-13074).

Fullscreen graphics handling

• For Vizrt graphics, when loading or reloading a rundown, Viz Mosart will now clear the show/playlist for fullscreen graphics. Earlier this was only done for overlays. With this improvement, it is no longer necessary to restart AV Automation or do Ctrl+Shift+G in AV Automation to clear fullscreen graphics (MOSART-4193).

GUI

• Since version 5.6.0 it has been difficult to resize floating windows, since you could only resize the top and left edges of the window. This is improved, resizing can be done from all window edges (MOSART-12952).

• The new faster Keyboard shortcuts editor introduced in version 5.9.0 has now become the default shortcut editor. The old one is still available through menu bar selection Keyboard shortcuts editor (legacy).
  You can also create Template Router buttons in the new Keyboard shortcuts editor, in the same way as with the legacy Shortcut editor (MOSART-13307, MOSART-13088).

Logging

• To reduce possible overhead introduced by logging, we have disabled as default Verbose logging for the Remote Panel Dispatcher Service (MOSART-13325).

• In some setups when using Viz Mosart with the Mosart Web Applications, the Viz Mosart log files would be continuously filled by entries indicating “No api key provided”, even when there were no need for any API key. Such continuous log entries no longer appear (MOSART-12577).

Device Status

• We have improved the general device connection status in the GUI Standby menu. If AV Automation or the Overlay Graphics Interface is shut down, the GUI’s Standby menu reports connection failure (red) to the devices that were controlled through these applications (MOSART-13231).

• The ENCO DAD Audio Player introduced in version 5.8.0, now has improved connection status reporting. In previous versions, AV Automation could report an OK (green) connection even if the ENCO DAD was unavailable (MOSART-13232).

Fixed Issues

Video switcher handling

• When using ME ripple in templates, there was an issue that the ME ripple would not work if the ME crosspoints contained a space in their name. This issue has now been resolved (MOSART-12871).

Video clip handling

• With the TriCaster video server (DDR), loading a clip to start playing from a position within the clip would fail, in that the clip would not be cued to the correct position. This issue is fixed by introducing a new setting Clip Load Timeout in AV Automation for the TriCaster video server driver, as a delay between loading the clip and setting the start position (MOSART-13330).

Audio mixer handling

• For the Lawo RMNOPL audio mixer driver we have fixed an issue where when loading or reloading a rundown, the audio faders would not be set to initial level (MOSART-9464).

Vizrt Graphics handling

• Fixed a failing graphics issue introduced in Mosart 5.3 where using the feature Templates to MOS objects (Template feedback to NRCS) with Vizrt graphics caused Viz Mosart to ignore graphics information received from the NRCS (MOSART-13367).

Viz Flowics handling

• An issue with the Viz Flowics graphics support, introduced in version 5.4.0 prevented expected operations with the Flowics NRCS plugin in iNEWS. This issue has now been resolved (MOSART-13141).

GUI

• When selecting a Workspace in the GUI, either from the user interface or from a control command, occasionally floating windows would be cleared of all content. This issue was identified for floating windows that had earlier been closed before the GUI was restarted. This issue has now been fixed (MOSART-13213).

• Fixed two issues in the improved Keyboard shortcuts editor:
  - Keyboard shortcuts for OVERLAY_GRAPHICS were not correctly displaying the available Action choices
  - Shortcuts assigned to an “extended key”, like on the NumPad, were not correctly displaying in the editor, and would be assigned to an incorrect key (MOSART-13190, MOSART-13272).

Template Router

• From version 5.6.0 there were some issues when using the Template Router in combination with GUI Keyboard shortcuts for VIDEO_PORT control commands. In particular, when issuing a VIDEO_PORT RECUE command on a playing clip, the Template Router would not reflect that the clip had actually been recued and subsequent VIDEO_PORT keyboard shortcuts would not work as intended. This issue has now been resolved (MOSART-13233).

Deprecations

Previous notable changes

• 5.1.0: With the introduction of the Engine Switcher feature in version 5.1.0, a Viz Opus can not be upgraded to Viz Mosart 5.1 or newer. Previously it was possible, at own risk, to upgrade Viz Opus to a newer Viz Mosart version than the official 3.8.1 version. This is no longer possible.

Changes in this version

• The MMTrio graphics interface application was deprecated in version 5.4.0, but the executable has still been included with the Viz Mosart Server installation. It is now expected that users have moved over to the Overlay Graphics Interface application, so from this Viz Mosart version the MMTrio executable is no longer included.

Upcoming changes

• In a future version of Viz Mosart (version TBC), support for the ActiveX NRCS plugin will be deprecated. Customers are encouraged to migrate to the HTML-based plugin (Mosart Web Apps NRCS Plugin) wherever possible. Vizrt is continuing to strengthen the web-based architecture which serves this newer plugin, and to enhance its functionality where customer experience exposes use cases which are not yet fully satisfied.

• In a future version of Viz Mosart (version TBC), support for the Viz Mosart Timing Display client application will be deprecated. Customers are encouraged to migrate to the HTML-based timing display (Mosart Web Apps Timing Display). Vizrt is continuing to strengthen the web-based architecture which serves this timing display, and to enhance its functionality where customer experience exposes use cases which are not yet fully satisfied.

• In a future version of Viz Mosart (version TBC), the Keyboard Shortcut Editor in the Viz Mosart GUI will be deprecated, to be fully replaced by the HTML-based Keyboard Shortcut Editor Web. The Keyboard Shortcut Editor Web is already available in parallel to the original one in the Viz Mosart GUI. Customers are encouraged to start using this new editor, since Vizrt will continue to enhance its functionality, base on customer experience and feedback.

Known Limitations

• When using the Template Router in combination with GUI Keyboard Shortcuts for VIDEO_PORT control command RECUE, PLAY, the Template Router does not reflect that the clip has been recued and is playing from the start. After this, subsequent VIDEO_PORT keyboard shortcuts will not work as intended (MOSART-13351).

  • Workaround: Instead of using RECUE, PLAY as one command, use two separate commands, RECUE and PLAY_PAUSE.

Installation and Upgrade

Refer to the Viz Mosart Administrator Guide, section Installation.

• All updated documentation for Viz Mosart 5.11 is at https://documentation.vizrt.com/viz-mosart-5.11.html.

System Requirements

Recommendations

For further details, see the Installation > Prerequisites section in the Viz Mosart Administrator Guide.

General

• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8.

• Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (both x86 and x64).

• Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime (x64).

Viz Mosart Server

• Microsoft Windows Server 2022.

• Microsoft Windows Server 2019 (only with Extended Support from Microsoft - until 2029-01-09).

• Microsoft Windows Server 2016 (only with Extended Support from Microsoft - until 2027-01-12).

• Microsoft Windows Server 2012R2 (only with Extended Security updates from Microsoft - until 2026-10-13).

Viz Mosart client computers (GUI, Audio Panel, Timing Display, Audio Player)

• Microsoft Windows 11.

• Microsoft Windows 10.

Network Bandwidth

• 1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet card is required on the Viz Mosart client computer if NDI is used for live preview in the Preview and Program windows.

Upgrade

As a standard procedure, always make backups before upgrading. Please backup all files in the following locations:

• C:\channeltemplates

• %localappdata%\Mosart_Medialab

• %programdata%\Mosart Medialab\ConfigurationFiles

• %programfiles(x86)%\Mosart Medialab\<Mosart application>\ConfigurationFiles

• All files with extension .exe.config in folders %programfiles(x86)%\Mosart Medialab\<Mosart application>\ where <Mosart application> is the relevant Viz Mosart application (for example Mosart Server, Mosart GUI).

Windows registry settings for:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\[Wow6432Node\]Mosart Medialab

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\[Wow6432Node\]Mosart Medialab

For the upgrade procedure, see the Viz Mosart Administrator Guide, section Installation.
You will always find the latest updated documentation for Viz Mosart at https://documentation.vizrt.com/viz-mosart-5.11.html.

If you do not have Internet access to the above documentation, a quick guide for installation is given here:

1. Download all relevant Viz Mosart installation files to the preferred location.
   The default location is C:\Mosart\Installers. You are advised to make a sub-directory for the installers for a particular version/build containing all the MSI installer-files and any other supplemental files.

2. Stop all Viz Mosart Windows services.

3. Double-click the installation file, and follow the prompts to complete installation. Note that after completing this step for the Viz Mosart Server and the Viz Mosart GUI, the documentation is available in the installation sub-folder Documentation.

4. Repeat the above step for all relevant installation files.

5. As the last steps you may need to start a set of Windows services to make Viz Mosart run properly (not needed after installing the Viz Mosart Server or the Viz Mosart GUI client, these services are started by the installer). The services are configured to automatically start when the computer is started. The safest is to reboot the computer to verify that this automatic start of the services is working.

Installations with Viz Mosart in several galleries

If you have several galleries running an earlier Viz Mosart version, like Viz Mosart 3.x or Viz Mosart 4.x, you can safely upgrade one of the galleries to Viz Mosart 5.x while the others stay on their current version.

Documentation

Updated documentation for Viz Mosart is available at the Vizrt Documentation Center.

Support

Support is available at the Vizrt Support Portal.

Previous Versions

In accordance with the Vizrt Global Support Handbook section Software Lifecycle, support for older versions of Viz Mosart ends 24 months after a subsequent minor or major version is released.

• With this release of Viz Mosart version 5.11, earlier versions will therefore no longer be supported after 2027-03-28.

• At the date of this release, Viz Mosart versions earlier than 5.2 are no longer supported.