Frequently Asked Questions

Does Viz Multiplay support video walls with non HD aspects?

As long as the video wall can be set up with NVIDIA Mosaic, Viz Engine will see the total resolution of the wall as one renderer area. For video wall setup, see the Video Wall Configuration section of the Viz Engine Administrator’s Guide.

If the GFX channels has non HD aspect, this is the matrix of what Viz Multiplay support:

Viz Multiplay 1.1 Viz Multiplay 2.0

Images

No *

Yes **

Videos

No ***

No ***

Scenes

Yes

Yes

  • (*) The StillAndVideo scene in Viz Multiplay 1.1 uses MaxSize plugins to try to box images into the GFX channel. This does not work outside the HD aspect.

  • (**) The StillAndVideo scene in Viz Multiplay 2.0 can box any image aspect into a GFX channel of any aspect. It will not stretch the image, only fill out the height or width of the GFX channel.

  • (***) Videos in Viz Multiplay 1.1 and 2.0 are limited to the broadcast formats and aspects supported by the clip channels in Viz Engine.

Playing out both images and videos in non standard formats is possible though, with heavy modifications of the StillAndVideo scene and in VDOM. Contact Vizrt Support for more details.

In the profile config of Viz Multiplay - you can set the aspect of each GFX channel. This only affects the way we draw the thumbnails in the GUI - so if GFX7 is assigned to 32:9 content, the thumbnails in this channel look better. There is no need to explicitly set this aspect for playout.

Do I have to upgrade Viz Engine or Media Sequencer to use Viz Multiplay?

The video wall features require Media Sequencer 3.0 (3.1.1 recommended) and Viz Artist 3.8.2.

Do I need Viz Trio to set up Viz Multiplay?

A Viz Trio client is not strictly needed for Viz Multiplay. If you are using Viz Multiplay for clips and images only, you may not need Viz Trio.

However Viz Trio is required if you need to:

  • Import graphics from a Viz Engine

  • Configure a Viz Gateway (a MOS/newsroom workflow)

  • Change the Viz layer on an element (BACK, MAIN, FRONT)

Can I use Viz Pilot instead of Viz Trio?

No. Viz Trio is required for some of the setup mentioned above.

What is the technical limitation of playing HD clips?

The technical limitation of the number of channels is 16, but that requires 4 Nvidia Quadro K/M6000 graphic cards. 16 DVI outputs should then theoretically be able to play 8 clips and 8 stills/graphics. However the performance is very much dependent of the hardware and the resource load of the Viz scenes.

Viz Multiplay 2.0 has been tested with 2 M6000 cards and 8 clips at the same time.

Does the playlist update after changes in the newsroom system rundown?

Yes. It is the Media Sequencer that communicates through the MOS protocol with the newsroom system (ENPS, iNews etc.). Any update is handled by the Media Sequencer, and the playlist in Viz Multiplay will automatically display the changes.

Can Viz Multiplay play out graphics created via Viz Pilot templates?

Yes. Create a Viz Pilot rundown with the graphics, images and videos you want to play out. The playlist will automatically be available in Viz Multiplay.

Can Viz Multiplay open a playlist from Viz Pilot?

Yes. Add the playlist to the show with the Add button on the Show pane. Once open in Viz Multiplay, the playlist updates dynamically, as it is changed in Viz Pilot.

Click the Add (+) button in the Show Pane to open an existing external playlist. See To Add a New Playlist .

Can Viz Multiplay open a MOS rundown? What is the workflow?

Yes, you can add any external playlist to the show - so both the show and the added playlist(s) are available in Viz Multiplay. In this way the user can, for example, have a show with video wall presets and other more permanent elements, and add a MOS rundown or a Viz Pilot rundown to this show to make the MOS/Viz Pilot elements available too.

How do I run movie clips?

Simply click or tap them and they will either be armed or played directly on air.

Can we have live input in one of the monitors or across a group?

Yes. Custom scenes with a live input source must be created in Viz Artist and imported by Viz Trio as regular pages. These pages can be placed in the inbox show and then dragged into any channel.

Can I use a touch screen monitor in my live-to-air control room?

Viz Multiplay can easily be operated for playout on touch devices, but it is not advisable to do editing on them. We have found Firefox to have the best touch screen experience when using Viz Multiplay.

Can Viz Multiplay be controlled by Viz Mosart, VDCP, Viz Trio or Viz Pilot?

Not really. The Media Sequencer does not support detecting the last taken element per channel. This means that even though a playlist can be controlled by external triggering or a control client, Viz Multiplay will not detect elements taken on air, and the elements will not show up in the Program or Armed column.

Can Viz Multiplay be integrated into a newsroom/Mosart/Pilot workflow?

No, not in Viz Multiplay 2.0. Contact Vizrt Support for more information.

Can we use Social TV as a source for Viz Multiplay?

Yes. Social TV creates regular Viz Trio pages in a show that can be opened or used as an inbox in Viz Multiplay, so the elements can be controlled by Viz Multiplay.

Do I need a Viz One to feed Viz Multiplay with clips and images?

We do recommend having a Viz One or a Media Service installed and configured on the Media Sequencer. It is also possible to use a Graphic Hub REST service as a source for images.