Blank Video no Sound for Scheduled Event

[russellhltn]

At this point, what I'm suspecting is that SLC's config file (which is what makes the auto-config work) sets us up for failure.

I noticed the link for the Teradek was a https and there were indications it was just a XML file. So, for grins and giggles I pasted that into my web browser. here's a part of what I got back:

Code: Select all

<video>
<quality>Custom</quality>
<custom_resolution>1280x720</custom_resolution>
<custom_bitrate>1250000</custom_bitrate>
<aspect>auto</aspect>
<frame_rate_fraction>full</frame_rate_fraction>
</video>

720? Considering the camera I'm using is 1080, that's suspect. Granted, that seems to match some settings in the encoder, but it does make me suspicious. (Apparently it only does 1080 if you select "Full HD" in the encoder. However, that doesn't seem to match the "Full HD" setting in the portal.

Sure sounds like a setup for failure.

A spot check of other people's configuration (3-digit ID makes that easy) showed they were all set to 720 as well.

While I'm not a fan of having to paste in the URL, I think the local control beats what's going on at the moment. I'm going back to manual until I know I have the broadcast side down solid.

John, you might want to give that a try.

[Mikerowaved]

John, a thought just occurred to me. I've used HDMI [over CAT6] extenders for stake conference with good success, except once in a while the receiving end (usually a TV near the back) will show a black screen. If I swap the TV with another brand, it will often work. I think some extenders might distort the data stream enough that some receivers can't decipher it. I'm wondering if something like that is happening to your signal; the TV can decode it, but it's a bit too distorted for the Teradek. Pure speculation on my part.

[russellhltn]

I did some more testing tonight. I didn't have the same issue, but then I had the encoder running manually before I allowed to connect to the servers.

[russellhltn]

Looks like we need to let these things run a bit to really test them. The receiver suddenly paused for no reason after half an hour. I had to exit the stream and go back in to get it to resume. I'm going to need to set up a three hour test (two hour plus one hour pre) to see if it's stable.

[johnshaw]

So you see a picture from the video on the web page? When mine acted up, it showed black screen and apparently sent black screen.

No, it was a black screen there, same screen being sent to the webcast event.

[johnshaw]

John, a thought just occurred to me. I've used HDMI [over CAT6] extenders for stake conference with good success, except once in a while the receiving end (usually a TV near the back) will show a black screen. If I swap the TV with another brand, it will often work. I think some extenders might distort the data stream enough that some receivers can't decipher it. I'm wondering if something like that is happening to your signal; the TV can decode it, but it's a bit too distorted for the Teradek. Pure speculation on my part.

ya, but it's coming off an HDMI distribution Amplifier, I'd assume it was enhancing the signal a bit (speculation on my part) - But I should probably try another cable, I'll have to do something if the replacement Teradek experiences the same thing.

[johnshaw]

At this point, what I'm suspecting is that SLC's config file (which is what makes the auto-config work) sets us up for failure.

I noticed the link for the Teradek was a https and there were indications it was just a XML file. So, for grins and giggles I pasted that into my web browser. here's a part of what I got back:

Code: Select all

<video>
<quality>Custom</quality>
<custom_resolution>1280x720</custom_resolution>
<custom_bitrate>1250000</custom_bitrate>
<aspect>auto</aspect>
<frame_rate_fraction>full</frame_rate_fraction>
</video>

720? Considering the camera I'm using is 1080, that's suspect. Granted, that seems to match some settings in the encoder, but it does make me suspicious. (Apparently it only does 1080 if you select "Full HD" in the encoder. However, that doesn't seem to match the "Full HD" setting in the portal.

Sure sounds like a setup for failure.

A spot check of other people's configuration (3-digit ID makes that easy) showed they were all set to 720 as well.

While I'm not a fan of having to paste in the URL, I think the local control beats what's going on at the moment. I'm going back to manual until I know I have the broadcast side down solid.

John, you might want to give that a try.

I reconfigured my teradek with the manual config with the same results.

[russellhltn]

720? Considering the camera I'm using is 1080, that's suspect. Granted, that seems to match some settings in the encoder, but it does make me suspicious. (Apparently it only does 1080 if you select "Full HD" in the encoder. However, that doesn't seem to match the "Full HD" setting in the portal.

Well, that apparently doesn't affect it. I guess it sets the encoding or quality level, not what to expect. I'll have to try some other things to see what happens.

Something I did discover is that the encoding level determines if I can see audio levels in the app. Apparently, that feature gets scarified the harder the encoder has to work. That happens when you set higher quality levels.

[johnshaw]

So back at it this morning. Very interesting, SLC provided me a 2nd Teradek and I have the SAME problem.

I then took the suggestion to plug a camera directly into it, and there was the picture, loud and clear through the Teradek, I also plugged in my computer, so two different input sources went through the teradek and were sent via the webcast solution....

FM is sending Mashall out again to look at it. So there is an Exetron Switch that sends a single through a HDMI Digital Amplifier, somewhere in there it's sending HDMI protocol that the Teradek doesn't like. I was playing around with the switch but I didn't want to break anything, but no settings I changed seemed to help at this point.

I'll report back on what is going on!

[russellhltn]

As I understand it, HDMI tends to be a two-way negotiated connection. Not unlike 10/100/1G lan connections. I'm not sure how that distribution amp works. It may connect the source to "output 1" and everyone else gets whatever that turns out to be.

You might try some things to make the VidiU one of the negotiators via the port it's connected to and power up sequence.