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ProTools Video Not showing on Video Switcher

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If the video output of ProTools is not showing on the video switcher, we have created this article to cover the most common troubleshooting methods to help you fix it, as there are several different reasons your output may not be working.

Please follow the steps below to troubleshoot ProTools Video Output Issues. 

1. Visual Indicator Check - System Preferences:

The best indication that something is wrong is to check System Preferences and see if the Blackmagic options are grayed out.

If your screen appears as the first image below, please proceed to step 2 - "Visual Inspection of the Blackmagic Mini Monitor".

If your screen appears as the second image below, please proceed to step 3 - "Re-Install the Desktop Video Driver".

2. Visual Inspection of the Blackmagic Mini Monitor

The next step is to look at the physical Mini Monitor box and see if there is a white light is coming from the thunderbolt side, indicating it has power.

  • If the box has power, please proceed to step 3.

  • If the box does not have power, please proceed to step 4.

If It does have power, proceed to step 3.

If it does not have power, proceed to step 4.

3. Restart the Computer:

If the System Preferences are grayed out, the first step in troubleshooting why the Blackmagic Mini Monitor is not being recognized, is to restart the computer. The most common scenario we encounter is when the mini monitor is connected with thunderbolt power, but the computer does not recognize that it’s plugged in. However, restarting generally resolves this issue.  

4. Reseat the Thunderbolt Connectors:

If System Preferences does not recognize the mini monitor, and there is no power on the thunderbolt side, our suggestion is to unplug and plug in both sides of the thunderbolt cables. Sometimes, the connections can vibrate loose; reseating them may help restore power.  

If you see the white light power back on, check System Preferences and verify the resolution is set to "720p 59.94". 

5. Re-Install the Blackmagic Desktop Video Drivers

We’d really like to help with this step if you think it needs to be done!

  • Download the latest Blackmagic Desktop Video Driver. 

  • Below is a link to download a very current version that we know works well. 

To Install the driver, please find it in the Downloads folder and double click the file to begin installing. Follow the steps to fully install the driver.   

You will need to restart - Please save everything.

After installing, please follow the steps below in "ProTools Preferences" to verify and configure the proper settings.  

6. ProTools Preferences

This is a rather uncommon solution to the problem, but we still check these settings before proceeding to Step 7.  

  • With ProTools open, select "ProTools" at the top of the display.  
  • Next, select "Preferences" and open the "Operation" tab at the top. 
  • Verify the settings in the image below.  
7. Video Encoding Check:

If none of the settings above appear incorrect, but you're still not seeing the output, our next step is to verify the resolution of the video imported. 

At Life.Church, we require ProTools Video to be encoded at a resolution of 720p 59.94 (1280 x 720 at 59.94 fps), as the video switcher will not recognize any other resolution. You can visually verify the ProTools Video track to verify the current video resolution. Ensure it matches the information below. If it doesn’t, please refer to the linked article to adjust the encoding settings accordingly.

You can refer to our article with a template to help you encode your video each week: ProTools Video Compression - Best Practices.

Keep Track: Is This Happening Often?

The steps listed above are to troubleshoot and help fix the issue if this happens on a rare occasion. However, these issues should not be happening on a regular basis. If you have had to fix this issue three or more times, please reach out to our team so we can replace the mini monitor box. These steps are common ways to fix an issue with the mini monitor, however this should not occur on a regular basis..  

After you have attempted to fix the problem, but issues are still occurring, please give us a call and we can help troubleshoot further.  

Please call the Tech Team if any assistance is needed: x2846 or (405) 216-2846.

You can find more articles like this at http://techhelp.life.church.

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