dT Videolabs PlaybackPro Plus troubleshooting

Common PlaybackPro Plus errors & problems

What techs run into most, and what's usually behind it. The step-by-step fix for your exact software is in Ask Roadie.

• What format should I use?

  Likely cause: The playback engine is GPU-based and decodes hardware-friendly codecs most reliably in the order the manufacturer lists; H.264 is fully supported, just ranked below HEVC and ProRes for the X build rather than something to avoid.

  Step-by-step fixGet the fix →

• Clips stutter on a Mac with Radeon Pro Vega graphics

  Likely cause: The stutter was an OS/GPU-driver issue in 10.14.5 that Apple corrected in the 10.14.6 point release.

  Step-by-step fixGet the fix →

• Clip shows as playing but there is no image on screen

  Likely cause: The playback engine reports position from the container even when it can't decode the video track; supplying a natively supported codec restores the decoded image.

  Step-by-step fixGet the fix →

• Connected to a secondary/output display but it stays black or looks wrong

  Likely cause: PlaybackPro Plus takes exclusive control of the secondary space for full-screen output; mirroring and separate-spaces both break that hand-off so the program surface never appears.

  Step-by-step fixGet the fix →

• How do I run multiple PlaybackPro Plus machines in sync?

  Likely cause: SimpleSync sends synchronized transport commands across networked instances so clips start frame-together on every machine — the supported path for multi-output/redundant playback.

  Step-by-step fixGet the fix →

• I restored the Mac from a backup and now my IA license won't activate

  Likely cause: Restored backups carry a stale Ticket that no longer matches the activation server; removing it and reactivating clean re-binds the seat.

  Step-by-step fixGet the fix →

• My Internet Activated (IA) copy asks me to reactivate every launch

  Likely cause: IA licensing stores a ticket the app must read and write on each launch; a stuck activation or wrong file permissions on the Ticket folder force re-activation.

  Step-by-step fixGet the fix →

• PlaybackPro Plus freezes or quits unexpectedly during a show

  Likely cause: The app relies on the OS media stack; a malformed clip or a bad codec component crashes decoding deterministically.

  Step-by-step fixGet the fix →

• Video plays upside down in PlaybackPro Plus but is correct in QuickTime

  Likely cause: PlaybackPro Plus reads the actual frame orientation, not the EXIF auto-rotate hint QuickTime honors; exporting after Flip Vertical writes the corrected orientation into the pixels.

  Step-by-step fixGet the fix →

• Can I feed the show via a Decklink / UltraStudio / T-Tap / Kona / MXO2 output card?

  Likely cause: The engine renders on the computer GPU and outputs a standard display signal; capture cards bypass that pipeline, so a downstream frame-buffer/converter is the correct way to get SDI.

  Step-by-step fixGet the fix →

• What is the current PlaybackPro Plus version and how do I update?

  Likely cause: DT Videolabs ships full replacement app builds rather than in-app patches; using the download variant that matches your license method preserves activation.

  Step-by-step fixGet the fix →

• Can I set how long a still image stays on screen?

  Likely cause: The engine treats a still as a held frame with no timeline, so there is no timer to expire; a video clip carries its own duration.

  Step-by-step fixGet the fix →

Not on the list? Describe it your way, or paste the error code off the display. Ask Roadie works the problem with you until it's fixed or you have a clear next move.

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