If the video output of ProTools is not showing on the video switcher, this article will cover the most common troubleshooting methods to help you fix it! There are several different reasons your output might not be working. Let's get started!
Please follow these steps to troubleshoot ProTools Video Output Issues.
Best indicator something is wrong is by looking in System Preferences and see that the BlackMagic options are grayed out.
If what you see looks like the image below - Proceed to Step 2 - Visual Inspection of Blackmagic Mini Monitor
If what you see looks like the image below - Proceed to Step 3 - Re-Install Desktop Video Driver
The next step is to look at the physical mini monitor box and see if a white light is coming from the thunderbolt side indicating it has power.
If It does have power, proceed to step 3.
If it does not have power, proceed to step 4.
With the System Preferences 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 see show the mini monitor with thunderbolt power but the computer is not recognizing that it's plugged in. Restarting usually resolves this.
If System Preferences does not recognize the Mini Monitor and there is no power on the thunderbolt side. We'd suggest unplugging and plugging back in both sides of the thunderbolt cables. Sometimes the connections vibrate loose and reseating them will trigger it to power back up.
If you then see the white light come back on, check system preferences and verify the resolution is 720p 59.94.
We'd really love to help with this step, if you suspect this might need to be done!
Download the latest Blackmagic Desktop Video Driver.
Here is an easy link to download a very current version that we know works well.
*clicking this link will download a file.
To Install this please find it in your Downloads folder and double click it. Then follow the steps to completely install it.
Caution: You'll need to restart. Please save everything!
After installation of the latest driver, these are the settings you'll need to use.
This is a very uncommon solution to the problem. But we want you to check this setting before proceeding to Step 7.
While in ProTools, please select the word ProTools at the top of the display.
Then select Preferences, and choose the Operation tab at the top.
Check the settings in the image below.
If none of the options above seem wrong but your still not seeing the output. Let's check the resolution of the video you've imported.
Currently at Life.Church we require your ProTools Video to be encoded at a resolution of 720p 59.94. (1280 x 720 at 59.94fps)
Any other resolution will not be recognized by the Video Switcher.
You can visually check the ProTools Video track to verify the current video resolution. Make sure it matches these.
If not, please use the article below to match encode to the proper settings.
We've created a help article with a template you can use to flawless encode your video each week! Please use this resource!
Keep an eye out - Happening Often?
These are the steps to troubleshoot and help fix the issue if it happens occasionally. You should not experience any of these issue regularly. If you've looked at this article enough to memorize it, we need you to reach out to us so we can replace the Blackmagic Mini Monitor box. Yes, these are common ways to fix problems with the Mini Monitor but issues should not be common.
Happy To Help!
After you have attempted to fix the problem, please give us a call and we can help troubleshoot further.
Please call the Tech Team if you need any assistance. x2846 or (405) 216-2846.
You can also find more articles like this at http://techhelp.life.church