Was VST Live’s video player thoroughly tested on Windows 10 computers?

I tried VST Live on two Windows 10 laptops. Playing the demo project (and later loading different videos to empty projects) the video monitor window remained blank when playing the video part. VST Live and Windows 10 was the latest versions on both computers. Cubase 12 and it’s video player are working flawlessly on both laptops. Then I tried it on a Macbook Air M1 and it just worked right away. So my question is: was it thoroughly tested on Windows 10 computers?

Has been tested with Windows 10 and 11. Do you use the same video as on the Macbook? Also make sure to open the correct video view, there are 6 of them, and you need to view the one which is selected in the according video track output.

The same demo project was used with the same video. I opened the same video monitor window, I tried all the six video views one after another (changed the video output first on the track). Have been using Cubase since the Atari era, for years I held Cubase and Wavelab courses for teachers and I’m writing music technology articles for a local magazine (actually I wrote a review about VST Live a couple of weeks ago). I have Cubase Pro 12, Wavelab Pro 11, Dorico 4, Spectralayer Pro 9, Halion 6 from Steinberg on my studio computer. So I’m not a novice and believe me I’ve tried everything.

Open VST Live 1.0.41 on a Windows 11 computer (should work the same with Windows 10). Drag an mp4 file into the TRACKS view, a video track and clip is created. To the left, Inspector “Video: Video1” is automatically selected (if not, click on output item and select “Video: Video1”). Now click on the Monitor item right next to it - the video window should open. Then play and video is shown. No? Works fine here. If it doesn’t for you, pls describe exactly what happens and what not, also maybe try a different video file - though when VST Live plays it on the Macbook, it should work with Windows just fine. If all else fails, pls. let us know what graphics card you are using, also make sure to use its latest drivers. Thanks!

I’ve tried them all. I will check the graphics card driver, but on the same laptops Cubase 12 plays videos fine. In VST Live the video window does open but it is blank (black).

I downloaded and installed new drivers on one of the Windows laptops. Nothing has changed. No video in the video monitor window. I installed VST Live on a third (desktop) Windows 10 computer, the situation is the same, blank video window. For the moment I just gave up. Waiting for a working update. In your previous post you wrote: “(should work the same with Windows 10)”. Are you 100 procent shure?

The video engine has been developed under Windows 10, and so far there is no indication why it should not work. Will try to get hold of a Windows 10 machine. Meanwhile may I suggest for you to download the VST Live demo project “Ghost of the Ocean” and check if you can see the vide at bar 24?

I tested it with the demo project, as I wrote in my very first (then in my second) post. The same project was opened on the Macbook Air M1. So my beta testing so far: The demo project video plays on Macbook Air, there is blank video window (with the same demo project) on three Windows 10 computers. The ratio is 1:3.

In a forum post I read that there is a volume (opacity) slider with the mp4 video tracks in the track header section. I cannot find one on Win 10 computers. Maybe this can be a help with testing, so I attached a screenshot…
It is from the test project, playing the video part.

You can set video event intensity with the “Volume” item in the event info. But that is not visible in your picture because you will have to select the video event in the first polace. Check to see that it says “0 dB” then, which translates to normal display.

I’ve checked it and in the event info line the Volume block reads 0.00 dB.

Sorry, there are a lot of posts and hard to remember everything.

Then I’m somewhat out of clues. What concerns me is that you said you tested it on two Windows 10 machines? Otherwise I’d ask for the graphics card.
I do beleive you that it plays with Cubase, but that’s a different video engine. So I will do my best to get hold of a Windows 10 computer, although as said there is no appearent reason why it should make any difference, but you never know.

Hi, Lippi!
I had the same problems at the beginning.
My solution was to slow down the hardware acceleration and to use VST-LIVE not via the build in Intel Grafik card, but pointed it to the even build in Nividia card.
Now Vst-live always starts by using Nividia and everything is fine.

Greetings,
Olaf

Hi Dr_MIDI!

Thank you, that suggestion did the trick. Indeed it is a dual graphic card laptop, the second one is Radeon in this case. Adding the VST Live to the games in the Radeon software and restarting made the vidoe play in VSTL (though upon start there was a warning that the video system is not fully supported.) So the problem is solved, but it is a bit alarming, that built in Intel graphic is not supported, lots of laptops are using it. (I downloaded the latest driver for it as well.)

What is alarming is the message you received. It means that pixels are now possibly rendered by the CPU which is certainly not what you want. Also some of the video features are probably missing.
Would you mind sharing what laptop you use, or more importantly, what model the non-working default graphics GPU is? Thanks!

The laptop I tested recently was a Lenovo Z51, the built in Intel grahics is: Intl HD Graphics 5500. In the desktop computer which I tested the built in graphics card is: Intel HD Graphics 4600. I’ve just have no access to the second laptop I tested (it is one of my friends’ computer) but I will ask him, but I assume it has built in Intel graphics as well.

Thank you so much, that should suffice!

Same issue in my Lenovo with Intl HD Graphics 4000

Just to let you know that we are still on the case. There appear to be problems with Intel mobile GPUs and OpenGL. I still don’t understand why the AMD one gives a warning though. May be able to get hold of a quite similar laptop soon, thanks for your help.

One Laptop here with Windows 10, an AMD Radeon built in plus NVidia RTX 3080. VST Live video runs fine on both GPUs. Must be the Intel - read a lot about problems with it, will investigate further.
If you find the time you might run “dxdiag” from the start menu and post results, however it’s not important, as many users have posted similar configurations in the internet.