Release Notes

OnTheAir Video and OnTheAir Video Express

WARNING! OnTheAir Video and OnTheAir Video Express 4.2.2 require macOS 11 or later

• Added a "Default" playlist to be opened when OnTheAir Video starts
• Added an option "Use Thumbnails". Disable that option if you want OnTheAir Video not to render the thumbnails. This may save on resources if you have a lot of new clips arriving at once.
• AppleScript: Added the ability to ask to a clip which type of Closed Captions it has (Embedded, SRT Sidecar, ...)
• dded support for Stream Deck Neo
• NDI: Improved the behavior when using the "Frame Rate is not Constant" option, where there could be no audio at first, and then it would never come. Now when the option is enabled, you can now define the number of audio channels to use, instead of it being automatic.
• Stream Deck: Now comments do not "count" in the index of clips (when using the clip number feature)
• Timing windows settings and position are now saved.
• Potential issues when scrubbing in the playlist timeline, or jumping to a position using StreamDeck, when using HEVC files.
• Timing Window: When viewing the clip timecode (instead of the elapsed time), it could be wrong if there was an in point set
• MIDI: Issues after learning MIDI channels on a clip.
• Potential crash when doing a skip to next on a clip that was offline
• Contact Softron Support: Some logs were missing when using a "multi" version
• Blackmagic-Design: Improved compatibility with latest driver versions

OnTheAir Video only

• AppleScript: Added the ability to change the logo overlay attribute (enable/disable, change logo)
• Scheduler: Allowed to do copy/paste of multiple events (this allows to copy/paste entire days)
• DGO Option: Added support for texts with Drop shadow (Require OnTheAir CG Designer 3.6.1 or later)
• Traffic Option: Folder-based Schedule: Now automatically placing "expired" playlists into a "Archived Playlists" folder.
• Remote: When playlists are modified externally (other computer or remote), item selection is maintained
• Traffic Option: Now automatically archiving past playlists in a subfolder.
• REST API: api.html document for easier readability.
• REST API: Added the item_display_name info in the in the playback_timing_changed WS message info
• Auto-start date/time: Now allow to have multiple playlists with auto-start date time to start playback. Only playlists coming from traffic will have the ability to disable the auto-start date time
• Remote Control Option: Media Browser: "Reload" button changes when using the alt key to redownload the items
• Traffic option: Media Browser: When a new BXF arrives, it will now erase the previously existing in/out.
• DGO option: Potential issue when a CG projects path was empty
• Actions: Potential crash when trying to update action parameters dictionary
• Remote: Potential issue where 2 identical remote playlists could be opened
• Potential crash when receiving invalid VANCs
• Coming next not working when a clips is set as "Play Next"
• Potential crash when CG project path was nil
• Schedule: Potential conflict issue when the scheduler tried to validate a playlist while it was being reloaded by the UI (Playlist could not be validated by the schedule)
• Traffic Option: Issues with BXF playlists
• Stream Clips: When using HTTP URL such a HLS m3u8 playlist, if the server returned a 204 status code, we would refuse to connect while connection was valid

• Design: Added support for texts with Drop shadow (If the project is to be used in OnTheAir Video with the DGO option, it requires OnTheAir Video 4.2.2b44 or later)
• Design: Added Capitalization Option for TextItems. (Lower case, Upper case, Capitalized and unchanged)
• Squeezeback: General behaviour improvements
• NDI:Now using NDI SDK 6.0
• Design: Max characters checkbox when current text is “”
• Squeezeback: Potential "Crop" effect during animation
• Blackmagic-Design: Improved compatibility with latest driver versions

• REST API: Added new requests to set which inputs assigned to which outputs
• REST API: Added a key to set if a clip name must be unique or not
• REST API: Added the ability to go to the in or out points (Check api.html documentation)
• Controllers: Added initial support for JLCooper SloMoPro
• Blackmagic-Design: Improved compatibility with latest driver versions

• Stream Deck: Added support for Stream Deck Neo.
• Blackmagic-Design: Improved compatibility with latest driver versions

OnTheAir MOS Gateway is an application that will connect in MOS to your NRCS, and create a playlist in OnTheAir Video from the rundown. This includes a redesigned plugin where you can add MOS objects to your stories, link media files to them and assign templates.

Note: Feature support may differ between the support NRCS systems: ENPS and iNews. 

• Channel Assignment MOS Objects can have a channel assignment. 
• Clock Starts Clock starts are now compatible with OnTheAir MOS Gateway playlists. They can be added directly from the playlist, or with templates.
• Duration Update Support for OnTheAir Video's update durations setting (still images, live clips, and streams will now write back their duration to the playlist). Duration updates get pushed back to OnTheAir MOS Gateway.
• Preset Duration Added support for manually setting a preset duration to a MOS playlist when using iNews, while ENPS automatically takes this from the running order properties.
• Hide Thumbnails Hide thumbnails in plugin for faster loading.
• Persistent Flags Persistent flag on MOS objects hide the object from the MOS object deletion selection tool.
• Saved Playback Mode Manually setting a playlist item as "disabled" or changing an item's playback mode is saved to the MOS object.
• Revalidation Media folder automatically revalidates invalid media every 30 seconds.
• Default Channel Added default channel preference for the templates & placeholders.
• Transition Duration Now using the transition durations in chain mode when calculating MOS object duration.
• Sort by Creation Date Sort MOS objects by creation date in purge window. "Toolbar>Window>MOS Objects"."
• Playlist Refresh Added a refresh button for playlists in OnTheAir MOS Gateway application.
• Fixed Crash on bad file URL.

Release Notes for MovieRecorder and MovieRecorder Express

• NEW: Added support for Apple ProRes 4444 XQ
• NEW: AVPresets: Added support for "Unused" and "Discrete" audio track labels
• IMPROVED: Behaviours when external audio devices are disconnecting/reconnecting. WARNING: important change: when an external audio device cannot be found at startup, or when enabling the source, it will not start.
• IMPROVED: New layout and improvements for document api.html for our REST API documentation
• FIXED: Potential Invalid frame size when recording a 1920x1080 source to Apple ProRes HQ in a Classic QuickTime destination
• FIXED: Potential crash when using empty tokens for the custom file naming
• FIXED: Auto-detect checkbox could not be modified

Release Notes for MovieRecorder only

• FIXED: Issues with DV PAL codec when using QuickTime Classic destination
• FIXED: When using external audio, we don't use the device audio anymore to create the audio track. Previously, issues on the device audio could create issues with external audio even if device audio was not used.

Note that this will be the last release for version 4.1. This was made to fix a few issues to leave some time so that our users can transition to version 4.2, which has some major new features. Make sure to update to version 4.2, and check the new actions in that version.

Release Notes for OnTheAir Video and OnTheAir Video Express

• NDI: Improved the behavior when using the "Frame Rate is not Constant" option, where there could be no audio at first, and then it would never come. Now when the option is enabled, you can now define the number of audio channels to use, instead of it being automatic.
• MIDI: Issues after learning MIDI channels on a clip.
• Timing Window & info: The in point was not considered when viewing the elapsed time as timecode
• Playback Control: Potential crash when doing a skip to next on a clip that was offline
• Compatibility: Potential issues with macOS 10.14 and macOS 10.15
• Contact Softron Support: Some logs were missing when using a "multi" version

Release Notes for OnTheAir Video only

• Traffic/Remote Control Option: Media Browser: When a new BXF arrives, it will now erase the previously existing in/out.
• Traffic/Remote Control Option: Media Browser: "Reload" button changes when using the alt key to redownload the items
• Scheduler: Potential issue with playlist not being able to be validated by the scheduler if they were already opened in the application, and they were validated while being reloaded after an external modification
• VANC: Potential crash when receiving invalid VANCs
• Coming next not working when a clip is set as "Play Next"
• DGO option: Potential crash when CG project path was nil

• Live Inputs: Potential crash when receiving invalid VANCs
• Scheduler: Issues with folder based playlists when used in a schedule
• Scheduler: Potential hang if all playlists in a schedule were offline
• SCTE inputs: When receiving twice the same SCTE message within 2 seconds, it is ignored
• MOS: Added story information to the item_changed websocket message
• MOS: Now closing locally playing documents when they are closed by MOS Gateway (but not when disconnected)

Warning: New actions !

In OnTheAir Video 4.2, one of the major changes is the new types of Actions. Previously, in OnTheAir Video 4.1 or earlier, actions were only AppleScripts. With version 4.2, actions can be other things than AppleScript in order for example to control the DGO or video routers directly. These new actions required us to change the playlist format to save these actions.

Thus there could be issues when going back and forth between version 4.2 (or later) and earlier versions of OnTheAir Video which were using different actions. Here is the behaviour to expect:

When going from version 4.1 to 4.2:
- Actions will be converted to the new actions with attributes, there is nothing to do.
- You can save the playlist in the new format and if you only use AppleScript actions, you can go back and forth between version 4.1 and 4.2, but not if you use other types of actions.

When going from version 4.2 to 4.1:
- If you were using only "AppleScript" actions in version 4.2, there will be no issue.
- If you used other types of actions, you will be able to open the playlist in version 4.1, but if you save your playlist in version 4.1, you will loose all "non-AppleScript" actions and you won't be able to retrieve them when reopening with version 4.2. So make sure to disable auto-save in that case.
REST API modifications

There are some important changes in the REST API. We recommend using the same OnTheAir Video versions for the client and the server. Particularly if you are using actions.

Release Notes for OnTheAir Video and OnTheAir Video Express

• Actions: Added a "none" to the ATEM triggers so you can connect to an ATEM (to control it using the new OnTheAir Video actions), but it won't trigger any playback action in OnTheAir Video
• Engine: Updated NDI SDK to 6.0
• Engine: Updated AJA SDK to v17.0
• HyperDeck Emulation: Fixed issues when using ATEM Constellation

Release Notes for OnTheAir Video

• EPG: Added a new EPG (paid) option. Create EPG tags, assign them to clips, and export EPG to XMLTV and TVGuide.
• Scheduler: New "Calendar" type of user interface.
• Actions: Added new "Actions": Previously, in OnTheAir Video 4.1 or earlier, actions were only AppleScripts. With version 4.2, actions can be other things than AppleScript in order for example to control the DGO or video routers directly, without going through AppleScripts. Includes router, MIDI, ATEM macros, and SCTE improvements.
• SCTE input: Added the ability to trigger an Action when a SCTE trigger is received on a video input.
• Remote: Added the "Remote Pack" option
• Remote: Added the ability to control OnTheAir Video, view and edit opened playlists (Using : http://127.0.0.1:8081/web_ui/index.html). Note that this feature is Work in Progress, make sure to test before using it in production.
• REST API: Added the ability to get info and modify the currently playing clip (using a request such as this one: http://127.0.0.1:8081/playback/current_item/)
• REST API: Added the ability skip to next only on live items. (using a request such as this one: http://127.0.0.1:8081/playback/skip_next?live_only=1)
• ATEM ActionsAdded the ability to use transitions when controlling an ATEM (so select an input in preview, then do the "auto" transition" (only with the new actions)
• Traffic Option: Added support for BXF and SCD playlist formats

Release Notes for OnTheAir Video and OnTheAir Video Express 4.1.7

• Engine:Optimised performances when displaying a large number of logs in the Activity & Logs window
• Engine:Performances when reading from HFS Volumes
• Engine:We can now use the Apple Silicon hardware acceleration to decompress Apple ProRes 4444 clips with Alpha

Release Notes for OnTheAir Video 4.1.7 only

• REST API: REST API: Added the ability to check for missing clips (http://:/playlists//items//validate)
• Added an icon when a GPI trigger is set on a clip
• Prepared compatibility for the migration to OnTheAir Video 4.2. It is recommended to go first to version 4.1.7 before using 4.2 (particularly for remote control)
• Remote Control: Now retrieving the transitions (including their durations), actions and logo overlays from the remote instance (instead of showing the local ones).
• REST API: you can now retrieve the duration of the clips that will include the duration of the transition applied to the clip. You will find these new properties: "chained_playback_duration_timecode" : "00:00:10" "non_chained_playback_duration_timecode" : "00:00:10" "chained_playback_duration" : 10.05 "non_chained_playback_duration" : 10.05 The first two provide a text representation of the duration, the last two a duration in seconds. The “chained_playback_duration” is the duration when the clip is following another one. The “non_chained_playback_duration” is the duration of the clip when played by itself (or at the beginning of a playlist). If no transition, the numbers will be identical.
• Playlists: Issues with calculation of playlist durations when using custom transitions, and the playlist was in chain
• Ross Ultrix Control: Issues when controlling a Ross Ultrix with the ProBell protocol, and using AUX sources
• Logs: Some excessive logging about duplicated frames when using custom transitions
• Playlists: Start times and durations were not updated if a clip was created remotely as "deactivated".
• Potential crash in macOS 11 (Big Sur) and earlier. Introduced in OnTheAir Video and OnTheAir Video Express 4.1.6

Release Notes for OnTheAir Video Express 4.1.8

• Express fix for an issue that was left behing, sorry...

Release Notes for MovieRecorder and MovieRecorder Express

• Sources: Added the ability to choose the number of audio channels retrieved from the AJA, Blackmagic-Design or Deltacast card (Currently only available for Video Device Audio, not for external audio)
• NDI: Updated NDI SDK to 5.6.0 - r135583 (NDI 6 is available in MovieRecorder pre-release 4.6)
• Logs: Optimised performances when displaying a large number of logs in the Activity & Logs window
• AJA: Updated AJA SDK to v17.0
• AJA: Added support for AJA Kona X
• Softron Streaming Pack: Issue when doing streams longer than, 12 hours, there could be a short interrupt of the signal every 12 hours.
• Custom Naming: When using the timecode token in a custom naming, if it was a DF TC, the ";" was not replaced by a "-"
• SD: Some possible preview issues when using SD sources. It would change from 4:3 to 16:9 very fast.
• Scheduler Web UI: Fixed issues on Daylight Savings Time days: scheduled recordings could show with an offset of one hour.

Release Notes for MovieRecorder only

• Logs: Added logging of more SCTE104 messages
• Destinations: Added support for Apple ProRes in MXF destinations
• Metadata: Potential crash when adding Metadata fields in "Settings > Metadata"; in macOS 12 and earlier
• Growing Files: Growing MXF AVC-Intra files are now working with Adobe Premiere

Release Notes

• The maximum session duration is now 25h (was 9h).
• Loop Recording to allow for continuous recording (ideal for time delay). Read more about this new feature here.
• Added the ability to select the number of audio channels recorded (Could create issues in Final Cut Pro when using video files with more than 8 audio channels)
• Added the ability to set the color space
• SKAARHOJ "Time Spin" (XC8): Added compatibility to "Blue Pill" models. Warning: Starting with version 2.2 of M|Replay, the SKAARHOJ devices needs to be in "server" mode in order to be supported.
• Added support of bundled licenses (one serial can contain the license for multiple channels)
• Added the ability to control playback rate using the REST API: GET /playbackrate?rate=0 (0=stopped, 1= play forward, -1= play backwards, etc...)
• Universal application for better performances on Apple M1 Silicon computers. 
• Updated AJA (v17), Blackmagic-Design (v12.7) and Deltacast (v6.20).
• Now logging the REST API calls in a separate file.
• When using UHD or 4K, session configuration now remembers if it's single link, quad link, etc...
• Issues with Deltacast configuration in UHD and 4K
• SKAARHOJ XC8: Some buttons did not lit up immediately
• The Audio VU meters display settings could be ignored when creating a new session
• Some performances issues that could cause AV drops during playback

Warnings

• SKAARHOJ "Time Spin" (XC8) Controler: As SKAARHOJ now ships the new "Blue Pill" model of the "Time Spin", we had to change the way M|Replay connects to the "Time Spin". If you own an older model of the "Time Spin", you should enable "Server Mode" in Device Core Options, and then set the IP address of your "Time Spin" in M|Replay in "Settings > Controls".
• Creating the header for a 25hours file can take some time. The session will work immediately, but the send to Final Cut Pro or reading the files directly won't work until the header is created.
• There is a bug in QuickTime X and Final Cut Pro with files longer than 12 hours. Even though we record audio in the file, and it plays fine in M|Replay, but it will play without audio in Final Cut Pro and QuickTime. Note that if you export a shorter duration from M|Replay, you'll be able to access to it, but exporting or sending to Final Cut Pro won't work for sessions longer than 12 hours.

Known issues

Interlacing issues There is an issue with the code that we used previously to deinterlace the outputs signal (not the preview)
The issue happens:

• on Apple Silicon computers, with both the intel and universal versions.
• on Intel computers, the issue is there only with the universal version. So if you are using interlaced formats, only an intel computer with the intel version of M|Replay will deinterlace. With the universal version, and on M1 computers with the intel version as well. We will restore deinterlacing, but if you are using an intel Mac, prefer to download the intel version.

• Added logs to help troubleshoot
• Minor UI changes

Release Notes

• Engine:: Added support for 10bit output
• REST API:: Added an API to send live subtitling data
• Effects:: Added the ability to Blur an item (in the shapes item, you can create a blur item that will blur every layers below it. Work in progress as it is not yet possible to set the blur value)
• Animations:: Added the ability to do 'Squeeze back" animations on items
• Smiles:: Added the ability to change the "baseline" of a smile
• Items:: Added the ability to "search" or "filter" for items in a project. Very useful when you have a lot of items
• REST API:: Added the ability to change the Font, the fill color and stroke color of a text item
• Universal application for better performances on Apple M1 Silicon computers
• Engine:: Major rewrite of the graphics engine to use Metal instead of OpenGL
• Video Outputs: Updated AJA (v17), Blackmagic-Design (v12.7); Deltacast (v6.20) and NDI (v5.6) SDKs
• Blackmagic-Design devices:: Added support for keying with more video formats
• Movie Items:: Back to back movie file playout performance improvements
• Engine: Red half screen that was seen in some 2019 and 2020 intel MacBook Pros & iMacs
• Movie Items: Transparency was ignored for ProRes 4444 clips when running on M1 Pro / M1 Max computers (with ProRes acceleration).
• Animations: Issue with ramping of start animations (the ease in/out would not be applied)
• Smile: setup window was not readable when in light mode.
• NDI: Issue with some NDI sources not being seen

Warnings

• There is no installer anymore. Just drag and drop the application to the Applications folder.
• As there is no installer anymore, this implies that Sample projects and AppleScript examples are not installed. They can be downloaded from the downloads page of our website

For developers using the API there are 2 major changes:

• You should now use "snake_case" instead of "camelCase"
• You now have to specify the "Content-Type" to "application/json" in your requests

• Updated AJA (v17), Blackmagic-Design (v12.7); Deltacast (v6.20) and NDI (v5.6) SDKs.
• Added support for some more codec descriptions (were previously played, but showing as "Unkown" in Media Browser)

• Issues with copy/paste of clips (some attributes were not copied)

• Updated NDI SDK to 5.6.1
• Fixed potential crash when adding bookmarks

• Added "Contact Support..." menu to get help easily from Softron
• Fixed crash with some Blackmagic-Design devices when using SD

Release Notes for MovieRecorder Express and MovieRecorder

• AVPresets: Added the ability to disable the audio track language setting. This could be annoying with some editing software (Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro for example) as they consider this as a multilingual file, and thus only show one track at a time. The option is on by default to keep compatibility with older versions, so make sure to disable it if you don't need it.
• ProRes Proxy: Encoding is not done anymore in progressive, but as interlaced, so it is easier to relink to higher resolution. Should quality be an issue for you, create an AVPreset and choose to deinterlace.
• Preview: UI issue in Sonoma when using interlaced formats.
• Potential crash in macOS 11 (Big Sur) and earlier.
• WebUI: VU meters could be out of sync.

Release Notes for MovieRecorder only

• Scheduled Recordings: There would be a warning with AppleScripts missing while they were not.
• RS422 Timecode: Potential issues with negative values when using fractional frame rates.