What can the USB-C port of Director Mini be used for

The USB-C port of Director Mini is a USB 3.0 Type-C port, and provides multiple functions for free usage. Connect to computer to transfer fileTap "> Settings > USB Type-C", and select "MTP mode" to transfer files between Director Mini and the computer. Connect to computer to output audio and video Tap "> Settings > USB Type-C", and select "UVC + UAC mode" to output audio and video to streaming software, such as Zoom and Skype. Connect to a USB HUB for more usageYou can use a USB HUB to connect a WEBCAM for audio and video input, or connect a USB flash drive for file transfer, or a USB keyboard for shortcuts control, etc. Output audio and video to an external screenIt also serves a display port to connect to an external screen, such as a monitor and HDTV, supporting 1920x1080@60hz or 1920x1080@50hz, which changes along with the show's frame rate. You can use a Type-C to HDMI / VGA / DP adapter to connect the USB-C port to the external screen, and select content to display on the external screen according to the prompt. It supports displaying clear program, duplicating the device screen, looping HDMI 1 or HDMI 2.Besides, when Director Mini is connected to an external touchscreen and set to "Duplicate Screen", you can use the external touchscreen to control the device, so as to enlarge your canvas for better scene editing, annotation, etc. * Notice for using the external touchscreen to control Director Mini: The external touchscreen must support HID multi-touch function (no need of driver). Connect the touchscreen and Director Mini with a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you use a Type-C adapter, please connect the Touch Function port of the touchscreen to the device. For details, please refer to your touchscreen's user manual. Select Duplicate Screen as the displayed content. The external touchscreen should keep the full screen mode and the same orientation as the Director Mini device.

How to reduce the latency of USB Capture HDMI 4K Plus

If you are experiencing frame drops and lag with the USB Capture HDMI 4K Plus, please follow these steps to troubleshoot: Check the capture software settingsEnsure that the recommended setting in the capture software is 1920x1080p 60fps RGB24/YUY2. If the settings exceed this recommendation, frame dropping may occur. For example, if the capture software is set to 4K 60, the USB 3.0 bandwidth limitation may prevent the capture from reaching the set frame rate, resulting in frame dropping and stuttering.  You may check the output format on USB Capture Utility. Connect USB 3.0 port with the USB 3.0 cableConnect the USB Capture HDMI 4K Plus using the original USB 3.0 cable. Make sure to connect it to the USB 3.0 port on your computer, which is usually colored blue, blue-green, or red. Avoid connecting to black ports, as they are typically USB 2.0 ports. For desktop computers, it is recommended to connect to the USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel, as front panel ports with long wires may lead to insufficient power supply. Check the USB port speedUse USB Capture Utility to verify the actual speed of the current USB port. Ensure that it is operating at USB 3.0 speed. If it is running at USB 2.0 speed, switch to a USB 3.0 port or reconnect the cable. Check whether there are other devices occupying USB bandwidth  Disconnect any other USB devices that may be causing the drop in speed. If the above methods do not solve your problem, please email to sales@magewell.com.

How to use shortcuts for Director device

You can connect a USB keyboard, such as X-Keys and NumberPad, to the Director device, and then set shortcuts on the device or through the Web UI or Director Utility app. Then you can call shortcuts via the keyboard, device, Web UI or Director Utility App. You can also connect a Bluetooth keyboard to the device to use shortcuts. Please go to > Settings > Bluetooth, tap and then connect the Bluetooth keyboard according to the introduction on the interface.   Here introduce how to add and call shortcuts on the Web UI. For the shortcuts usage on the device and Director Utility app, please go to  > Settings > Help. Add Shortcuts Click the Shortcuts tab on the Produce page of Web UI. Click Add. Enter a custom name for your shortcut. Click Add Function, and then click the drop-down box of Function to select a function. As some functions may need more selections or operations, follow the on-screen guide to continue. Click Add. To add more functions for the shortcut, repeat step 4.     You can add up to 3 functions for one shortcut. When you press the key, it executes all the functions at the same time.     Besides, it provides the extra 'Wait' function which can be added between each two functions. By setting the wait duration, a group of functions can be activated sequentially with a single press, allowing them to take effect one by one. Click Find a key for the shortcut. Press a key on the USB keyboard to help find the key code, or you can enter a key code number. You can also press two or more keys at the same time Enter the key text on the key to help identify the key. You can also customize the text. Click Add to confirm. Click Add to finish adding this shortcut. Repeat step 2 to 7 to add more shortcuts. The shortcut list displays all the shortcut keys (including key text and the custom name) and their functions. Click a shortcut or press a key to test whether the shortcut works normally. (Optional) Click Key Code at the upper left corner to display or hide key code. Call Shortcuts Press a key on the keyboard. Click a shortcut in the Shortcut tab on the Produce page of Web UI. Open the Remote Assistant of Director Utility app, tap  > Shortcuts, and then tap a shortcut. Shortcuts list Visit Shortcuts for Director Device, to knew more about the full list and function descriptions.    

Basic Information for Troubleshooting

During the use of Director device, if you encounter issues that you cannot resolve or abnormal phenomena, you can provide the following basic information for our team to analyse and troubleshoot. Common Issues If you experience screen lagging, audio errors, etc., you can send the following information. Show Information Device: Tap > "Show list", scroll through the list to find the show and swipe it left. Tap "Export", and choose SD card or USB flash drive to export the show file. Web UI: Click the "Produce" tap, then click "Show List", and scroll through the list. Hover the mouse over the show and click to export it to local storage. Operation Logs Web UI: Click "System" > "Logs", click "Export" in the bottom right corner to export the log file to local storage. Version Information Device: Tap  >" "Settings" > "System" > "About", scroll through the page to view the device's version information, including hardware version, firmware version, and software version. Web UI: Click the "Dashboard" tab, check the firmware version, software version, and hardware version in the "VERSION" section. Director Utility App: Click > "Device Status", check the device's version information, including firmware version, software version, and hardware version. Videos or PhotosYou can take videos or photos of the current device's signal connection status, network status, usage steps, problem phenomena, etc., to help our staff better understand your issue.   Crash Issues If the device encounters a serious problem leading to a crash, you can export crash logs following the instructions on How to export crash log of Director device.   You can contact the support team (support@magewell.net) or use the Ticket System.  

How to use TouchOSC to control Director device

Director device is compatible with multiple OSC enabled apps, such as TouchOSC. We provide a sample layout program for TouchOSC, which helps you start using OSC control quickly and easily. The following introduces how to connect the TouchOSC app with Director device and get to start use the sample layout. Go to TouchOSC to download the TouchOSC app. On the Director device, go to > Settings > OSC Remote Control,  turn on Enable OSC, and set the following information. Host: Enter the IP address of the device on which TouchOSC is installed. This IP address enables the Director device to know the location of TouchOSC, so that it can accurately send synchronization and other messages to TouchOSC when needed. (In this case, TouchOSC acts as the receiver, though its main function is to send control commands.) Port (outgoing): Enter the port number. This number can be entered as the "Receive Port" in the TouchOSC app to receive synchronization messages sent by the Director device. (In the synchronization scenario, TouchOSC acts as the receiver.) Port (incoming): Enter the port number. This number can be entered as the "Send Port" in the TouchOSC app, serving as the destination for the app to send control messages to the Director device. (At this time, TouchOSC acts as the sender.) Local IP address: view the IP address of Director device. Open TouchOSC, click the chain link button on the toolbar to open the Connections configuration window. Switch to the OSC tab page, enable the checkbox next to Connection 1, select UDP from the drop-down box and enter the following information. Host: The IP address of Director device.  This allows TouchOSC to identify which device to send OSC messages to. The Director device uses this address to receive messages from TouchOSC. Send Port: The Port (incoming) you've set on Director device. The Director device listens on this port to receive control commands and other messages sent by TouchOSC. Receive Port: The Port (outgoing) you've set on Director device. It is used for the Director device to send synchronization and other feedback messages to TouchOSC. TouchOSC receives these messages through this port, ensuring the interactivity of the communication between the two. Click File > Open... , and open the Director OSC layout file. Click the play button on the toolbar to switch to control surface view Start to control Director device via the control surface. For more information about how to use TouchOSC, please go to Introduction TouchOSC.

What to do if Director Mini restarts?

1. Crash and Restart of Director Mini Main Program Analysis:  There are various factors that may cause the main program to crash and restart, which has a certain degree of randomness and is related to the execution of some complex operations. It is difficult to discover all of them during testing. The restart of the main program can quickly recover services and protect user data. Developers can fix the problems and improve the program according to the generated crash logs, ensuring the stable operation of the system. Diagnostic Method: When it is the crash and restart of main program, it only takes 2 to 3 seconds to restart and does not show the white MAGEWELL logo. Solution: As long as such main program crash occurs, you can export the crash log and send to Magewell Support team for analysis and repair. For details, refer to How to export crash log of Director Mini.    2. Overloading with too many external devices causes insufficient power supply, resulting in the device rebooting Analysis: Director Mini can connect external USB cameras, monitors, 4G dongles (USB modem), and other devices. If these devices do not have their own power source and rely on the DM for power, their high power consumption may exceed Director Mini's power supply capacity. Director Mini can currently provide a maximum of 18 watts. If the power consumption exceeds this value, the device will reboot. Diagnostic Method: When the device reboots, you will see the white MAGEWELL logo that was displayed when powering on (refer to the figure below). Generally, it takes 20 to 30 seconds for the reboot process to complete. Solutions: Connect power to the external device, but not taking power from Director Mini. Unplug any unnecessary USB external devices. Replace the external device with one that has lower power consumption. Replace the power supply with a higher-powered one, such as 12V/3A.   3. Device temperature getting too high Analysis:  When the device has a lot of complex scenes created, pushing the CPU/GPU to their limits for a long time, it may lead to high temperatures. Installation defects in the device, such as poor contact or looseness of the internal heat-conducting pad, can also cause high temperatures even with low CPU usage. Diagnostic Method: Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the control center, tap on "Device Status," and check the device temperature (refer to the figure below). If the device temperature exceeds 70 degrees and the fan speed goes over 4000 rpm, it can be considered as overheating. Furthermore, observe the CPU usage. If the CPU is below 50% but the temperature is still above 70 degrees, it indicates poor internal heat conduction contact, requiring a recall for reprocessing. Solution: Reduce the number of scenes or sources within scenes in the show. Send back for repair if it is poor heat dissipation contact.

How to enable/disable the audio output of USB Capture (Plus) series

USB Capture (Plus) series （Firmware version V2.6.10385 and above）support Audio Control, enabling customized selection of recording and playback devices. Steps: Open the USB Capture Utility  (V3.0.5.42875 and above). Go to "Advanced" > "Audio Control" tab. Select one device in the list to use its audio; Unselect one device, to close its audio. (All are selected by default.) After modification, click "Save to Device" at the bottom right of the window, confirm the change in the pop-up window. And the modification will take effect after disconnecting and reconnecting the device.   On Windows devices, this change is synchronised to refresh the USB Capture (Plus) counterpart display in the 'Device Manager > Audio inputs and outputs' section. Example: Select all the recording and playback devices for USB Capture HDMI Plus to enable their audio. The audio items are displayed in the Windows Device Manager. 2.  Unselect all the recording and playback devices for USB Capture HDMI Plus to disable their audio. The audio items disappear in the Windows Device Manager.

How to transfer files with computer via MTP mode

If you need to transfer files between your device and computer, please go to > "Settings" > "USB Type-C" on your device, select "MTP Mode", and then select the appropriate transfer method according to your computer system.   Windows Connect the "OUT" port of your device to your computer using the USB-C cable. Open "File Explorer" on your computer and find the device, such as "Director Mini", in "This PC" on the left side. Mac Mac needs to install software that supports Android file transfer. Here describes two available software. Using Android File Transfer Install "Android File Transfer" on your computer. Open "Android File Transfer" and drag it to "Applications". Connect the "OUT" port of your device to your Mac using the USB-C cable. Open "Android File Transfer" to access files and folders on your Director device. Using OpenMTP Install OpenMTP on your computer. Open the OpenMTP software and drag the OpenMTP software to "Applications". Connect the "OUT" port of your device to your Mac using the USB-C cable. Open OpenMTP and you will see files of Director device on the right side of the window.  

MacOS can't recognise devices after installing the new driver of Pro Capture

On some Mac computers with older drivers of Pro Capture series installed, when upgrading the capture card to V1.4.44 and above drivers, the system fails to recognise the device after successful installation. Problem Cause:On the Mac computer where the old version of the driver has been installed, the system has cached information about the old version. You need to manually delete the cached information about the old version before the new version of the driver can be loaded normally. Solution Steps: Turn on the Mac computer in recovery mode.Note: It is recovery mode, not safe mode. Enter the following command in recovery mode:kmutil trigger-panic-medic --volume-root /Volumes/<YourVolumeName><YourVolumeName> refers to the name of the partition where MacOS is installed.  

USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro Supported Resolutions and Frame Rates (mac OS)

The USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro is capable of capturing 4K video at 60 frames per second with 4:4:4 color fidelity. However, the maximum combinations of resolution, frame rate, color subsampling and bit depth that you can achieve will depend on your host system's USB interface and operating system.  A 20Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface is required for maximum performance but is not available on Mac systems.   While recent Mac systems include a Thunderbolt 4 port capable of 40Gbps, these ports are not backwards-compatible to USB3.2 Gen 2x2 at 20Gbps. USB throughput on these systems will be limited to 10Gbps or 5Gbps depending on the specific model and operating system version.   The below table outlines the combinations of resolution, frame rate, color format and chroma sampling that can be captured with the USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro on macOS, depending on the host system's USB throughput capabilities (10Gbps or 5Gbps).   Systems running Windows or Linux operating systems will have different performance capabilities. For details of USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro capabilities on these systems, please see this article: USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro Supported Resolutions and Frame Rates (Windows & Linux) - Magewell   Color format ChromaSampling Bit Depth Resolution  Frame rate USB3.2 Gen 2x1, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) USB3.2 Gen 1x1, USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB 3.0 (5Gbps) YUY2 4:2:2 8-bit 4096x2160 30 25 3840x2160 50 25 2560x1440 100 50 1920x1080 200 100 1280x720 240 200 NV12 4:2:0 8-bit 4096x2160 60 30 3840x2160 60 30 2560x1440 150 70 1920x1080 240 120 1280x720 240 240 UYVY 4:2:2 8-bit 4096x2160 30 25 3840x2160 50 25 2560x1440 100 50 1920x1080 200 100 1280x720 240 200   We are in the process of validating additional resolution and frame rate combinations, and will update this article as more information is available.