System Requirements
WATCHOUT runs on Windows. The recommended hardware is listed below; Producer alone is typically less demanding — see the note.
Administrator privileges required. WATCHOUT must run as a Windows administrator. It needs admin rights to configure time synchronization, manage its services, and access graphics-driver features. Without admin, WATCHOUT will not start.
Producer is often lighter than the specifications below. It plays back asset previews at quarter resolution (width / 4 × height / 4), so most workstations are sufficient for authoring.
Hardware
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 (64-bit) | Windows 11 23H2 or newer (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i3/i5, AMD Ryzen 3/5 | Intel Core i7/i9, AMD Ryzen 7/9, or equivalent Xeon/EPYC |
| RAM | 16 GiB DDR4 | 32 GiB DDR5 or more |
| Graphics | Any modern GPU | NVIDIA RTX PRO |
| Storage | SATA SSD (500+ MiB/s sustained read) | NVMe SSD (Gen4, 3500+ MiB/s sustained read) |
| Network | Gigabit Ethernet | 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet |
CPU instruction set. WATCHOUT requires a CPU that supports the AVX2 and FMA instruction sets. These are standard on Intel CPUs from Haswell (2013) and AMD CPUs from Excavator (2015) onward. Older CPUs are not compatible.
AMD graphics. AMD GPUs may work for basic playback, but several production features require NVIDIA professional GPUs:
- Hardware genlock/framelock via NVIDIA Sync boards
- EDID management from within WATCHOUT
- GPUDirect for low-latency Deltacast capture and playout
Test AMD graphics cards before deploying to production.
Windows Editions: Consumer vs. WATCHPAX
When configuring a computer for WATCHOUT, use standard consumer Windows editions. Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro are the recommended options for user-built systems.
| Feature | Windows 11 Home/Pro | WATCHPAX |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Standard Windows | Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC |
| Feature updates | Every 6-12 months | None (security only) |
| Support lifecycle | 24 months | 10 years |
| Preinstalled apps and Store apps | Included | Removed |
| WATCHPAX Config Support | No | Yes |
| Update control | Limited | Complete control |
| Pre-configured | No | Yes, optimized for WATCHOUT |
Why choose WATCHPAX over a custom-built PC?
WATCHPAX is an embedded player, not a general-purpose PC. It ships with a custom-configured Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC tuned for unattended show playback.
- Locked-down OS. The system partition is read-only; every boot returns to the same known-good state. Config drift and accidental changes do not accumulate.
- No desktop. Runs in kiosk mode with no Windows shell, Cortana, or Store apps. WATCHOUT services are the only thing running.
- No surprise updates. LTSC receives security patches only, with up to 10 years of support. No feature updates change behavior mid-show.
- Built-in recovery. A recovery image on the unit restores it to its factory configuration when needed.
- SSD tuned for sustained throughput. Storage and cooling hold the rated sustained read speed continuously.
- Pre-configured. Arrives ready for WATCHOUT with optimal settings applied.
NVIDIA RTX PRO Professional Graphics
Consumer GeForce cards run WATCHOUT, but NVIDIA RTX PRO GPUs are strongly recommended for production. They are designed for continuous (24/7) operation, ship with enterprise drivers, and expose hardware features WATCHOUT relies on for sync, EDID, and low-latency capture.
RTX PRO vs. GeForce
| Feature | NVIDIA RTX PRO | GeForce RTX |
|---|---|---|
| Designed for 24/7 operation | ✓ Workstation cooling, conservative clocks | ✗ Consumer/gaming profile |
| EDID management from WATCHOUT | ✓ Supported | ✗ Not supported |
| Hardware genlock/framelock | ✓ With NVIDIA Sync board | ✗ Software sync only |
| GPUDirect (Deltacast capture/playout) | ✓ Supported | ✗ Not supported |
| Driver branch | ✓ Enterprise / ODE | Consumer / Game Ready |
| Long-term driver support | ✓ Extended | ✗ Shorter consumer cycle |
EDID Management
WATCHOUT can manage EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) directly when using NVIDIA RTX PRO or Quadro graphics cards. This allows you to:
- Set custom resolutions and refresh rates per output
- Emulate display EDIDs for consistent behavior without physical displays connected
- Configure outputs before connecting actual projectors or screens
EDID management through WATCHOUT is only supported on NVIDIA professional GPUs. With AMD or other graphics cards, manage EDID settings outside of WATCHOUT using third-party tools or hardware EDID emulators.
NVIDIA Sync Board: Framelock and Genlock
For multi-projector installations requiring perfect frame synchronization:
- NVIDIA RTX PRO Sync boards enable hardware-level genlock between multiple GPUs and external sync sources
- Framelock ensures all outputs across multiple cards/systems swap buffers simultaneously
- Critical for edge-blended panoramas and LED wall installations where frame tearing between panels is visible
Hardware required. Framelocking multiple Runner nodes or syncing to an external genlock signal requires an NVIDIA Sync board installed in each Runner node. This is a separate hardware add-on for RTX PRO / Quadro cards; it is not possible with consumer GeForce GPUs.
Professional Driver Certification
RTX PRO drivers undergo extensive testing and certification:
- Optimal Drivers for Enterprise (ODE) – Stability-focused drivers with extended testing cycles
- Longer support lifecycle – Enterprise customers receive driver updates for extended periods
- Better regression testing – Less risk of updates breaking existing functionality
Video Capture Requirements
When using video capture devices with WATCHOUT, ensure your hardware meets these requirements:
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Windows Media Foundation | Capture device must have Windows Media Foundation (WMF) compatible drivers |
| Deltacast Cards | Require GPUDirect support for optimal performance |
GPUDirect: For Deltacast capture cards, GPUDirect enables direct memory transfer between the capture card and GPU, bypassing system memory for lower latency and reduced CPU overhead.
Storage Recommendations
Video playback performance depends heavily on storage speed. Sustained read rate matters more than peak specifications. It is the speed your SSD can maintain continuously during 24/7 operation without thermal throttling.
Why MiB, not MB? WATCHOUT uses the IEC-standardized binary units mebibytes (1 MiB = 1024² bytes = 1,048,576 bytes) and gibibytes (1 GiB = 1024³ bytes). The more familiar "MB" and "GB" are not consistently defined: Windows File Explorer shows file sizes in MiB but labels them "MB", while Task Manager and Performance Monitor use true SI megabytes (1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes). The same drive's read rate will look about 4–7% higher in Performance Monitor than in WATCHOUT because of this — they are the same speed measured against different denominators. To convert a MB/s figure to MiB/s, divide by 1.0486.
Sustained vs. peak performance. SSD vendors usually advertise peak read speeds — what a cool drive can do in a short burst. Under continuous reads the drive heats up and thermally throttles, often well below the advertised number. WATCHOUT shows the same frames at the same rate for the whole show, so what matters is the speed the drive can hold indefinitely, not its peak.
Form factor matters. M.2 drives have very little surface area and throttle quickest without active cooling. U.3 drives and PCIe add-in-card SSDs are physically larger, easier to cool, and hold their rated speed for much longer.
Vendors rarely publish sustained numbers, so plan to test the drive under load — or rely on independent reviews that include sustained read benchmarks. For 24/7 installations, make sure the drive has adequate airflow or a heatsink.
Bandwidth and storage by format
Enter the video resolution and frame rate to see the sustained read rate, per-minute storage size, and recommended storage tier for each codec WATCHOUT supports. Useful for non-standard sizes — LED walls, ultrawide blends, or custom aspect ratios.
HAP and HAP Q add a second-stage Snappy compression, and Notch LC adds LZ4 — both trim real-world bandwidth and storage by roughly 5–30% depending on content (animated content compresses more, filmed/grainy content compresses less). HEVC's value is the target bitrate the optimizer aims for. Image sequences are uncompressed RGBA and match the calculator exactly.
Storage rule of thumb. If the required bandwidth exceeds about 70% of a drive's sustained read rate, step up to the next storage tier.
* Notch LC quality levels. The Optimizer encodes Notch LC at one of several quality presets — Good, Very Good, Excellent, Optimal (default), or Best. Higher quality means a larger file. The calculator uses 1 byte per pixel as an upper bound before LZ4 compression; real files are typically smaller, and lower-quality presets produce significantly smaller files.
Images are stored as RAW/uncompressed for playback performance. ProRes and other compressed video formats are automatically optimized to Notch LC by default.
For shows with large asset libraries, calculate total storage needs including headroom for revisions and additional content. A 1 TB NVMe SSD is suitable for most productions; consider 2 TB or more for 4K/8K heavy projects.
Network Requirements
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 1 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps |
| Switch | Managed Gigabit switch | Enterprise-grade with IGMP snooping |
| Topology | Star (all on same subnet) | Dedicated VLAN for WATCHOUT |
Why 2.5 Gbps? Most modern motherboards include 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet as standard, a significant improvement over 1 Gbps without the cost and complexity of 10 Gbps infrastructure. This is the same networking standard used in WATCHPAX Runner nodes.
What is IGMP snooping? Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) snooping is a switch feature that optimizes multicast traffic. Without it, multicast packets (used by WATCHOUT for synchronization and NDI® video) flood all switch ports, wasting bandwidth. With IGMP snooping enabled, the switch forwards multicast traffic only to devices that need it. This reduces network congestion, especially in systems with multiple Runner nodes or NDI sources.
NDI Stream Bandwidth Requirements
NDI (Network Device Interface) is commonly used for video input in WATCHOUT. Here are the typical bandwidth requirements:
| Resolution | Frame Rate | Bandwidth (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1920×1080 | 60 fps | ~125 Mbps |
| 3840×2160 (4K) | 60 fps | ~250 Mbps |
| 7680×4320 (8K) | 60 fps | ~500 Mbps |
Multiple simultaneous NDI streams may require 2.5 Gbps or faster networking, depending on total throughput.
File Transfer Time Comparison
Network speed dramatically affects how quickly you can deploy assets to Runner nodes. The table below shows approximate transfer times for common file sizes:
| File Size | 1 Gbps (~119 MiB/s) | 2.5 Gbps (~298 MiB/s) | 10 Gbps (~1.2 GiB/s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GiB | ~9 seconds | ~4 seconds | ~1 second |
| 100 GiB | ~15 minutes | ~6 minutes | ~90 seconds |
| 1 TiB | ~2.5 hours | ~60 minutes | ~15 minutes |
Actual transfer speeds depend on disk I/O, network congestion, and switch quality. The values above assume modern SSDs and a well-configured network with minimal overhead.
For productions with large asset libraries or frequent content updates, faster networking pays for itself quickly in reduced setup and rehearsal time. Consider higher-speed networking especially for:
- 4K/8K video content – Single uncompressed 4K frames can exceed 30 MB
- Image sequences – Thousands of files that benefit from sustained throughput
- Multi-node deployments — simultaneous transfers to multiple Runner nodes
- Live event environments – Last-minute content changes require rapid deployment
NDI® is a registered trademark of Vizrt NDI AB.