Performance Tips

Performance issues are usually a combination of asset complexity, output load, and node configuration.

Media and Rendering

  • Prefer playback-friendly codecs and resolutions appropriate for target outputs.
  • Limit unnecessary overlapping high-resolution cues.
  • Use blur/color-heavy effects carefully in dense sections.
  • Confine assets to the displays that need them. WATCHOUT renders an asset on every display its content overlaps, even by a fraction of a pixel, which adds render load on that node. If an asset spills onto a display you did not intend, put the asset and that display on different presentation tiers so it stops rendering there. See Presentation (Tiers).

Node Health

  • Keep playback nodes dedicated to WATCHOUT services.
  • Watch CPU/GPU/memory indicators in activity views.
  • Verify disk throughput for high-bandwidth assets.
  • Cool the SSDs that serve high-bandwidth assets. Without enough cooling, an SSD throttles and its read speed drops, which can stutter SSD-intensive playback.

Timeline Practices

  • Group stable cue clusters to reduce editing overhead.
  • Use layer organization to simplify active scenes.
  • Avoid last-minute structural changes during live operation.

Network and Sync

  • Keep show traffic on reliable wired networking.
  • Verify NTP/time sync behavior on Director/Runner systems.
  • Resolve stale/offline node status before technical run-through.
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