PLAYBACK

Playback is where your show leaves the editing environment and reaches the audience — whether that means previewing on your Producer screen or running live across a network of display servers. This chapter covers the full path from local preview through network connection to live show operation, including the per-timeline playback model, system readiness verification, and procedures for reliable performance.

Getting Started

Understand how WATCHOUT controls playback before going live.

  • Starting and Stopping - per-timeline Run, Pause, and Stop states, keyboard shortcuts, the play cursor, timeline lock modes, free-running cues, and multi-timeline playback
  • Preview Mode - using the Stage window to validate timing, transitions, and composition flow, including camera modes, display preview images, and what requires target hardware

Going Live

Connect Producer to your display network and verify the system is ready for the audience.

  • Connecting to Display Servers - node discovery, the Nodes window, assigning Director and Asset Manager roles, service monitoring, and troubleshooting missing nodes
  • Going Online - verifying that Producer, Director, Runners, and Asset Manager are connected and synchronized, the system readiness checklist, and the first verification pass

Show Operation

Running your show reliably in front of an audience.

  • Running Your Show - pre-show checklists, auto-run timelines, control cues for multi-timeline automation, timeline triggers, live monitoring, recovery procedures, and post-show best practices