Pluto Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 Hi! Let me start by saying that Watchout is all new to me. Now to the problem that I have. I have one master-computer and three slave-computers connected to four projectors. One computer to each projector. For some reason all slave-computers start up nice and sends out the film but I don´t get any pictures from the projector connected to the master-computer. The master-computer starts up but for some reason the Watchout program starts and then ends up in a Wait-mode. If I restart the computer or restart Watchout everything works fine untill the next morning. The computers are set to shot down at a pre set time every evening and are set to start at a pre set time every morning. I should not have to do this manually. We use Watchout 4. Can you please help me to solve this issue? Best regards /Pluto 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonas Dannert Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hi Pluto, What do you mean here?? The Production computer (Master) is not supposed to give any playback image, only the Displays do. It's used to create & control. Your autostart issue is solved by using a text-file based script for starting WATCHOUT, described in the manual's appendix section, Filebased control of Displays. /jonas 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pluto Posted July 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hi Jonas! Yes, you are right. I did not explain myself that well. The so called (Master) is a display computer, this is the computer running the start-up script. For some reason it will not display the film. WO ends up in a Wait-state but if I restart the computer the film starts up and is displayed. When I run the computer at my office there are no problems what so ever but connecting the computer where it is supposed to be, the problem occure every morning. /Pluto 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonas Dannert Posted July 9, 2012 Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 What is then the difference at the office and onsite? Is it a stand-alone installation? No network switch onsite? /jonas 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pluto Posted July 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 There are no significant differences between the office and where the computer is supposed to be placed. This is a networkconnected computer. The only difference is the media used to display the film with. At my office I use a computer screen connected via VGA or HDMI, this works fine. The problem occure when I connect the computer to a projector via HDMI. The film will not start in the morning. Computer starts up correct but it will not display the film. If I restart the computer the film is displayed via the projector and it works all day long and the computer shuts down correct in the evening. Next morning problem occures again. What might be the problem? I am out of ideas now. Thanks in advance. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonas Dannert Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 HDMI to projector - connected how? Length? Focus on differences! /jonas 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasL Posted July 11, 2012 Report Share Posted July 11, 2012 I'll chip in with a shot. Could it be that in the morning startup, at least one of the Slave Display PCs is slow in its startup readiness, and therefore the Master waits, and waits...and does not get a return signal from the slow Slave that it is now ready. On the manual re-start, all Slaves are ready, so it all runs thereon without a hitch, until the next morning startup? Is such is the case, put in a longer delay on the Master startup to allow the slow Slave to get ready. my 2 cents, Thomas 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pluto Posted July 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2012 The projector is connected by a 8-10 meter long HDMI cable in the show room. At the office i have a cable no longer than 2 meter. This is the only difference. How ever, we have 15 more units that are connected like this and they all work just fine. The equipment is configured like this: One computer connected to a projector running the start-up script. Three other computers connected to one projector each. In total we have four computers and four projectors to run the show. We have three other stations with the same amount of computers and projectors for three other shows. I think there must be some issues with our show files, some settings or with the Watchout software. These are the only things that I can think of and that is causing us this problem. For some reason the computer works when I use it at my office, it starts and shuts down as it is set to do. In the show room there is no picture from the computer with the start up script. I do get pictures from the other three computers connected to this show. If we restart the computer with the start up script we get pictures from all four projectors. What to do and how to do it? /Pluto 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasL Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 Questions: Is the Ethernet switcher hub the same amongst all the shows? Have you tried swapping the Ethernet switcher to see if it is the cause of the problem? The Cat5 cables also. It is usually hard to nail down a specific cause in troubleshooting - could be hardware, could be software. It is a step by step procedure - tedious, but necessary. Only you, being on-site, would know what the difference is between this set up and the other, or the differences within the cluster itself. If necessary, you could transfer the show you are having problems with, to the other cluster of PCs which have shown no problems, and run it there. Does the problem transfer over? What about the show on the 'no problem cluster' of equipment transferred over to this problem cluster? Does the problem repeat on this cluster? Working this way, narrows down the problem area, and eventually should nail down the cause. Thomas 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pluto Posted July 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 ThomasL, you are right. Only problem is that I am just working here during this summer and I was not a part of the set up procedure. I can only assume that they used the same type of equipment in all four shows and I think they did. I think that I will be able to narrow down the cause to this problem but I might not be able to sort it out entirely. I can only try my very best to get it to work until the staff gets back from their hollidays. Thanks for your information and help to solve this issue. /Pluto 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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