Direct Sources
Last updated
Last updated
Direct Sources are video streams that feed content directly into the Userful application. The application decodes, scales, transforms, and re-encodes the content and distributes it to your displays or wall.
Direct Sources also include scaling options. This allows you to zoom, crop, or stretch content to fit your canvas if the aspect ratio of the content does not perfectly match your displays or zones. This is in contrast to Interactive Sources, which automatically scale themselves to fit.
Zoom full-screen: It zooms the content until there are no black pixels displayed. This may crop out part of your content but will fill the canvas without distorting the image.
Scale: It displays all your content and will not distort the image, but will include black bars if the content does not fit the aspect ratio perfectly.
Stretch: It stretches the content to fill the canvas perfectly. note that this may distort content in the process.
The Signage Player source allows users to upload an image and video content directly to the Userful server, and create playlists.
Signage Player is the best source to deliver quality image and video content to Userful-powered displays, both in terms of efficiency and quality. It can decode and play content at up to 8K 60FPS with minimal or no compression, switch playlists instantly, and requires no external input to run.
Signage Player in the on-premise setting is compatible with the following formats:
Audio Codecs | .Mp3, .FLAC, .AAC |
Video Codecs | H.263, H.264, H.265, MPEG, Theora, Vorbis, VPX, XviD, VP8, VP9 |
Video Containers | .AVI, .ASF, .MKV, .MPG, .MP4, .OGV, .MOV, .WebM |
Image Formats | .gif, .pbm, .pgm, .png, .ppm, .qif, .qti, .tif, .tiff, .jpe, .jpg, .jpeg, .qtif, .webp |
Click on the New Source option. From the drop-down menu select the Signage Player option and provide a name
Click on the Add Files option to add content already stored on the server.
Click on the Add Dir option to add a directory of content already stored on the server (helpful for larger playlists).
Click on the Upload option to upload new content from your computer.
Click on the Add Files option to add those files to the playlist once the upload is finished
Use the arrow keys to the left of the content list to arrange files in the desired playing order.
Select the Scaling option. Its default value is Zoom full-screen.
Enter the value (in seconds) for Slideshow Interval for static images. Videos will play in uninterrupted sequence
Enable Audio if required, it is disabled by default.
Enable Forward & Store only if you are using uClients.
Click OK to complete the process.
Userful 10.6 introduced the Forward & Store functionality for Signage Player and uClients. In older versions, with Zero Clients, and in 10.6 the content is continuously decoded, re-encoded, and streamed to the displays in real-time.
With the Forward & Store option enabled, content is decoded, cropped, re-encoded for each individual display, and then downloaded to that display's internal storage, where it is then played locally, maintaining synchronization with timing from the server.
This allows playback of video content from the local devices themselves, is very similar to Signage Player in the cloud, and greatly reduces network bandwidth required for playing Signage Player content.
Starting a new Forward & Store type source can cause some initial buffering and slow playback as the GPU works on the file for the first time. However, the playback should run seamlessly after the first loop.
Forward & Store does not work with Zero Clients.
Image and video content that is sent directly to a display using Forward & Store (a display not in a Video Wall Zone) must be compatible with the following formats:
Video Codecs | H.263, H.264, H.265, MPEG, VP8, VP9 |
Video Containers | MKV, MPG, MP4, WebM |
Image Formats | APNG, AVIF, GIF, JPEG, PNG, SVG, WebP |
If Forward & Store is used with a Video Wall Zone, then all of the file formats supported in Signage Player are supported as well, as they are transcoded by the server.
Userful Servers that have Blackmagic HDMI or SDI capture cards manage feeds from those cards using the Blackmagic DeckLink source.
If you are unboxing and installing your own Blackmagic Capture cards, please see this page detailing the initial configuration steps.
For troubleshooting steps, see Troubleshooting Blackmagic Capture.
The following models of Blackmagic DeckLink Capture Cards are currently supported and supplied by Userful.
Model | Input | Connector Type | Number of Inputs | Max Resolution | Color Space |
HDMI, SDI | HDMI A Female, BNC | 1 | 1080p (Full HD) @ 60fps / 2160p (UHD) @ 30fps | RGB, YUV | |
SDI | BNC | 4 | 1080p (Full HD) @ 60fps | RGB, YUV | |
SDI | DIN 1.0 / 2.3 | 8 | 1080p (Full HD) @ 60fps | RGB, YUV | |
HDMI | HDMI | 4 | 4K @ 60 FPS | RGB, YUV |
Note: 1080i resolution is not supported anymore.
The following models of Blackmagic DeckLink Capture Cards are no longer actively tested or supported by Userful, or are no longer commercially available, but should remain functional. Note that these capture cards are not recommended for new Userful deployments.
Model | Input | Connector Type | Number of Inputs | Max Resolution | Color Space |
HDMI, SDI | HDMI, BNC | 1 | 1080p @ 30 FPS | RGB, YUV | |
HDMI, Composite/Component | HDMI, included analog breakout | 1 | 2160p @ 30 FPS, 1080p @ 60 FPS | YUV, RGB @ 4K | |
Duo | SDI | SDI | 2 | 1080p @ 60 FPS | RGB, YUV |
Quad | SDI | DIN 1.0 / 2.3 | 4 | 1080p @ 60 FPS | RGB, YUV |
Userful Pro+ and Enterprise servers have multiple capture ports. In the following diagrams, the number inside the circle is the capture source # in UCC. The io# is the corresponding number in the Input list. These diagrams assume you are looking at the back of a server that is oriented upwards, or in a standing position.
On new Userful-shipped servers, Blackmagic sources are already configured. This step happens automatically when Userful is installed and started for the first time on a new server with compatible Blackmagic capture cards already installed. If cards are added after installation, then sources must be created manually.
Click on the New Source option.
From the drop-down menu select the Blackmagic DeckLink Capture option and provide it a name.
Select the Input device from the drop-down menu. If you are using a multi-port card, the information mentioned details information on how to determine port numbers.
Select the Mode from the drop-down list. Automatic mode is recommended.
Select the Connection type from the drop-down menu. Automatic type is recommended.
Select a scaling option.
Enable Audio if required.
It is recommended to keep the Xclient option enabled, especially if you are using many DeckLink Capture sources.
Enter the number of pixels you wish to crop from the left, right, top, and bottom of the captured external device. This is useful if the feed from the device itself includes black bars that you wish to remove.
Click OK to complete the process.
Map a Display or Zone to the Source and click Apply.
The xClient option enabled by default, creates a separate back-end process for each Blackmagic capture stream, running each inside a windowed app. This option improves the stability and scalability of Blackmagic capture sources, allowing more consecutive sources to run i.e., up to twenty-four 1080p 60. With the right hardware configuration, there should be no visible impact or change to the user experience (refer to configurations here).
xClient adds additional elements to the stream, so audio support may not function in certain use cases. If your system is managing more than four 1080p or two 4K video capture or RTSP feeds, or if your current system is experiencing unwanted behavior, it is recommended to enable this option.
If you are experiencing issues with the audio or general reliability, disable the xClient option and contact Support.
Found in Standard PCs, these cards can accept up to 4K 60FPS video from one of the two connectors at a time. See the full specifications of this card here.
Configuration settings for HDMI input for this card are as follows:
For SDI capture, just select 1: SDI from the Connection menu.
Found in older Professional+ PCs, these cards are usually installed two at a time for a total of 8 ports. Each port can intake 1080p 60FPS video, for a total of four 1080p 60 streams, or 8 streams in a normally-configured server. See the full specifications of this card here.
Configuration settings for the Duo 2 are as follows:
Where the Duo 2 cards get tricky is in port numbering. It is not sequential, and numbering begins at 0. The Input field looks like this:
The list number denotes the port as it relates to the position on the card: 0 is the first port, 1 is the second, etc. The io number corresponds to individual ports on the cards.
Note that the port marked with an X is a reference port, and is not used.
The first input should be connected to the port marked 0/0 above, and be set to io0 in the Source controls.
The second input should be connected to the port marked 2/1 above and be set to io2 in the Source controls.
The third input should be connected to the port marked 1/2 above and be set to io1 in the Source controls.
The fourth input should be connected to the port marked 3/3 above and be set to io3 in the Source controls.
Note that an installed second card continues the numbering scheme, though retains the same io numbering as the first, and the same reference (X) port is not in use.
Found in Enterprise PCs, these cards are usually installed two at a time for a total of 16 ports. Each port can intake 1080p 60FPS video, for a total of 8 1080p 60 streams, or 16 streams in a normally-configured server. See the full specifications of this card here.
A normally-configured source for the Quad 2 looks like this:
Like the Duo2, the Quad2's ports are not numbered sequentially, and numbering begins at 0. The Input field looks like this:
The list number denotes the port as it relates to the position on the card: 0 is the first port, 1 is the second, etc.
The io number corresponds to individual ports on the cards.
Note that the port marked with an X is a reference port, and is not used.
The first input should be connected to the port marked 0/0 above and be set to io0 in the Source controls.
The second input should be connected to the port marked 2/1 above and be set to io2 in the Source controls.
The third input should be connected to the port marked 1/2 above and be set to io1 in the Source controls.
An installed second or third card will continue the list numbering scheme, though retains the same io numbering as the first card, and the same reference (X) port is not in use.
Found in current Professional+ PCs, these cards are usually installed two at a time for a total of 8 ports. Each port can intake 4K 60FPS video, for a total of 4 4K 60 streams, or 8 streams in a normally-configured server. See the full specifications of this card here.
Unlike the Duo2 or Quad2, the port numbering of the Quad HDMI card is very easy and intuitive. Map each Source to its respective position on the card as below.
If you have all connections set up and working but are not seeing any signal on your displays, refer to the Blackmagic Capture Troubleshooting topic.
Userful contains the following three types of Network Stream Sources:
RTP Streamer:
It allows you to access MP2T video streams distributed with RTP.
More stream types will be added in future releases.
RTSP Streamer: It is a dedicated RTSP streaming source. When configuring a new Userful system to receive RTSP streams, this source type should be used first.
Network Streamer: It allows you to access authenticated RTSP or HTTP video streams. This source type was developed before the dedicated RTSP Streamer source, and remains for legacy support.
Steps to Create an RTSP Streamer Source
Click on the New Source option. From the drop-down menu select RTSP Streamer and give it a name.
Provide the media URL or IP address of the stream
Set the Buffer rate.
Its default value is 2000 and functions seamlessly.
Provide the user credentials. Note that this option is optional.
Select the Scaling option.
Enable Audio if required.
It is recommended to use Xclient, especially if you are using multiple RTSP sources
Enable short_header if you are experiencing difficulties acquiring streams from lower-end RTSP webcams or other devices. This can help capture streams from devices with less sophisticated built-in RTSP servers.
Click OK to complete the process
The xClient option, enabled by default, creates a separate back-end process for each RTSP stream, running each inside a windowed app. This option improves stability and scalability of RTSP capture sources, allowing more consecutive sources to be run. xClient adds additional elements to the stream, so audio support may not function in certain use cases.
If your system is managing more than four 1080p or two 4K video capture or RTSP feeds, or if your current system is not experiencing unwanted behavior, it is recommended to keep xClient enabled. In case you are experiencing issues with the audio or general reliability, disable xClient and contact Support.
Creating a Network Streamer Source (for HTTP streams)
Click on the New Source option. From the drop-down menu select Network Streamer and give it a name.
Select protocol from the drop-down list. It is recommended that you choose this source only for HTTP streams.
Provide the media URL you want to stream.
For example, use only server_name/file_path instead of the complete URL rtsp://server_name/file_path.
Set the Buffer size. Its default value works seamlessly.
Provide user credentials if necessary.
Select the Scaling option. Its default value is Zoom full-screen.
Change Audio settings as per your requirements.
Click OK to complete the process
Creating an RTP Streamer Source
This source currently only works with MP2T video payloads.
Click on the New Source option. From the drop-down menu select the RTP Streamer option and provide it a name.
Set the IP and Port of the stream origin
As the only payload supported is 33 (MP2T), no selection is needed here
Provide user credentials if necessary
Select the Scaling option. (default: Zoom full-screen)
Change Audio settings as per the requirement
Click OK to complete the process
Userful supports video capture devices that advertise V4L (Video4Linux) compatibility. These are most commonly USB HDMI capture dongles.
Note that while V4L compatibility exists in Userful, due to the open-ended nature of the market we cannot guarantee support for all devices. It is recommended to use certified Blackmagic DeckLink capture cards to perform media capture.
Creating a Video Capture Source
Select the primary input Device from the drop-down menu. If you are using more than one device, some trial-and-error may be required to find the one you want
Select the Scaling option
Enable audio if required
Enter the number of pixels to be cropped from left, right, top and bottom of the captured external device. This is useful if the feed from the device itself includes black bars that you want to remove.
Click OK to complete the process
