[RESOLVED] Frontend backglass only showing black screen

[Brutze]

Hi there glad to be here, I am lovin' all this Vpinning

PinballX is working almost perfectly. Tables in VPX, FP and PBFX2 are all loading and playing correctly on both my little monitors (No DMD yet but soon)

In the frontend the tables are showing up and playing the table videos ok on monitor 1, BUT the backglass videos only show as black on monitor 2.

I've checked and the .f4v video is there in the media/Visual Pinball/Backglass Videos/ folder.

Interestingly the tables that don't yet have front end media yet show a generic pinballX logo on the backglass perfectly well.

I've been messing with this problem for a couple of days. I tried changing full screen windowed to "Yes" as one user suggested, but then both screens show as black...urgh

Any suggestions gratefully received...

Newbie Greetings from Berlin, Germany

Brutze

log.txt

PinballX.ini

[ruebsy]

Can't say for sure what's best to use now, but can try sharkeys007 codecs. Or latest LAV filters. Google search either of those, it may help.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Umpa]

I run true full screen and to get the backglass to show using pinballx I rename the b2s to the rom name. Works every time.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

 

[Brutze]

Cheers guys. Thanks for getting back to me.I tried the 007 Codecs.

I'm just trying to get the videos to work. I have .b2s switched off for the front end settings.If I do switch them on I get black screens on both. PinballX does show thele table Instruction cards correctly on the Backglass monitor. Makes me believe it's some kind of codec problem. But how can that be if the playfield video works fine? Does PBX accept other video formats than .f4v?

Hmm. I had the LAV filters from here. Then tried the ones from the K-Lite pack.

It did work at one point earlier in the week. I think it might have something to do with the VP10 exclusive fullscreen mode. But I don't know how that could affect the front end.

I'm waiting to hear from Mr. Speirs about my annual payment. Then I can ask for official help.

[ruebsy]

 

I have recently installed a now older version and had issues on a friends cab with just backglasses in Fx2. Same build running on mine at home and they work fine.

 

He did respond saying he may have pulled the BG video. I'll link it in my next comment.

The 2.36 version is newer than what we have running in our cabs.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ruebsy]

Frontend backglass only showing black screen

 

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_fid=57534&share_tid=19145&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egameex%2Einfo%2Fforums%2Findex%2Ephp%3F%2Ftopic%2F19145-Frontend-backglass-only-showing-black-screen&share_type=t

 

I wonder if we are having the same issue somehow.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ruebsy]

With my issue the BGs show in pbx but the moment the table loads for only fx2, the BG goes black.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ruebsy]

 

Do You have hide backglass checked or unchecked in game manager?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brutze]

Thanks. Unchecked.

[Brutze]

Oh that link takes me nowhere.

Which version do you have working correctly?

Edited May 8, 2017 by Brutze
To save space

[Draco1962]

Best advice, uninstall all codecs, then reinstall latest LAV. Also, you should be running the latest version of PinballX. 

Second, your annual or Lifetime subscription only provides you with additional access on the FTP and files on the Repository, as well as GameEx Online features, in addition to a registered copy of GameEx.

Contrary to popular belief,  it doesn't grant you special support from or access to "God's ear" AKA Mr. Speirs.

[Brutze]

Thanks. Understood. Will do.

 

 

[Brutze]

Well I tried. Reinstalled PBX latest. Uninstalled codecs. Installed latest LAVs. But I'm getting nowhere. I would be surprised if it's a codec problem because the playfield videos are playing fine on the main monitor. Same file format. But I don't know enough about codecs. How does PinballX play two videos at the same time on two monitors? Is it two players and one doesn't have the codec? LOL

It does look as if PinballX/Some plugin is switching off the signal to the other monitor when trying to play the two videos at once. I mean it goes completely black.

Also, It goes black at the beginning of PinballX startup whereas the playfield displays a Logo . But as I said, it does show the logo on the backglass screen for tables that have no backglass video file. Just removing the .f4v file from that folder brings this back.

The tables all play fine with backglasses working in all the software, so it shouldn't be the NVidia video card settings should it.

Hmm... I don't know...Windows 10?

 

[Draco1962]

I run Windows 10 and an nVidia GPU without any problem. I do, however, run .mp4s instead of .f4v files. I don't know if that makes much of a difference or not.

[Brutze]

Nice suggestion but nope. I swapped it for an mp4. Same problem.

 

[Draco1962]

How does it work if you run VPX in full screen windowed vs full screen exclusive? 

[Brutze]

Wow.That's it. thank you so much for your help. I've got to hand it to you. That fixed this problem. I ran a table in VPX alone using full screen windowed mode and then closed vpx and started up PinballX. Low and behold the backglass videos returned. A bit spooky though; that relationship between the two programs. The games all loaded/played/closed fine.

I think the reason I was on forced exclusive was because of low frame rates I was getting/stickyness on some tables. There was some good reason for it.

Would be good if PinballX could cope with that setting. I have a feeling the graphics arn't quite as smooth/clear in windowed.

I'll have to play around. 

Now I hope I can pay for that FTP access soon and get all the front end media downloaded. You don't have anything to do with Subscriptions Support do you?

 

 

 

[Umpa]

I use full exclusive mode that's why i suggested naming your b2s the same as the rom name I have no issues with the backglass showing when launching with pinballx

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

 

[Brutze]

Thanks Umpa. You did mention that above. But I was a bit confused about why that would affect this instance.

Are you using the .b2s software in the front end directly or are you playing videos from a folder? Are these two related? I figured that Videos from a folder would make the main menu faster.

[Draco1962]

Nope, Tom is the membership support. Send him a PM. I know that there are some issues with PayPal and Germany. 

[Brutze]

Thanks Draco. PS Those wheel graphics for PBFX2 are V: Fine!!!

[Draco1962]

Glad you like them! 

[Brutze]

Cool...Tom sorted out my membership issues this morning.

Oh dear however...I started the game manager and imported media for about 10 Future Pinball tables. Left the game manager and started up PinballX. Aargh. Now none of the backglass videos will show in the frontend. If no video is available and a still image IS then PinballX WILL show that. If a video AND a still image are in their respective folders then I get a black screen.  Playfield Images/videos and wheel images are all unaffected and work without a problem.

I tried the trick with switching to forced full screen and then switching back to windowed mode but this doesn't affect anything anymore. WTF?

 

[Brutze]

Now it's showing the Marvel Ant Man PBFX2 playfield image for some of the VPX tables. Not even the same folders. No way.

[Brutze]

Now I put a VP10 backglass video into the VP backglass videos folder and the playfield video stopped working. LOL

Maybe I should wipe the SSD and start again.