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External Output
The external output window provides a dedicated, pixel-perfect output display for testing with real LED hardware. This feature is available in the desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux).
Opening the External Output
Click the Live Output button in the toolbar to open the external output window. The button shows the connection status.
How It Works
The external output window renders your processor output at full resolution with:
- Uncompressed 4:4:4 pixel data — No lossy compression is used, ensuring pixel-perfect output
- Full resolution rendering — Matches your configured output resolution
- Real-time compositing — All surfaces are rendered at up to 60 FPS
Using With LED Hardware
To test with actual LED panels:
- Connect a secondary display output from your computer to your LED processor
- Move the external output window to that display
- Press F11 or F to go fullscreen
- The processor receives the exact pixel data it would get from a production media server
This lets you verify your entire signal chain — from surface configuration through processor mapping to actual LED panel output — without needing a media server.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| F11 or F | Toggle fullscreen |
| S | Toggle FPS counter |
| Esc | Close window (when not fullscreen) |
Output Quality
The external output uses uncompressed pixel data with full 4:4:4 chroma subsampling. This is essential because:
- LED panels display individual pixels — any compression artifacts are visible
- Chroma subsampling (4:2:0 or 4:2:2) causes color fringing on fine details
- Pixel-perfect output is required for alignment and calibration workflows
Use the 4:4:4 Chroma Test pattern to verify the full signal path is maintaining uncompressed quality.
Performance
The external output window maintains 60 FPS rendering even when:
- The main app is running multiple views
- Animated test patterns are active
- Video content is playing
- The output is at 4K resolution (3840x2160)