Video File
Video File source lets you load local media files and analyze playback with OmniScope scopes and QC tools.
Playback Controls
After connecting a Video File source, use the source options to:
Play / pause
Scrub position
Loop playback
The Playback Controls visibility setting is saved per input and remains in effect after reconnecting the source or restarting OmniScope.
When the video source is selected, press the Left Arrow or Right Arrow key to pause and step backward or forward by one frame. This also works with the FFmpeg reader in OmniScope 1.11.55 and later.
Free Run Mode
Free run mode bypasses source FPS and real-time pacing, delivering frames as fast as the processing pipeline can accept them. This is useful for offline analysis, batch QC, or exporting where real-time playback speed is not required.
Enabling Free Run
Select the video file source in the Input Strip.
Open the Settings tab in the source panel.
Under Free run, check Enabled.
Speed Indicator
When free run is active, a real-time speed multiplier (e.g. 9x) is displayed above the source viewer area, showing how much faster than real-time the file is being processed.
Reader Selection
On macOS and Windows, OmniScope can use different decoding backends for local video files.
Open Preferences > Video file playback and choose Video file reader:
Auto: prefers the native system decoder when supported, otherwise falls back to FFmpeg
AVFoundation on macOS or Media Foundation on Windows: native decoding path
FFmpeg: software fallback for formats the native reader cannot open reliably
On Windows, the Video file playback preference is available in release builds in 1.11.44+.
Audio Support
Use the Audio Meter scope to verify levels during playback.
In OmniScope 1.11.55 and later, files with multiple audio tracks retain their decodable channels in track order, up to 32 channels. Tracks with different sample rates or start times are aligned on a common playback timeline, with gaps represented as silence.
In OmniScope 1.11.54 and later, seeking or repeating playback resets loudness measurements and held peaks so they reflect the new playback position.
Sync and Playback Notes
In 1.11.54, Windows video decoding and conversion stay on the GPU when supported, improving 4K playback performance with scopes and QC enabled.
In 1.11.55, FFmpeg playback was updated to keep the latest requested position during rapid scrubbing, improve seek accuracy for H.264, HEVC, and ProRes files, and include delayed frames at the end of a clip.
Troubleshooting
No audio from file playback
Confirm the file contains an audio track.
Check source audio settings and monitor scopes.
In Preferences > Video file playback, try switching Video file reader between Auto, the native reader, and FFmpeg.
Try another file to rule out codec/container issues.
Playback stutter
Reduce active scopes or QC load.
Use local SSD storage for large files.
Lower playback resolution if needed.
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