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Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 6:20 pm
by Tim_Ashton
Hi,

This is a similar issue to the post viewtopic.php?f=4&t=79078 but relating to Facebook so I’ve created a separate topic.

I have the USB output from the Web Presenter connected to a laptop. On the laptop I have the Facebook Live portal running (Facebook.com/live/create) with the ‘Camera’ option selected. I see approx 50% of the output - the centre of the screen. I presume that this is becuse FB is expecting a resolution half the size of the input the Web Presenter is sending, but since since both should be 1080x720 I don’t see why.

Has anyone had a similar problem or got any thoughts?

Many thanks!
Tim

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Mon Oct 08, 2018 7:35 pm
by cbcmedia
I have the same issue. We are streaming a 720p signal, but it's severely cropped in facebook live

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Mon Oct 08, 2018 9:10 pm
by Tim_Ashton
Hi Jay,

I'm glad it's not only me! I just assumed as nobody had replied then it was either an issue nobody else had or nobody else used the Web Presenter!

I've been through all the settings and searched extensively online, but all my searches either show people selling the Web Presenter, or with loads of info about Facebook Live.

Does anyone else have the same issue? Or is everyone else getting on OK with it?

Thanks,
Tim

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 7:14 am
by Nerds LTD
Same here! I had to run the feed through OBS to eliminate the issue.

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:47 pm
by Tim_Ashton
Thanks Jason - how did you fix it by running it through OBS? I've also got OBS installed but not really had much chance to use it yet. Will it take the full resolution and convert it? Is it obvious how to do it, or are their specific settings you used to do.

It sounds like this isn't a unique problem - I wonder how many people are having the same issue.

Thanks,
Tim

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Wed Oct 24, 2018 4:33 pm
by Stefan Bixner
The device offers multiple resolutions, you need to select the right one. That's mentioned in nearly every thread about the Webpresenter here.

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Wed Oct 24, 2018 5:14 pm
by Tim_Ashton
Stefan Bixner wrote:The device offers multiple resolutions, you need to select the right one. That's mentioned in nearly every thread about the Webpresenter here.


Thanks Stefan. I'm fairly new to this and don't want to disagree with you, but Tony Rivera (from Blackmagic Design) says at the URL below, "There is only the 720p format on the USB Webcam output of the Web Presenter. ". URL: https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=79078#p437597

When I go into the menu, having installed the latest firmware last week, I get no option to change the resolution or the USB output format.

Am I misunderstanding this?
Thanks,
Tim

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Wed Oct 24, 2018 5:35 pm
by Stefan Bixner
Tim_Ashton wrote:
Stefan Bixner wrote:The device offers multiple resolutions, you need to select the right one. That's mentioned in nearly every thread about the Webpresenter here.


Thanks Stefan. I'm fairly new to this and don't want to disagree with you, but Tony Rivera (from Blackmagic Design) says at the URL below, "There is only the 720p format on the USB Webcam output of the Web Presenter. ". URL: https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=79078#p437597

When I go into the menu, having installed the latest firmware last week, I get no option to change the resolution or the USB output format.

I don't know how to do it in the software you are using.

The webpresenter offers multiple resolutions in raw and mjpeg. 640x480 is the highest for raw video, I guess this is the resolution chosen by the program as it is 4:3. not 16:9, resulting in the cropped image.

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 2020 1:25 am
by johnmacleod
It's now 2020!! Has anyone found a solution to this very annoying problem? What I see is that while previewing the live stream in Firefox, it looks just fine. Once I hit the Go Live button, it almost always crops the video within about 2 seconds of starting. I say almost always because just occasionally it doesn't happen!! No changes. It just doesn't.

Really hoping for a fix here. OBS is better behaved but I get quite a significant video delay and can't delay the audio enough to fix it.

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2020 5:53 pm
by Tim_Ashton
Hi John,

We never found a solution, and as a result the Web Presenter and the nice fancy panel we paid extra just sit in a cupboard!

To be fair, I haven't tried a firmware update for 9 months so maybe it has improved.

Many thanks,
Tim

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Wed Feb 19, 2020 2:52 pm
by David Settlemoir
The last time I tried to use my Web Presenter with Skype (shooting an interview for BBC so they could monitor across the pond) I had the same problem.

The Web Presenter was worthless.

They couldn't tell what my actual framing was, since it was zoomed. I haven't used it since, and that was a couple of years ago.

David

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Wed Feb 19, 2020 3:19 pm
by Tim_Ashton
I raised it with BMD support and they fudged saying a firmware update should sort it out. Obvioulsy that made no difference. They kept saying it was a software issue with Skype and OBS, but it was never resolved. A shame really.

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2021 2:01 pm
by CoryBolles
2021 now - anyone have any updates on this? Facing this issue on a daily basis now

Re: Web Presenter output cropped by Facebook

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 4:14 pm
by Tim_Ashton
I've heard nothing and had no joy. To be honest, I gave up on this a year ago and use a different workflow. It now fills a slot in our Teranex mini rack shelf (rather than having an empty slot!).

Good luck!