Kickstarting the Desktop Video connection

We've had issues getting Desktop Video Setup to connect to UltraStudio devices via Thunderbolt, when using M1 / M2 Macs running macOS Ventura and Sonoma (Intel-based Macs work fine)

There are many tutorials in this forum, and in other places, but none of them worked for us.

Happily, Desktop Video Setup comes with a terminal script that "kickstarts" the connection between the app and our UltraStudio devices.

Context

- You are using an M1 / M2 Mac with macOS Ventura or Sonoma

- UltraStudio devices are properly connected via a working Thunderbolt 3 cable or higher

- Desktop Video Setup 12.7 is installed, and properly authorised in macOS's "Privacy & Security" settings pane

- No devices are shown as connected when the Desktop Video Setup app is opened

How to solve

1. Connect the UltraStudio devices to your Mac with a Thunderbolt 3 cable or higher

2. Open Desktop Video Setup

3. Navigate to this location in the Finder: Macintosh HD (or the name of your hard drive) → Library → Application Support → Blackmagic Design → Blackmagic DeckLink

4. In the list, locate the Terminal script called DesktopVideoHelper and double-click it.

The script takes under a second to run. Once it is complete, the connected UltraStudio devices are shown in Desktop Video Setup.

5. Close the Terminal window (it's OK to terminate the processes that are running)

Here's a video showing the process in practice
https://capture.dropbox.com/ueOC7l6si8Ynhg07

Note
Please note that this is not a permanent, one-time fix. If your M1 / M2 Mac doesn't find your connected UltraStudio devices on its own when you open the Desktop Video Setup app, you will need to run the script every time you use this app.

I do not know why things are this way, and I am not able to debug other setups. Hopefully, future versions of Desktop Video Setup will be able to detect connected UltraStudio devices without "kickstarting" the connection with the included Terminal script.

I hope this works as well for you as it did for us!

Bravo! Not sure how I didn't find this tip for two days of searching. It would have saved me much aggravation, but works perfectly (so far).

Thank you so much.

M1 Mac Mini, Sonoma, Ultrastudio Monitor (and Recorder) 3G

I seem to be missing the Deck Link folder in my Application Support -> Blackmagic Design folder, and therefore don't have access to this Terminal script file. I do have the current Desktop Video Setup installed as well as the current Resolve Studio. Am I missing something?

Thanks!

@wade: The script is in this folder:

Macintosh HD (or the name of your hard drive) → Library → Application Support → Blackmagic Design → Blackmagic DeckLink


Based on your screenshot, you are viewing this folder:

Macintosh HD (or the name of your hard drive) → Users → Your user account → Library → Application Support → Blackmagic Design

Thank you so much for the reply! Yes you're correct, I was in the wrong folder.

In case this helps anyone else, I also noticed that I had to update my UltraStudio Monitor 3g itself. (I sort of stumbled on this solution after running the DesktopVideoHelper executable didn't change anything) Right next to the DesktopVideoHelper file should be the Desktop Video Updater, which prompted me to update my UltraStudio. After that was done, I ran the DesktopVideoHelper executable again, and PRESTO! It finally showed up in Desktop Video Setup, and my Resolve color grading monitor was up and running.

Feels great to finally have this problem fixed. It's annoying that contacting Blackmagic support directly didn't yield any results, but I'm so thankful for this forum!

@wade: The script is in this folder:

Macintosh HD (or the name of your hard drive) → Library → Application Support → Blackmagic Design → Blackmagic DeckLink


Based on your screenshot, you are viewing this folder:

Macintosh HD (or the name of your hard drive) → Users → Your user account → Library → Application Support → Blackmagic Design

So glad to hear that this was useful, @wade!

Here's hoping BMD fixes this issue soon, so their devices "just show up" when we plug them into our computers.

I can confirm that this is also a problem with my intel MacBook pro running Sonoma 14.1.2 (23B92), running the script works as a workaround.

Thx a lot for this!!!

Same problem for me with latest Sonoma and 2019 Intel Mac Pro

BM, please fix it!

Jerry

didn't work for me... the device shows in system information, I run DesktopVideoHelper, no luck
on Sonoma 14.2.1, Macbook pro

Hello,

I have same issue, I'm have Mac Studio m2, Os 14.2.1, I try to connect my Ultrastudio 4k but d'ont work, the Mac detected the hardware but software desktop video no detect ... I already try to run the DesktopVideoHelper but don't work ...

But it's work perfectly to my MacBook Pro with same os ...

Any idea ?

Same happening on my M3 MacBookPro. Was fine on my Intel with Sonoma a week ago.

Any other suggestions? When I ran the updater after the helper nothing opened

My gut feeling is that this is a Securities & Permissions problem with Sonoma (and not the first that's been reported). I think this is one of those things that Apple has to fix -- it's not a Blackmagic problem per se.

Thanks so much Fredrik! I found this after a few days of back and forth with both Blackmagic Design and Sonnet. I've added the DesktopVideoHelper script to my login items, so that it runs automatically upon boot up.

I Believe Marc Is right about it being a Mac issue. Apparently Mac blocks a black magic extension automatically & it is causing all kinds of problems.

I was able to get my deckling to finally recognize after I went into my system preferences/security & Privacy window. Scroll down to where you see "Some system software requires your attention before it can be used" and click on "details" button. That will open a dialog box and you can toggle on the "Black Magic Design" box. that will prompt for a restart. after I restarted my computer, I opened desktop studio and my deckling mini monitor card appeared right away.

This solved my problem where I had a deckling mini monitor that could not be detected in black magic desktop video!!

I made an interesting observation with my 'sandboxed' system:
When I finally decided to update our main systems to Ventura, I went to Sonoma with the sandbox. The I/O device that was functional before the update was still fine afterwards. Seems the necessary permissions stick.