Bugfixes and minor changes:

• MSW: Fixed bug that caused the installer to override the name of the log file in certain circumstances.

31.0.3 Hotfix Changes

• Fixed a crash in OBS Studio 31.0.2 when attempting to log info about a browser source crash [WizardCM]
• Fixed a crash on macOS if OBS used more than 8GB of memory [PatTheMav/jcm93]
• Fixed a possible crash if OBS Studio was opened in Studio Mode [PatTheMav/tt2468]
• Fixed a potential deadlock with browser sources on OBS shutdown [tt2468]
• Fixed an issue with streams not reconnecting correctly after a disconnect [dsaedtler]
• Fixed several issues with NVIDIA Background Blur [pkviet]
• Fixed an issue where Video Capture Devices on macOS could be unintentionally flipped upside down [jcm93]
• Fixed an issue where the Program View resolution would not update correctly [exeldro]

31.0.2 Hotfix Changes

• Fixed a crash on Windows when initializing a Video Capture Device source that does not provide a valid frame size [RytoEX]
• Fixed a crash on Windows when using NVIDIA Audio Effects filters with certain SDK versions [pkviet]
• Fixed a crash on Windows when using obs-websocket with a config path that contained Unicode characters [PatTheMav/tt2468]
• Fixed a crash on macOS when initializing a Video Capture Device source in a corrupt state [jcm93]
• Fixed an issue on macOS where Python scripting would not work if Python was installed via Homebrew [jcm93]
• Fixed an issue on Windows where browser sources would not recognize gamepad input if OBS Studio was not in focus [WizardCM]
• Fixed an issue with browser sources where they would occasionally stutter for 250ms [reitowo/WizardCM/PatTheMav/tytan652/pkviet]
• Fixed an issue on Linux where browser sources used more CPU than previous versions [tytan652]
• Fixed the setting value range for NVENC target quality for AV1 [Bleuzen]
• Fixed logging for NVENC lookahead values [DeeDeeG]
• Added additional logging for browser sources [WizardCM/tt2468]

31.0.1 Hotfix Changes

• Fixed a crash on macOS caused by hand gesture reactions [gxalpha]
• Fixed a crash caused by malformed scene collection files [PatTheMav]
• Fixed a possible crash on Linux when initializing PipeWire screen sharing [tytan652]
• Fixed a possible deadlock and freeze on macOS while exiting OBS [izwb003]
• Fixed an issue with inhibiting screensaver on Linux [tytan652]
• Fixed an issue where migrated NVIDIA Audio Effects filters would not retain their position in the filter order [pkviet]
• Fixed an issue where Scene Collections could have an incorrect base resolution [derrod]
• Fixed an issue on Linux with Portable Mode causing the config directory to be in the wrong location [Penwy]
• Fixed an issue where an Image Slideshow Source set to Random Playback Mode would stop on the last image [derrod]
• Fixed a missing string for an NVENC error message [derrod]
• Changed NVENC to not permit invalid custom options [derrod]

31.0 New Features

• Added NVIDIA Blur Filter and Background Blur [pkviet]
• Added preview scrollbars and zoom/scale indicator [cg2121/Warchamp7]
• Added v210 format support for AJA device capture [paulh-aja]
• Added Amazon IVS service integration [palana]
• Added QSV AV1 Screen Content Coding [thyintel]
• Enabled first-party YouTube Chat features [msuman-google]

31.0 Changes

• Updated the browser source/docks CEF (Chromium) to version 127 (6533) on all platforms [reitowo/WizardCM/PatTheMav/tytan652/pkviet/kkartaltepe/Lain-B]
• Changed scene items to use relative coordinates [derrod]
  • Existing scene collections will be automatically converted to use relative coordinates if the scene collection has a known output resolution set.
• Split NVIDIA Audio Effects from Noise Suppression [pkviet]
  • Existing filters will be automatically migrated.
• Changed the Image Slideshow's Playback Mode property from radio buttons to a dropdown [derrod]
• Disabled the (currently unsupported) built-in Automatic Scene Switcher when using Wayland on Linux [tytan652]
• Improved error messages for macOS Virtual Camera [jcm93]
• Changed Display and Window capture on Windows to not capture the first found display or window [Lain-B]
• Changed display and window capture on Linux to not capture implicitly [Lain-B]
• Added a warning to Window Capture when trying to capture WinUI 3 applications with BitBlt [qhy040404]
• Refactored the NVENC implementation with various improvements [derrod]
  • SDK 12.2 features, such as split encoding, are now supported.
  • Additional features from old SDKs are supported:
    • B-Frames as reference
    • Target Quality VBR mode (CQVBR)
  • A custom options field has been added to allow setting more options that don't warrant their own UI elements.
• Improved screensaver inhibit functions on Linux in Flatpak [tytan652]
• Changed scripts to correctly pass settings to modified callbacks on reload [Penwy]
• Removed legacy QSV code for old devices (Haswell or older) [RytoEX]
• Removed legacy QSV code for Windows 7 [RytoEX]
• Removed default desktop audio device on macOS 13+ [jcm93]
• Removed NVIDIA Kepler GPU support for NVENC [derrod]
• Removed FTL support [derrod]
• Removed legacy migrations from OBS Studio 28.1 and earlier [derrod]
  • If updating from these older versions, you may wish to update to OBS Studio 30.2 first, and then update to OBS Studio 31.
• Removed support for Ubuntu 22.04 [derrod]
• Removed legacy YouTube chat [gxalpha]
• Blocked TikTok Virtual Camera from loading in OBS due to known issues [notr1ch]
• Application settings have been split into "app" configuration and "user" configuration, rather than storing everything in global.ini [PatTheMav]

31.0 Bug Fixes

• Fixed two crashes with the QSV encoder on Linux [kkartaltepe]
• Fixed a crash with a race condition involving multitrack video output reconnect [dsaedtler]
• Fixed two potential crashes in Linux Window Capture [Lain-B]
• Fixed a crash on macOS that could occur if an audio device was disconnected [jcm93]
• Fixed a crash on Windows when capturing D3D12 games [confusionattack/Lain-B]
• Fixed a crash on Linux when importing a scene collection created on Windows [SarenDev]
• Fixed a crash on Windows when capturing a Vulkan application [Charlese2]
• Fixed a deadlock in MP4 muxer [derrod/notr1ch]
• Fixed a deadlock when shutting down muxer [exeldro]
• Fixed a potential deadlock when stopping an encoder [derrod]
• Fixed a potential memory error and crash in text parser [fzwoch]
• Fixed a couple minor memory leaks [pkviet]
• Fixed a memory leak in PipeWire plugin [dimtpap]
• Fixed a memory leak when playing an HDR media file [tt2468]
• Fixed an issue on FreeBSD with handling SSL certificates [emaste]
• Fixed an issue with pressed button color in the Rachni theme [shiina424]
• Fixed an issue with some missing icons in the System theme [shiina424]
• Fixed an SRT listener bug where the socket was not closed properly [pkviet]
• Fixed an issue where the current scene collection could be erased to default when trying to switch to a different scene collection that's corrupted or invalid [derrod]
• Fixed a buffer overrun in UTF-8 text conversion [derrod]
• Fixed an issue that could cause bitrate spikes in QSV CBR [thyintel]
  • Note: This fix only applies to Lunar Lake or newer except Alder Lake N.
• Fixed an issue where the Auto Configuration Wizard could unintentionally enable Enhanced Broadcasting [lexano-ivs]
• Fixed issues with the audio clipping indicators displaying incorrectly on volume meters [norihiro]
• Fixed an issue causing hotkeys to register inconsistently on macOS [jcm93]
• Fixed an issue causing multitrack video output to fail if color format was set to I444 [dsaedtler]
• Fixed an issue where Custom CSS in browser sources no longer worked with certain websites (namely YouTube chat) [vvto33]
• Restored STUN support for WHIP output [mondain]

Checksums

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OBS-Studio-31.0.3-Windows-Installer.exe: 4800ea05ddcdde7832a1c58a2b1e29684eee122c08e23ab122c9815d05404c32
OBS-Studio-31.0.3-Windows-PDBs.zip: 386dd1fcffef3e3bfe97d99bc1e2e64bd16da7f16049752802e5f78db2a24487
OBS-Studio-31.0.3-Windows.zip: b7086a6b6162d5122eedf7773e96c723e455ad1a931b59d1097f020ee7ff145e
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OBS-Studio-31.0.3-macOS-Apple.dmg: 29fe18704eb5134e3cc1e486dcfd2e3c1e69df06b918a20529c2e67cb9d9590d
OBS-Studio-31.0.3-macOS-Intel-dSYMs.tar.xz: d4759e41176509c0d1214ff670f664a4b938299804c35742a58587f65b005094
OBS-Studio-31.0.3-macOS-Intel.dmg: 1a91c95a05b7cfde6573b5d7c10aa00ef8f7a961e60fb38dd3167ac577657977

New features:

• It is now possible to configure which protocols users are allowed to login with

Bugfixes and minor changes:

• Fixed validation of domain names during certificate creation if a component in the hostname consists purely of numbers
• Administration UI: Fixed issues with renaming users
• Windows installer: Improved logging

This is a hotfix for brush rendering to not occasionally have segments that are drawn twice.

The 5.1.6 update was a hotfix for a memory leak, and also updated the bundled JPEG XL plugin to fix a crash on ARM64.

The 5.1.5 update added JPEG XL (*.jxl) support, improved quantization color quality, updated AVIF loading to better handle mapping HDR images to SDR, and fixed some bugs.

Get the Update

There are two releases of Paint.NET:

• Microsoft Store release (recommended)

  • You can purchase it here. This helps fund development and is an alternative or supplement to sending in a donation. In addition, updates happen automatically in the background when you’re not using the app.
  • If you already have it installed, the update should happen automatically once Microsoft certifies the update, usually within the next day or so. To get the update immediately (once it’s certified), you can follow the instructions listed here.
• Classic Desktop release
  • Download the installer from the website. This is the recommended download if you don’t have Paint.NET installed. It can also be used to update the app.
  • If you already have it installed, you should be offered the update automatically within the next few days, but you can also get it immediately by going to Settings -> Updates -> Check Now.
  • Offline Installers and Portable ZIPs are available over on GitHub.

Change Log

Changes since 5.1.6:

• Fixed a bug in the UI system that was causing the brush tools to occasionally process pointer input events twice.
• Updated the bundled JpegXLFileType plugin to v1.1.3 (thanks @null54!).

Changes since 5.1.5:

• Fixed a memory leak when flattening an image and then undoing that change.
• Updated the bundled JpegXLFileType plugin to v1.1.2 to fix a crash on ARM64 (thanks @null54!).

Changes since 5.1.4:

• New: JPEG XL (*.jxl) images are now supported by way of bundling @null54‘s JpegXLFileType plugin
• Fixed the Levels adjustment not honoring the active selection.
• Fixed some more mouse cursor issues when completing certain actions with certain tools.
• Fixed some keyboard shortcuts in the Adjustments menu not working reliably.
• Fixed most cases of tooltips blinking on/off when drawn near the bottom of the screen (thanks @toe_head2001!).
• Fixed some new high-DPI scaling issues in toolbar dropdowns.
• Improved quantization quality for Effects->Color-Quantize and when saving an image at 8-bit depth and below. This was done by merging octree node colors in linear gamma space.
• Fixed some incorrect background text color rendering in the status bar.
• Updated the bundled AvifFileType plugin to v3.12.1, which improves conversion from HDR images utilizing the Rec. 2020 PQ color space (thanks @null54).
• Updated the bundled WebpFileType plugin to v1.5.0 (thanks @null54!).

This is a hotfix for 5.1.5 that fixes a memory leak, and also updates the bundled JPEG XL plugin to fix a crash on ARM64.

The 5.1.5 update added JPEG XL (*.jxl) support, improved quantization color quality, updatesdAVIF loading to better handle mapping HDR images to SDR, and fixed some bugs.

Get the Update

There are two releases of Paint.NET:

• Microsoft Store release (recommended)

  • You can purchase it here. This helps fund development and is an alternative or supplement to sending in a donation. In addition, updates happen automatically in the background when you’re not using the app.
  • If you already have it installed, the update should happen automatically once Microsoft certifies the update, usually within the next day or so. To get the update immediately (once it’s certified), you can follow the instructions listed here.
• Classic Desktop release
  • Download the installer from the website. This is the recommended download if you don’t have Paint.NET installed. It can also be used to update the app.
  • If you already have it installed, you should be offered the update automatically within the next few days, but you can also get it immediately by going to Settings -> Updates -> Check Now.
  • Offline Installers and Portable ZIPs are available over on GitHub.

Change Log

Changes since 5.1.5:

• Fixed a memory leak when flattening an image and then undoing that change.
• Updated the bundled JpegXLFileType plugin to fix a crash on ARM64 (thanks @null54!).

Changes since 5.1.4:

• New: JPEG XL (*.jxl) images are now supported by way of bundling @null54‘s JpegXLFileType plugin
• Fixed the Levels adjustment not honoring the active selection.
• Fixed some more mouse cursor issues when completing certain actions with certain tools.
• Fixed some keyboard shortcuts in the Adjustments menu not working reliably.
• Fixed most cases of tooltips blinking on/off when drawn near the bottom of the screen (thanks @toe_head2001!).
• Fixed some new high-DPI scaling issues in toolbar dropdowns.
• Improved quantization quality for Effects->Color-Quantize and when saving an image at 8-bit depth and below. This was done by merging octree node colors in linear gamma space.
• Fixed some incorrect background text color rendering in the status bar.
• Updated the bundled AvifFileType plugin to v3.12.1, which improves conversion from HDR images utilizing the Rec. 2020 PQ color space (thanks @null54).
• Updated the bundled WebpFileType plugin to v1.5.0 (thanks @null54!).

This update adds JPEG XL (*.jxl) support, improves quantization color quality, updates AVIF loading to better handle mapping HDR images to SDR, and fixes some bugs.

Get the Update

There are two releases of Paint.NET:

• Microsoft Store release (recommended)
  • You can purchase it here. This helps fund development and is an alternative or supplement to sending in a donation. In addition, updates happen automatically in the background when you’re not using the app.
  • If you already have it installed, the update should happen automatically once Microsoft certifies the update, usually within the next day or so. To get the update immediately (once it’s certified), you can follow the instructions listed here.
• Classic Desktop release
  • Download the installer from the website. This is the recommended download if you don’t have Paint.NET installed. It can also be used to update the app.
  • If you already have it installed, you should be offered the update automatically within the next few days, but you can also get it immediately by going to Settings -> Updates -> Check Now.
  • Offline Installers and Portable ZIPs are available over on GitHub.

Change Log

Changes since 5.1.4:

• New: JPEG XL (*.jxl) images are now supported by way of bundling @null54‘s JpegXLFileType plugin
• Fixed the Levels adjustment not honoring the active selection.
• Fixed some more mouse cursor issues when completing certain actions with certain tools.
• Fixed some keyboard shortcuts in the Adjustments menu not working reliably.
• Fixed most cases of tooltips blinking on/off when drawn near the bottom of the screen (thanks @toe_head2001!).
• Fixed some new high-DPI scaling issues in toolbar dropdowns.
• Improved quantization quality for Effects->Color-Quantize and when saving an image at 8-bit depth and below. This was done by merging octree node colors in linear gamma space.
• Fixed some incorrect background text color rendering in the status bar.
• Updated the bundled AvifFileType plugin to v3.12.1, which improves conversion from HDR images utilizing the Rec. 2020 PQ color space (thanks @null54).
• Updated the bundled WebpFileType plugin to v1.5.0 (thanks @null54!).

31.0.2 Hotfix Changes

• Fixed a crash on Windows when initializing a Video Capture Device source that does not provide a valid frame size [RytoEX]
• Fixed a crash on Windows when using NVIDIA Audio Effects filters with certain SDK versions [pkviet]
• Fixed a crash on Windows when using obs-websocket with a config path that contained Unicode characters [PatTheMav/tt2468]
• Fixed a crash on macOS when initializing a Video Capture Device source in a corrupt state [jcm93]
• Fixed an issue on macOS where Python scripting would not work if Python was installed via Homebrew [jcm93]
• Fixed an issue on Windows where browser sources would not recognize gamepad input if OBS Studio was not in focus [WizardCM]
• Fixed an issue with browser sources where they would occasionally stutter for 250ms [reitowo/WizardCM/PatTheMav/tytan652/pkviet]
• Fixed an issue on Linux where browser sources used more CPU than previous versions [tytan652]
• Fixed the setting value range for NVENC target quality for AV1 [Bleuzen]
• Fixed logging for NVENC lookahead values [DeeDeeG]
• Added additional logging for browser sources [WizardCM/tt2468]

31.0.1 Hotfix Changes

• Fixed a crash on macOS caused by hand gesture reactions [gxalpha]
• Fixed a crash caused by malformed scene collection files [PatTheMav]
• Fixed a possible crash on Linux when initializing PipeWire screen sharing [tytan652]
• Fixed a possible deadlock and freeze on macOS while exiting OBS [izwb003]
• Fixed an issue with inhibiting screensaver on Linux [tytan652]
• Fixed an issue where migrated NVIDIA Audio Effects filters would not retain their position in the filter order [pkviet]
• Fixed an issue where Scene Collections could have an incorrect base resolution [derrod]
• Fixed an issue on Linux with Portable Mode causing the config directory to be in the wrong location [Penwy]
• Fixed an issue where an Image Slideshow Source set to Random Playback Mode would stop on the last image [derrod]
• Fixed a missing string for an NVENC error message [derrod]
• Changed NVENC to not permit invalid custom options [derrod]

31.0 New Features

• Added NVIDIA Blur Filter and Background Blur [pkviet]
• Added preview scrollbars and zoom/scale indicator [cg2121/Warchamp7]
• Added v210 format support for AJA device capture [paulh-aja]
• Added Amazon IVS service integration [palana]
• Added QSV AV1 Screen Content Coding [thyintel]
• Enabled first-party YouTube Chat features [msuman-google]

31.0 Changes

• Updated the browser source/docks CEF (Chromium) to version 127 (6533) on all platforms [reitowo/WizardCM/PatTheMav/tytan652/pkviet/kkartaltepe/Lain-B]
• Changed scene items to use relative coordinates [derrod]
  • Existing scene collections will be automatically converted to use relative coordinates if the scene collection has a known output resolution set.
• Split NVIDIA Audio Effects from Noise Suppression [pkviet]
  • Existing filters will be automatically migrated.
• Changed the Image Slideshow's Playback Mode property from radio buttons to a dropdown [derrod]
• Disabled the (currently unsupported) built-in Automatic Scene Switcher when using Wayland on Linux [tytan652]
• Improved error messages for macOS Virtual Camera [jcm93]
• Changed Display and Window capture on Windows to not capture the first found display or window [Lain-B]
• Changed display and window capture on Linux to not capture implicitly [Lain-B]
• Added a warning to Window Capture when trying to capture WinUI 3 applications with BitBlt [qhy040404]
• Refactored the NVENC implementation with various improvements [derrod]
  • SDK 12.2 features, such as split encoding, are now supported.
  • Additional features from old SDKs are supported:
    • B-Frames as reference
    • Target Quality VBR mode (CQVBR)
  • A custom options field has been added to allow setting more options that don't warrant their own UI elements.
• Improved screensaver inhibit functions on Linux in Flatpak [tytan652]
• Changed scripts to correctly pass settings to modified callbacks on reload [Penwy]
• Removed legacy QSV code for old devices (Haswell or older) [RytoEX]
• Removed legacy QSV code for Windows 7 [RytoEX]
• Removed default desktop audio device on macOS 13+ [jcm93]
• Removed NVIDIA Kepler GPU support for NVENC [derrod]
• Removed FTL support [derrod]
• Removed legacy migrations from OBS Studio 28.1 and earlier [derrod]
  • If updating from these older versions, you may wish to update to OBS Studio 30.2 first, and then update to OBS Studio 31.
• Removed support for Ubuntu 22.04 [derrod]
• Removed legacy YouTube chat [gxalpha]
• Blocked TikTok Virtual Camera from loading in OBS due to known issues [notr1ch]
• Application settings have been split into "app" configuration and "user" configuration, rather than storing everything in global.ini [PatTheMav]

31.0 Bug Fixes

• Fixed two crashes with the QSV encoder on Linux [kkartaltepe]
• Fixed a crash with a race condition involving multitrack video output reconnect [dsaedtler]
• Fixed two potential crashes in Linux Window Capture [Lain-B]
• Fixed a crash on macOS that could occur if an audio device was disconnected [jcm93]
• Fixed a crash on Windows when capturing D3D12 games [confusionattack/Lain-B]
• Fixed a crash on Linux when importing a scene collection created on Windows [SarenDev]
• Fixed a crash on Windows when capturing a Vulkan application [Charlese2]
• Fixed a deadlock in MP4 muxer [derrod/notr1ch]
• Fixed a deadlock when shutting down muxer [exeldro]
• Fixed a potential deadlock when stopping an encoder [derrod]
• Fixed a potential memory error and crash in text parser [fzwoch]
• Fixed a couple minor memory leaks [pkviet]
• Fixed a memory leak in PipeWire plugin [dimtpap]
• Fixed a memory leak when playing an HDR media file [tt2468]
• Fixed an issue on FreeBSD with handling SSL certificates [emaste]
• Fixed an issue with pressed button color in the Rachni theme [shiina424]
• Fixed an issue with some missing icons in the System theme [shiina424]
• Fixed an SRT listener bug where the socket was not closed properly [pkviet]
• Fixed an issue where the current scene collection could be erased to default when trying to switch to a different scene collection that's corrupted or invalid [derrod]
• Fixed a buffer overrun in UTF-8 text conversion [derrod]
• Fixed an issue that could cause bitrate spikes in QSV CBR [thyintel]
  • Note: This fix only applies to Lunar Lake or newer except Alder Lake N.
• Fixed an issue where the Auto Configuration Wizard could unintentionally enable Enhanced Broadcasting [lexano-ivs]
• Fixed issues with the audio clipping indicators displaying incorrectly on volume meters [norihiro]
• Fixed an issue causing hotkeys to register inconsistently on macOS [jcm93]
• Fixed an issue causing multitrack video output to fail if color format was set to I444 [dsaedtler]
• Fixed an issue where Custom CSS in browser sources no longer worked with certain websites (namely YouTube chat) [vvto33]
• Restored STUN support for WHIP output [mondain]

Checksums

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vMix 28 is now available for download via the vMix.com download page! If you’re a vMix Max user or purchased vMix from January 2023 then you can update right now for free. Prior to this date, it’s a $60 fee for 12 months of updates if you’d like to experience the new vMix 28 features! For a quick overview of vMix 28, check out this 2-3 minute video brought to you by current vMix CEO, Martin ‘McStreamy’ Sinclair.

Telestrator

A Telestrator has been added to the vMix Web Controller! Easily add illustrations, shapes, and images to a production from any modern web browser. The Web Controller will provide a new low latency video feed that can used to telestrate on! Just add a Telestrator as an overlay or layer on your production for excellent success!

10 shortcuts can also be added to the Telestrator screen so the talent can not only telestrate but control the production as well!!

5 streaming destinations and encoder statistics!

Now that you can use 8 hardware encodes with an NVIDIA GeForce card, vMix has opened up the number of streaming destinations to 5! This leaves another 3 free for other encodes like records! Having trouble keeping up with how many hardware encoders you’re doing? Well vMix now has an Encoder tab in the Statistics section, where you can manage the number of encoders you’re currently using.

New playback triggers!

vMix 28 now features 2 triggers for inputs that have a playback time. For example someone could now perform a function at a particular time during a video playout.

• OnPlaybackTime
• OnPlaybackTimeRemaining

New MultiView Options!

MultiView2 has been added to vMix, alongside some additional configuration options. This will include the ability to remove preview/output, choose the preview/output mix, select the audio being displayed and the ability to click on the MultiView to move an input to Preview.

Audio Updates

Some exciting new audio updates to make productions a little easier.

• New System/Application Audio Input for vMix 28.
• Display and interact with all of your buses directly from the Audio Mixer.
• The Audio Bus Manager will update live, so you can drive all of your buses with confidence and aplomb.
• New option to disable the scrollwheel from adjusting the audio faders.

Mix Inputs can now have their own Overlays and Stingers!

Creating additional Mixes just got taken to a whole new level with vMix 28. You can now create shortcuts to display overlays in a Mix Input and also transition using Stingers!

New Anchor Option in the GT Designer

You can now scale titles using different anchoring options, it doesn’t have to be just Left-Top anymore!

Try vMix for free!

For a Free 60-Day Trial of vMix Pro, just head to the download page on vMix.com. You just need to download, install and enter your email address where it says Register for a fully functional 60 day trial.

vMix 28 will be a free update for those that have purchased after January 1st 2023 or if you’ve purchased a 12 month upgrade…in the last 12 months. vMix Max users can update for free.

If you’re outside of this window and would like to update, you can do so via our Upgrades Page. It’s $60 USD for an additional 12 months of updates. If you don’t want to, you can continue to use your current vMix version.

For more information about vMix, just head to vMix.com!

Follow Us!

If you’d like to keep up to date with new updates, live streams, trade shows and tutorial videos check us out on-

YouTube
Facebook
Instagram

Here’s a full list of all the updates for vMix 28…take a look, you might find something you like!

 Web Telestrator and Monitor

• Turn any modern browser into a Telestrator device and low latency video monitor!
• Supports iPad, iPhone, Android tablets and most devices and computers that can run the latest Safari, Chrome, FireFox or Edge browsers.
• Telestrator allows drawing on screen in real-time across multiple devices with basic pen, shape, image and laser pointer tools.
• Includes a low latency video preview and up to 10 dedicated shortcut buttons for remote control.
• When video preview is assigned to MultiView, touch screen can be used to select inputs when enabled in MultiView settings.

MultiView 2 and MultiView Output enhancements.

• A second MultiView Output is now available with its own unique configuration.
• MultiView outputs can now just show Inputs, or only a single Input to use as a confidence monitor with audio meters.
• MultiView sources can now be configured to select Mix inputs directly.
• MultiView audio meter can now be changed from the default Master.
• Touchscreen support added via checkbox in settings, also works with Web Telestrator.

Mix Input support for Overlays and Stingers

• Overlay and Stinger shortcuts can now be configured to display in one or more Mix inputs instead of or in addition to the Output.
• Stingers can also be directly started for a Mix input from its built in transition button.
• Mix inputs can now also be assigned directly to an Output.

System and Application Audio Inputs

• Capture the audio from Windows, automatically excluding the audio in vMix (auto mix minus).
• Additionally, capture the audio from a single Windows application.

Playback Time Triggers

• OnPlaybackTime and OnPlaybackRemaining triggers allow configuring actions a few seconds before a video completes, or at multiple key moments throughout playback.

Flatten Layers

• Added Flatten Layers checkbox to each input. This combines all the layers together as a single “flat” input when used as a source in other inputs. This is useful for cropping all layers at once for example.

GT Anchor Setting

• Control the animation direction and sizing of text objects with the new Anchor setting in GT.
• Allows expansion of auto-width text elements from the right instead of the left for example.

Audio Bus/Mixer Enhancements

• Right click menu to show all buses on an audio mixer as smaller buttons.
• Settings – Audio Outputs checkbox added to Always show all Bus buttons in Audio Mixers
• Audio Bus Manager will now update in realtime in response to shortcuts or mouse clicks in main mixer
• Settings – Audio checkbox to disable scrollwheel adjusting audio faders

5 Streaming Destinations

• Streaming destinations increased from a maximum of 3 to 5.

New Shortcuts

• VideoCallConnect, VideoCallReconnect, ZoomJoinMeeting
• SetBusVolumeFade
• SetStingerGTInput1-4
• ReplayJumpToSelectedInPoint, ReplayJumpToSelectedOutPoint, ReplaySetChannelAToBTimecodeAndCamera, ReplaySetChannelBToATimecodeAndCamera, ReplayUpdateSelectedSpeedFromValue

Other features

• NDI updated to version 6.1.1
• SRT Updated to version 1.5.4, added IPv6 support and improved reliability and resiliency for bad encoders.
• Added initial BlueSky support to vMix Social (Beta)
• Support for high frame rates in Decklink cards
• Added AJA support for Kona X
• Web Browser input custom CSS support
• New Encoder tab added to Statistics, provides an overview of all the encoders currently in use. Handy to determine how many NVENC are remaining on GeForce cards.
• Added Recording Buffer option to Replay, to provide additional storage buffering to compensate for sustained performance issues on some SSDs
• Outputs information added to API XML
• Removed the following streaming destinations, due to being discontinued or no longer adequately supported: StreamSpot, TikiLIVE, Twitter
  If you are using these streaming destinations, refer to the provider’s documentation on using the RTMP streaming option in vMix instead.
• Optimised API XML to improve performance during rapid polling.
• New OnReplayEventsCompleted trigger
• vMix will now indicate if Resizable Bar (ReBAR) is enabled in Settings – Performance. If detected GPU Mem indicator will no longer be limited to just the GPU cache memory.

We’ve decided to start a Bluesky account. It’s going to be mainly for posting AI images of bananas and pygmy hippos doing things, but also for announcements and the like. If you’d like to follow us you can find our profile here- vMix on Bluesky.

What a year! Things took a bit of a left turn this year with the new Intel Core Ultras and AMD Ryzen AI CPUs. These have taken a heavy focus on AI and power consumption, which don’t really impact vMix. Instead of buying 4 new laptops for testing, we’ve stuck with the 14th Gen Intel Core laptops. In particular the i9 14900HX, which is a little different from the previous recommendations of the i7s. We bought an i7 but noticed some lacklustre performance at low load.

Here’s what we went for-

ASUS 16″ Republic of Gamers Strix G614JVR-ES94

• Intel i9 14900HX processor
• RTX 4060 GPU
• 16GB DDR5 Ram
• Thunderbolt 4
• 1TB SSD
• Advanced Optimus

What about other laptops??

You can purchase a different brand of laptop but just make sure that it has similar specs. Here’s what we’d recommend if you were in the market for a new laptop in 2024/2025.

• Intel i9 14900HX processor or better
• RTX 4060 or better
• 16GB DDR5 Ram or more
• Advertises that it has Advanced Optimus or a MUX switch
• 1TB SSD
• Thunderbolt 4 if you need it!

Do I need to update?

Not really. If you can buy a 12th Gen or 13th Gen i7 like the 12700H or 13700H, you’ll save a bit of money and get good results. These might come with a GeForce RTX 3060 which will have Resizable BAR but not AV1 encoding. If you want AV1 encoding you’ll need a GeForce RTX 4060 or better.

See our Sapphire Reference System page for the latest vMix Laptop news!

Laptop best practices!

Check out our Knowledge Base article about getting the most out of your laptop with vMix- https://www.vmix.com/knowledgebase/article.aspx/264/laptop-best-practices

vMix 27 is now available for download via the vMix.com download page! If you’re a vMix Max user or purchased vMix from January 2022 then you can update right now for free. Prior to this date, it’s a $60 fee for 12 months of updates if you’d like to experience the new vMix 27 features! For a quick overview of vMix 27, check out this 2 1/2 minute video brought to you by vMix CEO, Martin ‘De Wielrenner’ Sinclair.

Zoom Integration

vMix 27 will allow users to connect directly to Zoom meetings! vMix will manage all of your audio and video, so there’s no more need to have 5 laptops just for Zoom participants. Zoom integration makes it really easy to add remote guests to your production, using a tool that most people are already familiar with! There are tons of features at your disposal with this new update so check out the quick start guide to get up and running or the in-depth video to know EVERYTHING!

Audio Upgrades- Audio Bus Manager, Bus Mixer, PFL

New audio updates in vMix will help take your audio workflows to the next level! A new Audio Bus Manager allows for quick and seamless routing of your inputs to audio buses. Just open it up from the hamburger menu and assign buses in seconds! The Audio Bus Mixer enables you to change the audio levels of an input within a bus. This can be done from your input’s audio settings and also where you’ll find the new PFL option!

AV1 and HEVC streaming to YouTube

vMix 27 enables AV1 and HEVC streaming to YouTube via the Quality Settings streaming menu. You’ll just need to make sure that you have a GPU that supports either HEVC or AV1. We’re excited about these options as you’ll be able to stream with great quality but with much less bandwidth!

New Layer Designer

For simpler editing on your layers, vMix 27 now has more options for layer control including alignment, borders, and cropping.

4 External Outputs

Yes. 4. This is an experimental new feature that will require a very powerful computer and the right capture card but it’s now available in vMix 27 for vMix MAX, 4K and PRO.

Try vMix for free!

For a Free 60-Day Trial of vMix Pro, just head to the download page on vMix.com. You just need to download, install and enter your email address where it says Register for a fully functional 60 day trial.

vMix 27 will be a free update for those that have purchased after January 1st 2022 or if you’ve purchased a 12 month upgrade…in the last 12 months. vMix Max users can update for free.

If you’re outside of this window and would like to update, you can do so via our Upgrades Page. It’s $60 USD for an additional 12 months of updates. If you don’t want to, you can continue to use your current vMix version.

For more information about vMix, just head to vMix.com!

Follow Us!

If you’d like to keep up to date with new updates, live streams, trade shows and tutorial videos check us out on-

YouTube
Facebook
X
Instagram

Here’s a full list of all the updates for vMix 27…take a look, you might find something you like!

Zoom Meetings

• vMix can beome a participant in a Zoom Meeting and access the raw video and audio feeds of all participants in up to 1080p HD
• Show up to one participant a time in vMix HD, or as many participants as your Zoom plan and internet allow in 4K, Pro and Max editions
• Each Zoom input can be assigned a participant and dynamically switch between camera and sharing as needed, or multiple Zoom inputs to show both at the same time.
• Free Zoom plans allow up to 360p per participant while paid Zoom plans can support up to 1080p. Refer to the Zoom web site for more information.
• A separate plugin is required which can be downloaded from https://www.vmix.com/zoomplugindownload
• New triggers for Zoom including OnZoomActiveSpeaker, OnZoomActiveSpeakerWhileInOutput, OnZoomActiveSpeakerSelf

AV1 and HEVC support for RTMP Streaming

• These video compression formats provide higher quality at the same bitrate as H264 and are supported by selected streaming providers. (Currently YouTube Live)
• AV1 requires a NVIDIA GeForce 4050 or higher. HEVC requires a NVIDIA GeForce 2050 series or higher GPU

New Layer Designer

• The Input Settings – Layers tab now allows sizing, positioning and alignment of layers with an interface similar to GT Designer
• Includes three modes: Move, Crop and Border allowing fine tuned adjustments of each layer in pixels
• Layers can be easily aligned to other layers and grid lines in the currently selected Safe Area
• Undo/Redo support for adjustments
• Border animations have been improved to support dynamic adjustment of borders when merging (as long as the borders are the same thickness and colour)

Audio Bus Manager and new Audio features

• New Audio Bus Manager available from the hamburger menu, allows easily assigning audio buses for every input from a single interface
• New Pre-Fader Listen toggle for every input individually and the ability to also set the audio meters to pre/post fader for inputs
• New Bus Mixer for each input allows selecting a different volume for each bus

Over 150 new shortcuts!

• Loop, SoloAllOff, SoloPFL, SoloPFLOn, SoloPFLOff
• SetVolumeBusMixer, SetVolumeBusMixerM-G, SetVolumeChannelMixer1-16
• SetFrameDelay
• SetLayerAnimated, SwapLayerAnimated
• SetLayer*Zoom, SetLayer*PanX, SetLayer*PanY, SetLayer*X, SetLayer*Y, SetLayer*Width, SetLayer*Height, SetLayer*Rectangle, SetLayer*CropX1, SetLayer*CropX2, SetLayer*CropY1, SetLayerCrop*Y2, SetLayer*Crop
• Effect*On, Effect*Off, Effect, SetEffect*Strength
• SetCCLiftY, SetCCGammaY, SetCCGainY
• ReplayScrollSelectedEvent
• Undo

Stream Deck+ Support

• Dials and Touchscreen taps can now be assigned to shortcuts
• Many shortcuts have been updated to work with dials automatically such as Colour Correction
• This requires the latest vMix for Stream Deck plugin to be installed (v1.4) via the Stream Deck store

Other Features

• Web Browser input Chromium version updated to version 115
• NDI updated to version 5.6
• OBSBot support added via MF (Media Foundation) driver
• Castr added as Streaming Destination dropdown
• Migrated vMix and related apps to .NET Framework 4.8
• (Custom XAML may no longer work correctly, as it was officially deprecated back in vMix 24)
• vMix now defaults to supporting High-DPI displays in the user interface
• Improved performance when capturing Windows with Local Desktop Capture
• Ability to disable the cursor when capturing Windows with WindowsGraphicsCapture method

As of the 14th of December 2023, all Professional Instagram accounts now have access to stream via streaming software like vMix! That means you can now officially stream to Instagram directly from vMix. You don’t have to worry about 3rd party applications or work-arounds, just create a stream on Instagram Live and enter your details into vMix.

What Instagram account do you need to have in order to stream using software on your computer?

You will need a Professional account to use Instagram Live and vMix. You can change your existing account to Professional by doing the following-
1. Go to Instagram.com and log in.

2. Click More and then Settings. These are in the bottom left of the screen.

3. Then select Account type and tools

4. Then select Switch to professional account.

5. Then you’ll need to agree to the new account conditions and complete the application.

Once completed you’ll then be able to live stream to Instagram Live.

How do you live stream to Instagram Live?

1. Firstly, you need to click on Create and then select Live Video

2. Give your stream a title

3. Then choose an audience. You can select Practice so that only YOU can see it OR Public so everyone can see it.

4. Then copy your Stream URL and Stream key into your vMix Streaming Settings.

Now we’re in vMix!

5. Now we can adjust the streaming output to be vertical 1280p

6. Once that’s done we can start streaming, by clicking the Stream button in vMix!

8. We did it! We’re now live streaming to Instagram Live!

Things to consider!!!!!

Recording

Instagram Live doesn’t archive by default, so if you’d like to share your video after it’s done you will need to turn on archiving. This can only be done on a phone! You’ll need to log in, go to the hamburger menu>Settings and privacy>Archiving and downloading. Then turn on Save live to archive. Currently these archives only last for 30 days and can only be downloaded or viewed via a phone.

You might also want to record in vMix so that you have a permanent copy.

Timing

As mentioned before, your stream content starts when you start in vMix. Instagram will spool that video and when you click Go Live, it will start playing. Remember that! You don’t want to accidentally stream something you don’t want.

You’re going to still need a phone!

There are a number of settings and features that can’t be accessed via the website. You’ll still need to have Instagram on your phone to set all of this up and to also access the archive if you need to.

Test Test Test

This is all pretty new to most of us. Instagram Live has been around for a long time on phones, but encoder access has been quite limited. Settings and procedures may change in the future but for now be sure to test it all out with your workflow.

We’re packing our bags and heading off on a world tour! Although we won’t be doing sold-out arena shows, we will be at IBC in Amsterdam and NAB New York in….New York!

IBC 2023

September 15-18th 2023 will see IBC hit the halls of the RAI in Amsterdam. vMix will be located in the beautiful Hall 6, just near Hall 7, some food places and a great selection of toilets. We’ll have a number of workstations if you’d like to see how vMix works. There will also be an Instant Replay station and a vMix Instant Replay Expert if you’d like to be shown the ropes. If we can work out how to ship 2000 mousepads to Amsterdam, we should have some mousepads to add to your collection. Amsterdam is great for stroopwafel and networking with other broadcast enthusiasts, so drop by our booth if you’re coming along.

Booth – 6.A19

NAB NY 2023

If you’ve been looking for a good reason to finally go to New York City, then this might be it! I’ve heard there are other famous locations and things to do there but we I think of New York, I think of small broadcast trade shows! The Javits Center will play host to the NAB NY show on October 25-26, 2023.It’s a pretty good opportunity to speak directly to companies, especially those with a presence on the East Coast of the US. NAB in Las Vegas can sometimes be a little big to really connect with people, so NAB NY gives you a lot more 1 on 1 time with people. NAB NY also has the smallest allocation of vMix mousepads in the world. Typically only 100 mousepads are made for the show making them a real hot commodity on the secondary mousepad markets.

Booth- 826

Events, discounts and more information

For more information about vMix events, check out our EVENTS page.

vMix 26 is here and ready for download! You can download it now via vMix.com. If you’ve got vMix Max, you’re able to update to the latest update right now! For those that have purchased vMix from January 2021 then it will be a free update. Prior to this date, it’s a $60 fee for 12 months of updates. Totally up to you if want to experience the new features that vMix 26 has to offer! What are they you might ask??

Input Effects

Do you often think about blur effects or LUTs? vMix 26 now allows you to add these effects to your input! You can add a Gaussian blur effect to all or some of the input. LUT support for PNG and CUBE files.

Vertical Production Tools

Apparently vertical video isn’t going anywhere! You can now create professional vertical streams and recordings with vMix! There is a new vertical HD preset (1920p), vertical GT templates, vertical recording options and auto detection of pre-recorded MP4 vertical videos from smart phones.

You’ll be able to create HD widescreen AND HD vertical content from the same preset and stream to different destinations accordingly!

SRT Updates For Audio and Replay

vMix now supports the ability to receive multiple tracks of audio which will be combined automatically and made available to the input’s channel matrix and mixer. On the output side, support has been added to split the single multi-channel track into multiple stereo audio tracks.

SRT support has been added to Instant Replay. CBR support has also been added to SRT.

15 Mix Inputs!?

vMix 4K, Pro and Max users will now have the ability to use 15 Mix Inputs in their production!!! That’s a whole lotta submixes and crazy stuff you can do!!

NDI® 5.5

vMix 26 now includes built-in support for the latest NDI 5.5.

Web Browser Update

Chromium Version 103 has been added compatibility with new web sites and HTML overlays.

Try vMix for freeeeee!

For a Free 60-Day Trial of vMix Pro, just head to the download page on vMix.com. You just need to download, install and enter your email address where it says Register for a fully functional 60 day trial.

vMix 26 will be a free update for those that have purchased after January 1st 2021 or if you’ve purchased a 12 month upgrade…in the last 12 months.

If you’re outside of this window and would like to update, you can do so via our Upgrades Page.

For more information about vMix, just head to vMix.com!

Oh and if you like the Social Medias, we’re all over the place.

Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Twitter

Here’s a full list of all the updates for vMix 26…take a look, you might find something you like!

Input Effects

• New Gaussian Blur effect for all inputs. Add multiple blur effects each with its own cropping and strength.
  Requires a recent fast graphics card for the best results.
• New LUT effect for all inputs.
  Supports PNG (OBS style) and CUBE files (Davinci Resolve etc). Create your own colour grading files and use them in vMix!

Stream Delay

• New Stream Delay option in Quality settings for streams. See help file for more information.

New Vertical Production Tools

• Vertical HD Preset (1920p)
• Vertical GT Templates
• 90 Degree rotate button in Position tab, will zoom to fit new rotated source.
• Automatic detection of rotation in MP4 files recorded using smart phones.

NDI 5.5

• vMix 26 now includes built-in support for the latest NDI 5.5
  Note many new NDI features are in the free NDI Tools. Check out NDI.tv for more information.

15 Mix inputs total in 4K, Pro and Max

• Supports Output Only mode in Mix Inputs, which hides the preview and preview/output controls for a more compact input.

SRT Replay, Multi-Track Audio and CBR support

• SRT inputs can now be used as Instant Replay sources. This requires turning off Use Hardware Decoder when adding the SRT input, as Instant Replay uses the CPU.
• vMix now supports the ability to receive multiple tracks of audio which will be combined automatically and made available to the input’s channel matrix and mixer.
• On the output side, support has been added to split the single multi-channel track into multiple stereo audio tracks.
• SRT outputs now support CBR mode

Web Browser Input Updated

• Chromium Version 103 for compatibility with new web sites

Other

• PTZ support for Insta 360 Link with MF (Media Foundation) driver for better performance.
  Note that audio needs to be added as a separate input, as it is detected as a separate Microphone in Windows.
• Bluefish444 Key+Fill support on selected cards
• Bluefish444 multi-channel audio output on selected cards
• New Audio Matrix presets to allow easy selection of stereo pairs to Master
• Added support for 1440p
• GT Line Spacing added
• GT Images now have a TopRight align option
• Intel Graphics ARC and 12th Gen now supported
• New Replay shortcuts: ReplayMarkInOutLiveFuture, ReplaySetChannelAToBTimecode, ReplaySetChannelBToATimecode, ReplaySetTimecode
• New Facebook Stream Key destination for manual streams
• All old XAML title templates have been moved to the Legacy tab
• Input names now appear in Input Settings – Position dropdown
• Added new Preview input. This in combination with the Output input provides the ability to build custom Output MultiView layouts.
• Transition buttons will now highlight red during transitions
• Copy/Paste buttons added to Input Position tab
• X-Keys T-Bar Module Red/Blue LED support

If you’ve ever wanted aerial content in your live production, you’ll need to take a look at a drone. Drones allow you to capture video from the skies and provide a really unique perspective on things!

How do you get the live camera feed from your drone?

Most video capture is done by cameras that are physically connected to your capture equipment through HDMI or SDI cables. As you can’t fly a 2km long HDMI cable attached to your drone, you’ll need to utilise the live video transmission from the drone wirelessly.

Most consumer grade drones will be manufactured by DJI, so that’s we’ll be discussing in this article. DJI drones send a live video feed from the drone’s camera back to the controller so that you can have a first person view of the flight. It’s this live video feed that can also be used for live video productions. There are 2 main ways to pull the live video feed from the drone-

1. HDMI video output from the DJI Controller
2. RTMP stream from the controller/phone app

HDMI Video Output

Some of the higher end DJI controllers have a HDMI output port for the live video. Depending on your drone, you may need to purchase this separately. You also need to make sure that your drone supports the use of one these controllers. In 2022, the DJI RC Pro in one of the controllers that offers HDMI output directly.

If you have cameras in your production with a cable, then this will use exactly the same method. Plug a HDMI cable into your controller and then plug it into your capture device. If you have an SDI based production, then you’ll just need a SDI to HDMI converter.

Using hardware for your video capture is almost always going to be the best way to go, and drones are no exception. When we use drones in our live streams we use this method as it provides the lowest latency and best quality.

RTMP stream

DJI controllers/app allow for a custom RTMP stream output. If you wanted to use this stream in vMix, you’d need to setup an RTMP server to receive the drone stream and then output a video feed from the RTMP server. There are plenty of paid and free RTMP servers such as MIST Server, Nimble Streamer, Wowza, RTMP Mini Server and more. Once you’ve set up a server, you copy the server URL and stream name into your controller and then start your drone stream. Your RTMP server will give you the option to output in a number of streaming protocols. So you just need to select one that’s supported by vMix (RTSP, SRT,HTTP, RTMP) and add that to your production.

Using the Custom RTMP option will introduce more latency to your video output so it may not be ideal for your production. However, it does mean that you don’t need to purchase a more expensive controller. If you already have a drone, then try out this method to see if fits your purpose.

Our tutorial video

Here’s a video on using drones in your video production-

Whether it’s for gaming, lectures or training, being able to capture your tablet or phone screen is a valuable asset for live video. We thought we’d take a look through at the different options for capturing screens, whether it’s an Android phone or tablet or perhaps an iOS device.

HARDWARE

With any live production, it’s always best to use hardware. That way you get a direct connection to your content and don’t have to worry about things you can’t control! When your production is mission critical, using a free app that has a time limit or 30 second unskippable ads for Disney+, will not end well!

Devices that support outputting content from the USB or Lightning port will allow you to convert the video signal to HDMI. You can then input that into your capture card or device. There are a number of different devices out there, you’ll just need to make sure that you device supports this type of output.

For example, not all Samsung devices support usb-c output for the live capturing of the screen. They have a list on their website that lists compatible devices. We tend to only have lower-end tablets here at vMix HQ and unfortunately most of the A series tablets don’t support it. However, our Galaxy S Series mobile phones do support it!

Here are some of the different form factors of adapters that you can get. Some include a longer HDMI cable and others require a HDMI cable plugged into the adapter. You can pick them up off Amazon or even Kmart here in Australia for $19!

For iOS devices, you’ll need to some research to see if your device supports outputting live screen video. You will also need to check what kind of port the device has. Newer iPads have USB-C whereas as iPhones and older iPads use lightning! Apple sell their own adapters and they look like this-

APPS!

Apps that can connect directly to vMix

The easiest apps to use are the ones that will send your phone/tablet screen directly to vMix. The app will use NDI, RTSP, TCP, SRT or HTTP to send the signal over the local network, then you can add it to your production using the appropriate input in vMix.

iOS Apps

Newtek offer an NDI HX Capture App for $10 USD which converts your screen output to a NDI HX source for vMix. If you’ve got NDI set up already, then this is a super easy solution.

Elgato Screen Link is another option, however we had mixed results with this, especially latency. They have a free option that you might want to try before buying.

You could also use the Larix Screencaster App if you’re into SRT!

Android Apps

Due to the lack of NDI apps, we’d recommend taking a look at using an app that stream your screen on the local network. There are plenty that will use RTSP, HTTP or TCP to output the screen for use in vMix.

Screen Stream Mirroring seemed to work for us and gave us multiple ways of sending the screen. You have to pay for it to remove the ads.

Again, Larix Screencaster is available for Android if you want to use SRT.

Apps that cast to your PC and then you can screen capture the app!

Yes, you read that right. You can use apps that will mirror your screen to corresponding software on your computer and then you can capture that screen in vMix. Apps like Let’s View allow you to do this. There are plenty of apps that will do this, so I’d recommending trying some out. Using the screen capturing method is not high on our list of recommendations though.

Give a try!

Have you been tasked with capturing a phone or tablet screen in a production? I’d definitely try out the options that we’ve gone over to see what works for you. If you need the highest quality and most reliable capture, then hardware is the way to go. If you don’t really need super great quality then using a cheap app will save you a lot of money.

Here’s a video where we go over some of the options-

Welcome to “vMix recommends a laptop” 2022 edition! This year we’ve taken a bit of a left turn because we’ve found something that hits the sweet spot of functionality and price. In the last few years we’ve put forward 2 laptops,

• a higher end laptop with all the bells and whistles (including Thunderbolt connectivity).
• a laptop that was more affordable that you could use for USB and NDI productions

In our annual search for a new gen laptop we stumbled across a laptop that was affordable and offered Thunderbolt 4 support. The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 came in a $1500 USD and had all of the things that you’d usually associate with a more expensive laptop, although in a slightly less fancy approach.

2022 laptop specs

This year we were looking for-

• 12th Gen Intel i7 CPU- 12700H
• NVIDIA GPU- RTX3060
• Thunderbolt 4
• MUX Switch
• DDR 5 Ram
• SSD

The ASUS TUF F17 hit all of these requirements and gave us no reason to buy a secondary laptop! Here’s our video rundown….

What other laptops will work well with vMix?

If you follow our spec guide above you’ll be able to find a great laptop for live production and vMix. Typically Thunderbolt laptops will be a little more expensive, so if you 100% don’t need Thunderbolt then you can easily save some cash there. If you want an older gen Intel laptop then you just need to look for-

• High end i7
• Dedicated NVIDIA GPU- xx60, but the 3060 will give you Resizable BAR which is a plus
• 16GB Ram
• MUX Switch or G-Sync
• SSD

Wait, what about AMD laptops??

The 12th Gen Intel laptop CPUs have outperformed the 6000 series AMD CPUs so we’re recommending them. If you’re a huge AMD fan then the 6800H processors will still work fine. If you’re looking for an older generation AMD laptop, the 4800H CPU is the oldest one you should consider.

Already have a laptop?

If you’ve already got a laptop, then check out our free 60-day Trial and see how it goes. You might be able to use your existing equipment instead of buying something new. For all the latest updates on what computers and laptops we recommend, visit our Reference Systems page.

This update adds JPEG XL (*.jxl) support, improves quantization color quality, updates AVIF loading to better handle mapping HDR images to SDR, and fixes some bugs.

Change Log

Changes since 5.1.4:

• New: JPEG XL (*.jxl) images are now supported by way of bundling @null54‘s JpegXLFileType plugin
• Fixed the Levels adjustment not honoring the active selection.
• Fixed some more mouse cursor issues when completing certain actions with certain tools.
• Fixed some keyboard shortcuts in the Adjustments menu not working reliably.
• Fixed most cases of tooltips blinking on/off when drawn near the bottom of the screen (thanks @toe_head2001!).
• Fixed some new high-DPI scaling issues in toolbar dropdowns.
• Improved quantization quality for Effects->Color-Quantize and when saving an image at 8-bit depth and below. This was done by merging octree node colors in linear gamma space.
• Fixed some incorrect background text color rendering in the status bar.
• Updated the bundled AvifFileType plugin to v3.12.0, which improves conversion from HDR images utilizing the Rec. 2020 PQ color space (thanks @null54!).
• Updated the bundled WebpFileType plugin to v1.5.0 (thanks @null54!).

Download and Install

This build is available via the built-in updater as long as you have opted-in to pre-release updates. From within Settings -> Updates, enable “Also check for pre-release (beta) versions of paint.net” and then click on the Check Now button. You can also use the links below to download an offline installer or portable ZIP.

You can also download the installer here (for any supported CPU and OS), which is also where you can find downloads for offline installers, portable ZIPs, and deployable MSIs.

This update is mostly a hotfix that fixes installation on Windows Server systems.

Get the Update

There are two releases of Paint.NET:

• Microsoft Store release (recommended)
  • You can purchase it here. This helps fund development and is an alternative or supplement to sending in a donation. In addition, updates happen automatically in the background when you’re not using the app.
  • If you already have it installed, the update should happen automatically once Microsoft certifies the update, usually within the next day or so. To get the update immediately (once it’s certified), you can follow the instructions listed here.
• Classic Desktop release
  • Download the installer from the website. This is the recommended download if you don’t have Paint.NET installed. It can also be used to update the app.
  • If you already have it installed, you should be offered the update automatically within the next few days, but you can also get it immediately by going to Settings -> Updates -> Check Now.
  • Offline Installers and Portable ZIPs are available over on GitHub.

Change Log

Changes since 5.1.3:

• Fixed: Installation on Windows Server will no longer fail with an error about a missing srclient DLL.
• Improved: When saving an image fails due to Windows Defender’s “Controlled Folder Access” setting, the error message will mention that instead of being a generic “I/O failure” message.
• New: GIF Comment metadata is now preserved. It maps to EXIF Photo.UserComment tags.
• Improved: Consolidated the number of threads used for Async Present from 3 per image (canvas, left ruler, top ruler) to 3 total.
• Improved: ColorManagementEffect now supports DxgiColorSpace color contexts (for plugin developers).

This is a maintenance release with a big heaping of performance improvements, bug fixes, and other small changes.

Get the Update

There are two releases of Paint.NET:

• Microsoft Store release (recommended)
  • You can purchase it here. This helps fund development and is an alternative or supplement to sending in a donation. In addition, updates happen automatically in the background when you’re not using the app.
  • If you already have it installed, the update should happen automatically once Microsoft certifies the update, usually within the next day or so. To get the update immediately (once it’s certified), you can follow the instructions listed here.
• Classic Desktop release
  • Download the installer from the website. This is the recommended download if you don’t have Paint.NET installed. It can also be used to update the app.
  • If you already have it installed, you should be offered the update automatically within the next few days, but you can also get it immediately by going to Settings -> Updates -> Check Now.
  • Offline Installers and Portable ZIPs are available over on GitHub.

Change Log

Changes since 5.1.2:

• Fixed: Some PNG metadata from text chunks is now preserved (Author, Comment, Copyright, and Description).
• Fixed some issues with snapping tool windows when there are multiple monitors with different scaling levels. Sometimes the snapping boundaries would be calculated in the wrong coordinate space and cause snapping to happen at seemingly arbitrary (and weird) locations.
• Improved frame rate, frame pacing, and responsiveness of the canvas when using CPU- or GPU-intensive tools such as Move Selected Pixels.
• Fixed an off-by-1 error in the Median Blur effect that was producing incorrect results, especially with radius=1.
• Fixed a crash in the Levels adjustment’s UI due to some improper value clamping.
• Fixed the Red Eye Removal effect so it no longer crashes if the canvas zoom level does not show the whole image.
• Fixed the Red Eye Removal effect so that it properly clips to the active selection.
• Fixed: View -> Zoom to Selection no longer adjusts the zoom level slightly if used twice in a row.
• Improved: The Color properties for the Clouds effect now have Reset buttons, which will reset them to the current Primary and Secondary colors.
• Fixed: When opening an image with a CMYK color profile, it will be ignored and removed if the image is actually RGB.
• Fixed some issues with the mouse cursor briefly being a generic arrow instead of the tool’s requested cursor.
• Fixed: The installer will no longer silently die on Windows 10 pre-v21H2. It will now correctly show an error message stating that Windows 10 v21H2 is required, and the exit code will be ERROR_OLD_WIN_VERSION.
• Substantially improved UI responsiveness when modifying a complex selection with a combine mode other than Replace
• Fixed: Tooltips now respect dark mode (thanks @toe_head2001!)
• Fixed: The Text tool’s “Sharp (Modern)” rendering mode has been reverted to use Natural Symmetric rendering instead of Natural Symmetric Downsampled. (See discussion here. cc @Leahsarah)
• Reduced the performance cost of the circle “preview cursor” that all of the brush tools use.
• Fixed PdnZoomBlurEffect when the AlphaMode property was set to Straight.
• Fixed PdnZoomBlurEffect when the BorderMode was set to Soft.
• New: HlslUnaryFunctionEffect (for GPU effect plugin developers) now has FrexpMantissaPortion, FrexpExponentPortion, ModfIntegerPortion, and ModfFractionalPortion. These provide access to the Frexp and Modf HLSL instructions.
• New: Plugins may now implement custom DirectWrite IInlineObjects.
• New: IEffectConfigForm.Close() is now public, and may be used by plugins that are hosting other effects via IEffectsService2.
• New: Added an accelerator key for Image -> Rotate 90° Counter-clockwise.
• New: Added accelerator keys to the View menu for the Inches, Centimeters, and Pixels choices.
• Changed to use the Windows thread pool instead of the .NET portable thread pool.

This is a maintenance release with a big heaping of performance improvements, bug fixes, and other small changes.

Change Log

Changes since 5.1.2:

• Fixed: Some PNG metadata from text chunks is now preserved (Author, Comment, Copyright, and Description).
• Fixed some issues with snapping tool window when there are multiple monitors with different scaling levels. Sometimes the snapping boundaries would be calculated in the wrong coordinate space and cause snapping to happen at seemingly arbitrary (and weird) locations.
• Fixed an off-by-1 error in the Median Blur effect that was producing incorrect results, especially with radius=1
• Fixed a crash in the Levels adjustment’s UI due to some improper value clamping.
• Fixed the Red Eye Removal effect so it no longer crashes if the canvas zoom level does not show the whole image.
• Fixed the Red Eye Removal effect so that it properly clips to the active selection.
• Fixed: View -> Zoom to Selection no longer adjusts the zoom level slightly if used twice in a row.
• Improved: The Color properties for the Clouds effect now have Reset buttons, which will reset them to the current Primary and Secondary colors.
• Fixed some issues with the mouse cursor briefly being a generic arrow instead of the tool’s requested cursor.
• Fixed: The installer will no longer silently die on Windows 10 pre-v21H2. It will now correctly show an error message stating that Windows 10 v21H2 is required, and the exit code will be ERROR_OLD_WIN_VERSION.
• Improved framerate and responsiveness of the canvas when using CPU- or GPU-intensive tools such as Move Selected Pixels
• Substantially improved UI responsiveness when modifying a complex selection with a combine mode other than Replace
• Fixed: Tooltips now respect dark mode (thanks @toe_head2001!)
• Fixed: The Text tool’s “Sharp (Modern)” rendering mode has been reverted to use Natural Symmetric rendering instead of Natural Symmetric Downsampled. (See discussion here. cc @Leahsarah)
• Reduced the performance cost of the circle “preview cursor” that all of the brush tools use.
• New: HlslUnaryFunctionEffect (for GPU effect plugin developers) now has FrexpMantissaPortion, FrexpExponentPortion, ModfIntegerPortion, and ModfFractionalPortion. These provide access to the Frexp and Modf HLSL instructions.
• New: Plugins may now implement custom DirectWrite IInlineObjects.
• New: IEffectConfigForm.Close() is now public, and may be used by plugins that are hosting other effects via IEffectsService2.
• New: Added an accelerator key for Image -> Rotate 90° Counter-clockwise.
• New: Added accelerator keys to the View menu for the Inches, Centimeters, and Pixels choices.
• Changed to use the Windows threadpool instead of the .NET portable threadpool.

Download and Install

This build is available via the built-in updater as long as you have opted-in to pre-release updates. From within Settings -> Updates, enable “Also check for pre-release (beta) versions of paint.net” and then click on the Check Now button. You can also use the links below to download an offline installer or portable ZIP.

You can also download the installer here (for any supported CPU and OS), which is also where you can find downloads for offline installers, portable ZIPs, and deployable MSIs.