Version 1.0.1 is now officially available! This update brings substantial improvements to the cue list and rundown workflow, introduces a handy side-by-side view for your item steps, and gives you even more control over lyrics and graphics. Naturally, we have also implemented key optimizations regarding audio routing and system stability.
Here is a complete overview of what you can expect in this new release.
📋 Revamped Cue List & Rundown Workflow
To better streamline large and complex productions, we’ve heavily revamped the structure of the rundown.
- Parts & Groups: A new organizational layer has been added. Use Parts for the main segments of your show (e.g., “Part 1 — Welcome”) and save Groups for specific content within an item, such as verses, presentation slides, or a series of video clips.
- Flexible Numbering: Choose between independent numbering per Part (like 1.1, 1.2) or continuous numbering across the entire rundown. Whichever you choose, both styles work seamlessly with keyboard navigation, printed cue sheets, and Bitfocus Companion.
- Smarter Grouping & Alignment: List indentation has been removed to keep table columns cleanly aligned. The hierarchy can now be read directly from the numbering. Additionally, an option has been added to remove section or group headers (ungroup) without losing the underlying items.
- Skip Steps: Need to switch things up on the fly? You can now mark specific steps to be bypassed by the GO button, arrow keys, or automatic follow actions, without removing them from your rundown.
🪟 Side-by-Side Detail View
For more peace of mind and focus during live situations, we are introducing the new Item Window. Open a second window next to your main rundown to view exclusively the internal steps (such as verses or slides) of the selected item.
This detail window shares the exact same selection state, keyboard shortcuts, color-coding, and adjustable column widths as your main list, running completely in sync.
🎵 Seamless Stepping & Overlay Control
Precision is crucial during playout. That’s why playback navigation has been refined down to the smallest detail:
- Step-by-Step Indicator: The green “next action” highlight has gotten much smarter. It now tracks individual steps—like a specific subtitle line or lower third—instead of prematurely highlighting the entire next verse.
- Safe Cue Navigation: You can now safely scroll through your list. Use the arrow keys to move the green highlight without immediately affecting the live output. Press GO to fire the highlighted step (ideal for quickly correcting if a slide was accidentally skipped).
- Dedicated Lower Thirds: Lower thirds and nameplates have been given their own specific step in the playback sequence, right before the actual text lines appear.
🎨 Improved Lower Third Designer
The graphic designer works more smoothly and provides a more accurate representation of your final result.
- Live Previews & 1:1 WYSIWYG: View in and out animations directly in the designer with the new Play button. The preview canvas now perfectly matches your final video output.
- Responsive Editor: Adjustments with sliders and colors are instantly visible, without any lag or needing to reload the page.
- Custom Backgrounds: Alongside global event themes, it is now possible to set independent background colors per graphic design.
🔌 Under the Hood: Audio, Modules & Stability
Besides workflow upgrades, we have resolved some stubborn issues to guarantee reliability:
- Module Hot-Reloading: From now on, you can install and update modules without having to restart Ultimate Playout.
- Audio Routing Fixed: The issue where playouts routed to a second screen or standalone audio interfaces failed to output sound to assigned tracks has been completely resolved.
- More Stable Browser Sources: Hardware acceleration crashes and video stuttering during the reloading of internal web pages have been fixed.
The 1.0.1 update is live now. We are very excited to hear how you like the new workflow features and look forward to your feedback on the forum!