When something goes wrong

Sorted by what you see, not by what causes it.

It looks likePage
Black where there should be pictureNo picture on the output
A cue does not play, with a warning markA file is missing
Audio stutters, or comes twiceDoubled audio or howling
The stream will not startThe stream will not connect
The window stopped responding, or the program closed by itselfIt froze or closed unexpectedly
The program will not start at allThe program will not start
Somebody asks you to send the logSending logs

During a broadcast, two things

Esc gives you black on the playout you are driving. When something is on screen that must not be, that is the fastest key on the keyboard.

Red is what the audience sees. When you have lost track, look for the red line — not the green one, which is only a plan.

Diagnosing comes afterwards. Nothing on these pages is worth doing while a service is running.

Where to look first, always

The status bar, bottom right. One block per playout, with its output and its missed frames. It is the only place in the window that tells you what left the building rather than what the program intended.