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Video and preview

The Video Preview panel shows picture for video, image, and camera layers while you program and play the timeline. Overlays can burn cue IDs and notes onto that picture for operators or a director feed.

Video preview

Show the Video Preview panel

Section titled “Show the Video Preview panel”

View -> Video Preview -> Show Video Preview Panel

Or use the matching item under View so the panel is ticked. Hide it when you only need audio and the cuelist.

Layouts (Default, Editing, Show) place the panel differently; drag dock tabs and splitters as needed. See Panels and layouts.

Layer visibility

Section titled “Layer visibility”

View -> Video Preview also lists which layer kinds contribute to the preview stack:

  • Audio Layer
  • Video Layer
  • Image Layer
  • Camera Layer
  • Record Audio Layer
  • Record Video Layer

Turn kinds off when a busy track mixes sources and you only want, for example, the film plate without camera PIP, or camera without stills. Toggles do not delete layers from the track - they only change what the preview shows.

Lock to playhead / timecode

Section titled “Lock to playhead / timecode”

Picture can stay locked 1:1 with the timeline while transport runs.

Edit -> Preferences… -> Audio device -> Lock video preview to playhead / timecode (1:1 with timeline when playing)

State Behaviour
On Preview stays in step with the playhead (and followed timecode) while playing - preferred for programming and rehearsal
Off Preview can run slightly decoupled - useful only for troubleshooting free-run vs lock behaviour

This control lives on the Audio device page because preview lock is tied to the playback engine clock, not to overlay cosmetics.

Details: Audio device.

Overlays (Video Preview preferences)

Section titled “Overlays (Video Preview preferences)”

What Samba draws on top of the preview is configured separately:

Edit -> Preferences… -> Video Preview

Section banner: Video Preview Overlay.

Control Purpose
Show Cue ID in Video Overlay Draw the current cue’s ID on picture
Enable Notes Overlay in Video Overlay Draw cue notes (and related overlay content)
Edit Note Overlay Appearance… Font size, alignment, colours, background plate, reduce-to-fit

Use Cue ID + notes for rehearsal / confidence monitors. Turn both off for a clean client or IMAG feed.

Appearance dialog highlights:

Option Typical use
Show background Readability on busy video
Alignment Bottom center for director monitors; corner for less intrusion
Text colour Cue Type colour, White, or Black
Reduce font size to fit Long notes still fit in the overlay area

Full table: Video Preview preferences.

Preview vs recording capture

Section titled “Preview vs recording capture”
Topic Where
What you see in the Video Preview panel This page + View menu
Overlay cosmetics Preferences -> Video Preview
Lock to playhead Preferences -> Audio device
Camera / DeckLink / NDI capture defaults for recording Preferences -> Recording

Recording backends are not configured on the Video Preview preferences page.

Typical setups

Section titled “Typical setups”

Programming with picture and notes

Section titled “Programming with picture and notes”
  1. Show Video Preview panel
  2. Enable lock to playhead
  3. Enable notes overlay (and Cue ID if operators match desk cue numbers)
  4. Play / scrub - picture and overlays follow the timeline

Clean playback monitor

Section titled “Clean playback monitor”
  1. Keep Video Preview visible if needed for confidence
  2. Disable notes and Cue ID overlays
  3. Leave lock on so picture matches the show clock

Multi-layer track

Section titled “Multi-layer track”
  1. Open View -> Video Preview
  2. Disable layer kinds you do not want in the stack
  3. Keep lock on while checking sync between audio bed and film
Section titled “Related”