"Wirecast Application has stopped working" message received when enabling network broadcast.

Out of the blue Wirecast started crashing when trying to enable network broadcast. This is a new machine, new OS install, latest drivers, etc.

It did work a few times I started and stopped the broadcast (confirmed by picking up the stream being reflected by QTSS). When it was broadcasting, CPU was around 30% if I remember correctly.

Preview looks good, live shot looks good, audio master looks good.

Here is the information about my setup. The error message from the Application event log is at the end as well.

Hardware and OS:
Windows 7 32-bit, all current patches
HP z400 Workstation with Intel Zeon W3520 2.66 GHz 4GB RAM
Nvidia Quadro FX580
All current BlachMagic, HP, and Nvidia drivers installed
Blackmagic Inensity Pro (3.5.2) with a Canon Vixia HF200 connected via HDMI
Gigabit network
Unicast stream sent from Wirecast on this workstation to Leopard QTSS on Apple Xserve
No AV software installed or running.
No other software running except VLC

Wirecast 3.5.7

Wirecast Preferences
General
Open last document: enabled
Use checkerboard: enabled
Aspect Ratio: 720 HDV (1280x720)

Performance
Draw highest quality icons: enabled
Video Display Rate: 30 fps
DP Framerate: Auto
DP Quality: Auto

Register
Both software and HDV registered

Software Updates
auto enabled

Advanced
Capture Device Size: Reduced
Device Deinterlacing: none
Processing: Both options enabled

Broadcast Settings
Encoder Properties
Output Format: Quicktime
Video Enabled
Encoder: H.264 - Main
Depth: Color
Width: 1440 Lock to 16:9 enabled
Height: 810
Quality: Medium
Frames per second: 30
Key Frame: 60 frames
Average bit rate: 1372
Limit peak bit rate: disabled

Packetizer
RTP Payload: H.264 Video
Packet size limit: 1438

Audio Enabled
Encoder: MPEG 4 Low Complexityu AAC
Bits per sample: 16-bit Mono
Packetizer
RTP Payload: MPEG-4 Audio
Packet size limit: 1400

Options
Average bit rate: 128 kbits/s
Sample Rate: 44.1
Quality: Good



Error from Application Event Log:

Log Name: Application
Source: Application Error
Date: 4/9/2010 3:40:27 PM
Event ID: 1000
Task Category: (100)
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: REMOVED
Description:
Faulting application name: Wirecast.exe, version: 3.5.7.4, time stamp: 0x4b6a97ee
Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bdadb
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00052d1e
Faulting process id: 0x888
Faulting application start time: 0x01cad81c54779793
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Telestream\Wirecast\Wirecast.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
Report Id: befa1d3e-440f-11df-aa79-18a905bcc8a5
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Application Error" />
<EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>100</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2010-04-09T19:40:27.000000000Z" />
<EventRecordID>763</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>REMOVED</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>Wirecast.exe</Data>
<Data>3.5.7.4</Data>
<Data>4b6a97ee</Data>
<Data>ntdll.dll</Data>
<Data>6.1.7600.16385</Data>
<Data>4a5bdadb</Data>
<Data>c0000005</Data>
<Data>00052d1e</Data>
<Data>888</Data>
<Data>01cad81c54779793</Data>
<Data>C:\Program Files\Telestream\Wirecast\Wirecast.exe</Data>
<Data>C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll</Data>
<Data>befa1d3e-440f-11df-aa79-18a905bcc8a5</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

Quick correction: When I note the other running software, it's not VLC I have running, it's VNC server running as a service for remote access. Tried it with the VNC service stopped, no change.

I figured out how to fix the problem...

Before we get to the work-around though, first some history (already present in other postings but hey, why not put it all here as well)...

In order to get Wirecast on Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista, 7 - 32-bit or 64-bit) to bring up anything other than a black screen from the Blackmagic Intensity Pro card I had to disable UAC completely as well as open Blackmagic Media Express v1 first and set the preferences there. Trying to set the preferences in Wirecast (Media-Configure Devices) is useless.

The work-around for my problem:

I realized I hadn't included my Asset Manager settings in my initial post so I went to double-checked them and it occurred to me I should try and change the setting for the Decklink Video Capture device to something and then switch it back to see if it made any difference. Sure enough, that allows me to broadcast, no crashes. I suspect this gets lost during a reboot and although Wirecast shows you the correct setting, it doesn't really use it until you reset it.

Hope this helps someone else...

I see possible issues you may have bumped into. Something in the BMI drivers got scrambled. BMI stores settings there which is partly why it requires the Media Express setup.
Maybe something also got scrambled in Wirecast's Asset Manager preferences as well. I'll check to see if this is something we can duplicate on our end maybe find a more graceful solution.

-------------------------
CraigS
Telestream Desktop Forum Moderator

Edited: 4/9/2010 at 8:16 PM by CraigS