What kind of computer makes a useful scope station?

Match the computer to the job. A few HD views are a different workload from several UHD sources, large scope windows, full-resolution traces, and simultaneous video output.

These are planning recommendations, not certified minimum specifications or frame-rate guarantees. Development GPU checks have run on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER; that is a tested reference, not a required purchase. Integrated-GPU and lower-end configurations have not yet been qualified in the documented performance tests.

Choose the detail and update rate your task needs.

Signal precision, spatial sampling, and update rate are different things. Understanding the controls helps you keep useful measurements on screen while managing your computer's workload.

Maximizing a pane also helps concentrate processing on the view you are using. Hidden scope analysis pauses while input connections, file playback, and enabled audio listening continue. Restore the layout to resume current readings; the hidden meters do not keep measuring during suspension. Panes required by running outputs continue rendering even when hidden or on another workspace.

Watch the update rate in each pane and evaluate your actual video, not just a test pattern. Source resolution, image complexity, plot size, scope count, and other applications all affect performance. See the computer and capture-hardware guidance.

Install the runtimes your sources need.

The Windows x64 installer bundles .NET. Blackmagic capture and output require Desktop Video 14.4 or newer; NDI input and output require the separate NDI Runtime. RTSP/RTSPS and SRT inputs, plus Recorder in Express and Professional, require compatible external FFmpeg; setup can check or help install it. AJA hardware integration and DJP Transport are experimental. Confirm the device, driver, format, and workload before relying on them for a show.

HDR analysis uses source values and transfer metadata. The current composed monitoring output is SDR and does not supply HDR signaling. Generated HDR photo modes are explicitly synthetic encodings of bundled SDR samples.

Compact camera controls attached to your scopes

The right-hand toolbar shows a camera toggle only for compatible video inputs. Comparison Scope uses numbered camera 1 and 2 toggles, each shown only for its compatible input. Click to show or hide controls; the checked state follows the selected camera. Attach the independent Camera control pane from Scope settings, or choose Camera controls in the scope context menu. Dock it at the top, bottom, left or right, or float it in a small movable window. Choose Auto, Horizontal or Vertical orientation; Auto uses vertical controls on side attachments and a wrapping horizontal strip elsewhere. Horizontal layout groups each label tightly with its value and leaves a clearer gap between settings. Read-only values occupy only their needed width. Narrow fields are sized for each parameter, with minus/plus buttons immediately beside the value to apply one allowed choice or numeric increment. Camera controls are separate from source configuration.

Camera values and lock states update automatically from Sony SDK property-change notifications, with a two-second fallback poll. Incoming updates wait during numeric editing or an open dropdown, then catch up without writing settings back. Dropdown choices apply immediately; Tab or Shift+Tab commits numeric edits and continues navigation; Enter also applies them. Invalid values and failed writes keep the edit and keyboard focus for correction or retry. A tiny double-arrow icon beside each editable parameter syncs that value to this camera and other attached cameras. Tooltips identify each action; the small status mark contains results and errors. Each camera validates its current capabilities, and successful changes are not rolled back.

Workspace files remember orientation, attachment and primary/source-2 selection, without replaying camera settings. Available controls depend on camera capabilities and mode. Confirm camera controls on your camera and firmware before relying on them during a show.

Troubleshoot a Sony camera connection

Compare the same camera on a working and failing computer by copying network reports from each. Reports include active adapters, interface metrics, Sony runtime paths and file fingerprints. Connection status distinguishes a monitoring request from active delivery and shows actual destination ports. These observations identify the failure stage without automatically blaming a firewall, adapter or camera.

Network checks also show Windows excluded UDP port ranges. These reservations can prevent local socket binding even when the firewall is disabled. The report leaves reservations and network services unchanged.

Test network / firewall… is available before connecting. Check the local adapter, ping, SSH port reachability, Windows Firewall profiles and rules for the running app. These checks do not prove whether video packets were dropped.

Add camera exception… requests Windows administrator approval for an inbound UDP rule limited to this executable, camera IP, local IP and Sony receive ports 55001–55999 across all network profiles. Remove camera exception… removes that app-owned rule. Explicit block rules and organization policy may override it. Retry the connection after adding the exception; the firewall stays enabled.

After a failed Sony connection, choose Troubleshoot connection… to view and copy a report with the selected and Windows-routed local IPv4 addresses, monitoring quality, application version and original SDK evidence. Reports contain network addresses; review before sharing.

Discovery and authentication can succeed before video delivery starts. Sony code 131195 means monitoring start failed; it does not identify the cause or prove a firewall block. Compare firmware and operating modes with a working camera, close competing monitoring clients and retry fixed Standard or Low monitoring quality. When delivery is active without images, Check firewall provides policy evidence and current UDP ports.