Hey everyone!
It's been an awesome launch week since we released the BigScreen Beta on Steam. Here's a list of known problems/bugs, FAQ. I'll be around to answer any questions, so AMA!
Known Problems & Solutions
Dropped frames and judder
Turn off Fl.ux if you have it. I get massive judder on a GTX 980 when Fl.ux running at night time
This also happens if a Windows UAC permissions window popped up on your screen. We cannot render BigScreen during those popups!
After launching a game, nobody can see my screen
Make sure your games are not in Fullscreen or Fullscreen exclusive mode in their graphics settings. Set them to Windowed or Borderless. You may have to restart BigScreen to start streaming again (I'm working on fixing this!)
100% CPU consumption
Known bug, unsure of the cause yet. Randomly affecting some users. Working on it.
Other people see a black screen and cannot hear you
Restart your PC. If you just installed BigScreen, restarting solves this problem.
Multi-monitor setups are sometimes breaking our streaming. I'm working on fixing this bug. In the meantime, disable/unplug extra monitors.
There's a third cause where our streaming disconnects after 0-3 seconds.
Cannot click on the UI
This is caused by anti-virus blocking BigScreen. We are now whitelisted by Avast so it will be fixed shortly. If this is still an issue, let us know what anti-virus you use. In the meantime, you may want to set BigScreen as an exception or temporarily disable your anti-virus. We're still waiting to be whitelisted by AVG and others.
Sometimes people's screens have low fps
People with 100% CPU consumption aren't able to stream at full fps, and people with lower upstream Internet bandwidth struggle to stream 1080p. We've already lowered the default to 720p so this should alleviate the issue while I work on improving the streaming tech.
Fixes & improvements
- Added warning about streaming private info on desktops in Multiplayer public rooms
- Default streaming resolution is now 720p instead of 1080p
- Various UX and UI improvements
- Whitelisted by Avast so some anti-virus shouldn't block BigScreen
- Fixed a memory leak
- Fixed server bugs
- Fixed issue where DK2 users were upside down (see Alpha Build below)
We've begun experimenting with Unity 5.4. This will solve issues with opening the app and it appearing upside down or not working at all. The BigScreen alpha is now available in Steam under the 'alpha' branch. Let us know if you run into any issues with this build.
Upcoming in 0.1.2
- Performance and bug fixes
- Mute your own audio/video streams
- Mute other users' audio/video streams
- Room admin can kick people from a room
- Multi-monitor setups won't break streaming
FAQ
Why is BigScreen free? Will it be free after Beta?
We think of BigScreen like Skype and want to let as many people use it as possible. Instead of charging upfront, we will soon have cosmetics to purchase (custom avatars, custom environments, etc.).
No Windows 7 support?
You see your desktop inside BigScreen instantly, with no lag/latency, at perfect framerate, with low performance cost. To achieve this, we use new APIs in WDDM 2.0 available only on Windows 8 and 10. Supporting Windows 7 requires more engineering effort and that screen would look laggy, and lower fps. We might still add support in the future, or at least let Windows 7 users look around in BigScreen and watch other people's screens.
Hand controllers? Customizable avatars and environments? Theater environments? Multiple Monitor support? Streaming desktop audio? SBS 3D?
We're working on all of this!
Fun Stuff, Coming In Weeks Not Months
- Streaming desktop audio (like sounds from your game)
- Side by Side (SBS) 3D screens
Thanks for all the love and support!