No Live Video Feed in Flair 7 — GStreamer Library Missing or Wrong Path¶
Summary¶
If the live video feed is not working in Flair 7 (no input from SDI-to-USB adapter or capture card), the most common cause is that Flair cannot find the GStreamer multimedia library. Flair reads the GStreamer path from startup.json in the installation directory. After a fresh install, update, or a drive change, the path in startup.json may point to a location that doesn't exist on the current machine. The fix is to open startup.json in Notepad, locate the GStreamerBinFolder line, and correct the path to match where GStreamer is actually installed. If the GStreamer folder is missing entirely, re-run the Flair installer (select Upgrade) and ensure the "Gstreamer files" component is checked.
Symptoms¶
- Live video feed window in Flair 7 is blank or shows no input.
- SDI-to-USB capture adapter works in other Windows software but not in Flair.
- Live feed was working before a Flair update and stopped afterward.
- Flair startup logs show a GStreamer-related error.
- Fresh installation of Flair 7 has no live video capability.
Community Guidance¶
[RESOLVED] Fix the GStreamerBinFolder Path in startup.json¶
2022-02-04 — Gordon Eschke / AMC / George
Gordon Eschke's exact fix:
- Navigate to the Flair 7 installation directory (e.g.,
C:\Flair7\). - Open startup.json in Notepad (or any text editor).
- Find the line:
- Check that this directory exists on the computer — navigate to it in Windows Explorer.
- If the path is wrong (different drive letter or folder name): correct it in startup.json to match the actual location.
- If the directory is missing entirely: re-run the Flair installer, select Upgrade on the existing installation, and ensure the "Gstreamer files" component is checked during installation.
- Save startup.json and restart Flair.
Gordon Eschke: "Looking at the logs, Flair can't find the GStreamer library needed to show the live video feeds. In the Flair installation directory, open startup.json with something like Notepad. You will have the following line: 'GStreamerBinFolder': 'C:/GStreamer/1_18_1/runtime/1.0/msvc_x86_64/bin'. Please check you have the corresponding directory on your computer with the same drive letter. If the directory is different, correct the path in the JSON file. If the directory is missing, run the installer again and select to upgrade the existing Flair installation. Make sure the 'Gstreamer files' component is checked."
confidence_score: 0.95
[INFORMATIONAL] SDI/USB Capture Adapter Compatibility¶
2022-03-19 — Gordon Eschke / Timothy Heys Cerchio
Not all SDI-to-USB capture adapters are compatible with Flair 7's GStreamer-based video pipeline. MRMC maintains a list of tested compatible adapters on the forum. Key note: PCs with an EtherCAT card installed (required for Staubli arms) have no spare PCI slots — these rigs must use a USB capture adapter rather than a PCIe capture card.
Timothy Heys Cerchio: "PCI slot is also not available on the PC when the EtherCat card is installed for Staubli arms."
confidence_score: 0.90
WhatsApp Excerpts¶
[4/2/2022] Gordon Eschke: @~AMC @~George Thanks for your report. Looking at the logs, Flair can't find the GStreamer library needed to show the live video feeds. In the Flair installation directory, open startup.json with something like Notepad. You will have the following line: "GStreamerBinFolder": "C:/GStreamer/1_18_1/runtime/1.0/msvc_x86_64/bin", Please check you have the corresponding directory on your computer with the same drive letter. If the directory is different, correct the path in the JSON file. If the directory is missing, run the installer again and select to upgrade the existing Flair installation. Make sure the "Gstreamer files" component is checked.
[5/2/2022] ~ AMC: Good to go! Thanks!
[5/2/2022] Gordon Eschke: Great 👍
Additional Community Notes¶
[FORUM — talk.mrmoco.com] Additional first step before editing startup.json: refresh the source.
Before investigating the GStreamer path, try switching the video Source to "None", clicking Apply, waiting a few seconds, then switching back to "USB Camera" or "USB Camera (Jpeg)" and applying again. This sometimes resolves a post-update feed loss without any file editing.
To confirm GStreamer itself is functional, switch Source to "Test Source" — if Flair shows colour bars, GStreamer is present and working. If the test source works but USB camera does not, the issue is likely the capture device or USB connection, not the GStreamer path.
"In the first instance, try to refresh the feed, by switching the 'source' back to 'None' and then to 'USB Camera'... If you select 'test source' and the window shows the colour bars, then that indicates that GStreamer is correctly present and found by Flair." — Gordon (MRMC), talk.mrmoco.com
Source: Flair 7 Live feed – USB SDI capture dongle (2022-02-04, Gordon MRMC)
Blackmagic DeckLink driver must be updated after Flair update to Beta 15+.
A separate but related live feed failure: after updating Flair 7 to v7.3.0 Beta 15 or later, the Blackmagic DeckLink capture card stops working. Cause: Flair Beta 15+ requires Blackmagic Desktop Video driver version 12.2.2 or later. Earlier driver versions are incompatible.
Fix: download and install Desktop Video 12.2.2+ from the Blackmagic Design Support Center before re-testing the live feed.
Note: this is a driver incompatibility issue, distinct from the GStreamer path problem. If GStreamer test source works but your DeckLink card does not respond after a Flair update, check the Desktop Video driver version first.
Source: Black magic Decklink Driver (forum, Flair v7.3.0 Beta 15+ requirement)
Related Issues¶
- See also: CRITICAL: Always Select UPGRADE During Flair Install
- See also: EtherCAT Not Connecting
- See also: Flair 7 Hardware Requirements