Playback v1.7.1 released January 27, 2026*
Full version number: 1.7.1.72*

*Note on versioning: Although this release is numbered 1.7.1, it includes new features and should be considered a feature release. The version number reflects a build-time issue encountered during release packaging, not the scope of changes included.

Current and legacy documentation (user guides, etc) can always be found here.

If you would like to report a bug not listed here, or submit a feature request, please let us know here.

This document is organized in 5 sections:

• Technical Alerts & Best Practices - Crucial information and recommendations on how to configure and use the app to optimize its performance and your experience using it.
• System Requirements
• New Features - A list and explanations of Playback improvements included in this release.
• Bug Fixes - A list of resolved bugs with their reference numbers.
• Known Issues - A collection of known issues that we are tracking and working to resolve. This may not be a complete list, but rather curated with the most common issues experienced. If a workaround is available, it will be listed.

Technical Alerts & Best Practices

Browser & Network Considerations

⇒ Safari (Guest Joining):
Safari is not recommended for Guests at this time. For best results, use a supported Chromium-based browser.

⇒ Streaming over WiFi:
Streaming over WiFi may result in degraded performance due to network variability. A hardwired Ethernet connection is strongly recommended.

Application Behavior & UI Constraints

⇒ Stream Settings While Streaming:
Stream Settings cannot be modified while a stream is active. To make changes, stop the stream, update settings, save, and then restart the stream.

⇒ Playback Application Left Open:
If Playback is left open for an extended period (for example, overnight or over a weekend), the app may become unresponsive. If this occurs, quit and reopen the application.

⇒ “Signed in from another device” Message:
After an unexpected app crash, you may see a message stating that you are signed in from another device. This is expected behavior. Click Yes to proceed and continue signing in.

⇒ Minimum Application Window Size:
Playback Desktop has a minimum supported window size of 1600×900 and is not responsive. If the app does not fit on your screen, adjust your display resolution in macOS System Settings.

Audio Monitoring & Playback

⇒ Bluetooth Headphones:
Using Bluetooth headphones introduces inherent audio latency. This can be adjusted during a live stream using the A/V Sync controls.

Capture & Hardware Configuration

⇒ Capture Method Frame Rate Behavior on macOS:
On macOS, Screen Capture and Application Capture are subject to OS-level frame rate control. The effective frame rate may be variable, regardless of the frame rate selected in Playback settings.

For critical workflows, use Blackmagic or an NDI plug-in with constant bitrate support, as these methods bypass OS-level constraints by directly ingesting the source signal.

For non-critical workflows, where a small tolerance (approximately 5 percent) is acceptable, Screen Capture and Application Capture are suitable options.

System Requirements

Playback Desktop (MacOS only)

Browser Requirements for Joining a Session Using a Web Browser:

• Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Safari (beta) It is not recommended to use Safari at this time.

We recommend using the latest browser versions available for optimal performance.

New Features

Video Output to SDI & HDMI for In-Room Review

Playback 1.7 introduces SDI and HDMI video output support, allowing desktop users to route the live Remoto Playback stream directly to external displays such as projectors, broadcast monitors, and large-format screens using supported Blackmagic Design devices.

This makes in-room reviews, group screenings, and presentations significantly easier, without requiring changes to existing session workflows or streaming configurations. The stream remains live and interactive for remote participants while also being displayed locally at full quality.

This feature is ideal for:

• Screening rooms and conference rooms
• Director or client review sessions on large displays
• Hybrid workflows combining in-person and remote collaboration

Pre-Session Network Test for More Reliable Sessions

Playback 1.7 adds an automatic Pre-Session Network Test that runs before a session starts or a Guest joins, helping identify potential issues before they impact the session.

The test runs automatically:

• When an Organizer clicks Start Session
• When a Guest clicks Join Session

It typically completes within a few seconds while the session room is being prepared.

What the test evaluates

• Network connectivity, latency, and packet loss
• Available bandwidth relative to session requirements
• System performance indicators such as CPU and memory usage
• Regional routing to select the optimal endpoint

Role-aware behavior

• Guests: Emphasis on download performance, latency, and playback readiness
• Organizers: Evaluation of both upload and download bandwidth, since Organizers publish the stream

If potential issues are detected, clear warnings and recommendations are shown before proceeding. In some cases, users may acknowledge a warning and continue, with the understanding that audio or video quality could be impacted.

This helps reduce failed session starts, degraded playback, and mid-session interruptions.

On-Screen Annotation for Real-Time Visual Feedback

Playback 1.7 introduces on-screen annotation, allowing participants to draw and highlight directly over the live video stream during a session.

Designed for speed and clarity, this first release prioritizes:

• Low-latency synchronization, so annotations appear instantly for all participants
• Clean, intuitive controls that do not disrupt playback
• Clear visual communication without relying on verbal explanation alone

On-screen annotation is especially useful when precise visual context matters, such as editorial reviews, mix notes, VFX feedback, or spotting sessions. This phase focuses intentionally on real-time collaboration, with more advanced tooling and persistence planned for later releases.

Instant Session for Faster Start-Ups

Need to jump into a session quickly? Playback 1.7 introduces Instant Session, a streamlined way for Organizers to start a session immediately using saved presets.

From a single modal, Organizers can:

• Select an eligible account (subscription)
• Confirm or edit an auto-generated session name
• Choose a streaming type
• Apply a preset with a read-only summary of resulting settings

Instant Session bypasses the full setup flow while still preserving consistency and reliability through preset-driven configuration. Once confirmed, the session is created and launched immediately.

This is ideal for last-minute reviews, quick syncs, or time-sensitive collaboration.

Smarter Participant Re-Invites

Playback 1.7 makes it easier to re-invite collaborators you work with regularly by automatically remembering who you’ve invited before.

When Organizers schedule or run sessions:

• Invited participant email addresses are automatically saved to a personal contact list
• Contacts are associated with the session name they were invited to
• Previously invited individuals or groups can be quickly recalled using typeahead search when adding participants

This all happens seamlessly in the background, with no additional setup or management required. Organizers can re-invite past collaborators in seconds, without retyping email addresses or rebuilding participant lists.

Remoto Workspace Admin Portal Improvements

Playback 1.7 continues expanding support for enterprise workflows with improvements to the Remoto Workspace Admin Portal.

Enterprise administrators now have access to detailed session-level usage data, including:

• Session duration
• Credit usage
• Participant count
• Organizers
• Key technical settings

This enables better cost awareness, internal reporting, and capacity planning, while keeping administrative oversight separate from creative session workflows.

As an enterprise customer, you gain access to the Remoto Workspace Admin Portal to manage company users and resources without interfering with live sessions.

Video Conferencing Improvements: Active Speaker Highlighting

Playback 1.7 introduces active speaker highlighting in the video conference view to improve clarity during multi-participant sessions.

When one or more participants are speaking, Remoto automatically applies a visual highlight to their video tile, making it easier to follow the conversation in real time without guessing who is talking. This is especially helpful in larger sessions or when participants are not familiar with each other’s voices.

This enhancement is driven by real-time speaker events and updates dynamically as speakers change.

Bug Fixes

Included in 1.7.1

Audio Gaps on Apple Silicon Macs Running Ventura and Sequoia: Fixed an issue where users on Apple Silicon Macs running macOS Ventura or macOS Sequoia experienced occasional audio gaps or clicking artifacts during Playback streams. This affected both Desktop Only (DO) and Desktop & Web (DW) sessions for Organizers and Guests. The issue did not affect Intel Macs or macOS Sonoma. (REMT-7222)

Passwordless Join Requests Not Delivering Before Session Start: Fixed an issue where passwordless Guest join requests were not delivered when attempting to join a session less than 15 minutes before the scheduled start time, if the Organizer had not yet entered the session. Guests could remain stuck in the waiting room even after the Organizer joined. This join flow has been updated and no longer exhibits this behavior. (REMT-7357)

Skipped Video Frames for Organizers Using Blackmagic Devices: Fixed an issue where Organizers using Blackmagic devices as the video source could experience intermittent skipped or dropped frames during long streaming sessions. This issue occurred on Apple Silicon Macs in both DO and DW sessions, particularly at 2K DCI resolution or higher, while Guests continued to receive a smooth stream. This issue is no longer reproducible. (REMT-8454)

Incorrect Mic Status Display When Talkback Is Enabled Before Streaming: Fixed an issue where the Participant List displayed incorrect microphone status indicators when Talkback was enabled before streaming began. Guest microphones could appear unmuted in the UI even though Talkback had muted them. This behavior has been corrected. (REMT-8081)

Camera and Microphone Preferences Not Saving: Fixed an issue where changes to the Disable Camera and Disable Microphone checkboxes in Call and Stream Preferences were not saved and reverted to their default state. These preferences are now correctly retained and honored when joining a session. (REMT-6589)

Improved Handling of NDI Sources When Adobe Premiere Is Idle: Fixed an issue where using NDI with Adobe Premiere could result in a “Video Source Lost” error when Premiere was open but not actively playing media. Playback now handles this scenario more reliably, reducing unnecessary stream interruptions. (REMT-9115)

Known Issues

Critical

Passwordless session email links sign out logged-in users: When a user is already signed in to the Playback Desktop app and clicks an email link to join a Passwordless session, the app silently signs the user out and does not join the session. No error or message is shown. Workaround: Fully quit the app or sign out before clicking the session invite link. (REMT-7860)

Non-Critical

Instant Sessions with 16-channel presets remain in Draft after save: When creating an Instant Session using a preset configured for 16 audio channels, the Quick Session settings summary correctly shows 16 channels. However, after clicking Save, the session remains in the Draft state. This occurs because the Quick Session flow does not validate the account’s channel entitlements. Workaround: Open Session Settings from the Dashboard, reselect the same preset, and save again. The session will then transition correctly. (REMT-9200)

Blackmagic presets show “Not Configured” in Stream Settings summary: When recalling a preset that uses Blackmagic, the Stream Settings summary may display “Not Configured” instead of “Autodetect.” This is a labeling issue only. Blackmagic autodetect is working as intended, and the stream is correctly configured despite the summary text. (REMT-6991)

Output dropdown does not appear when enabling Audio Groups during a live session: When a user enables Audio Groups from Audio Controls during a session, the Input dropdown appears immediately, but the Output dropdown does not display. The Output options only appear after the user manually changes the Input selection, which forces the UI to refresh. This issue occurs only when Audio Groups is enabled after entering the Studio; it does not occur if Audio Groups was enabled at join time. The issue is 100 percent reproducible. Workaround: Change the Input selection to any other option, then re-select the desired Input. This refreshes the UI and reveals the Output dropdown. (REMT-8695)

Audio device list does not update dynamically on macOS: On Playback Desktop for macOS, connecting or disconnecting audio devices while the app is open does not refresh the available device list. New devices are not shown in Preferences or Studio view until Preferences is closed and reopened, or the application is fully restarted. Leaving and rejoining a session does not refresh the device list. This affects both Organizers and Guests. Workaround: Close and reopen Preferences to refresh the device list, or quit and relaunch the application. (REMT-8400)

Visible video artifacts for Guests when streaming 4K in sessions with viewer type “Desktop & Web”: In sessions created with Desktop & Web viewer type using a 4K/UHD streaming canvas, Guests see visible video artifacts during playback (blockiness, tearing). This does not occur when streaming at 2K, and does not occur at 4K when using viewer type Desktop Only. Issue appears specific to 4K in Desktop and Web session, and may be bitrate-sensitive. Lowering the canvas to 2K resolves the issue for now. (REMT-8448)

Blackmagic SDI audio input causes frozen frame on stream start: Selecting Blackmagic SDI as the audio input type in Stream Settings causes the video to freeze at a single frame when the stream starts. This happens when Blackmagic is used for both video and audio. Workaround: In Stream Settings, set the Audio Input Type to Virtual Audio Device, then choose Blackmagic as the audio source (the option that does not say “Audio Capture”) before starting the stream. (REMT-8483)

Streaming Audio using NDI as the source is not working: Do not use NDI as an audio source. When setting up a session using NDI as the audio source, the stream is lost when attempting to start the stream. This also makes the start/stop stream button unresponsive, rendering the session unusable. Workaround: None at this time. (REMT-8318)

Video Chat - Camera indicator is ON even if camera is OFF in video chat: If someone turns their video camera off in video chat, the camera indicator light of a built in camera erroneously will remain on. (REMT-4422)