Wowza ClearCaster encoder software release notes

Updated on 09/23/2022 4:10 am PDT

Wowza™ Media Systems provides Wowza ClearCaster™ software updates that have new features and functionality as well as bug fixes. This article provides details about ClearCaster encoder software updates and describes known issues with the software. See Wowza ClearCaster Manager release notes for information about Wowza ClearCaster™ Manager UI updates.

Note: See Update Wowza ClearCaster Software to learn how to update your ClearCaster device to the latest software version.

Known Issues

When attempting to push to RTMPS ingest, ClearCaster sometimes fails to connect and the session closes unexpectedly. This especially impacts streaming to YouTube.

Latest updates

2.3.15.00 (September 23, 2021)

  • Fixed an issue with audio switching from stereo sound to mono sound when the broadcast started.
  • Updated for removal of the Facebook Manager UI.

Earlier updates

Wowza Clearcaster version 2

2.3.9.00 (June 30, 2021)

2.2.14 (December 10, 2020)

  • Updated to Facebook Graph API version 6.0.
  • Fixed an issue with video resolution and frame rate output that occurred when switching inputs while previewing a broadcast that was started in Facebook Live.

2.2.11 (November 3, 2020)

  • Fixed a memory leak that occurred when there is a connected video source.

2.2.7 (October 29, 2020)

  • Updated screen prompt to say 'Connect a video source.'
  • Fixed an issue with the talent view so that it properly uses the buffer strude returned from the HDMI or DisplayPort rather than the product of the width multiplied by four.
  • Updated templates and added concept of sets of templates.
  • Added model information to the Encoder mapping.
  • Enabled integration with LinkedIn Live.
  • Fixed a timing issue.
  • Limited the ability to delete encoders to admin users only.
  • Added capture card temperature statistics to the Monitoring pages and logic for the appliance status icon.
  • Update the activation splash screen to remove mention of an LCD screen on the appliance.

2.1.40 (August 18, 2020)

  • Fixed a problem with CUDA scaling being turned on when using the appliance in Facebook mode.
  • Improved the MP4 file writer to handle time jumps better.
  • Modified the MP4 recording file updater logic to skip zero-length files.
  • Added the ability to measure the temperature of the capture card, in Celcius. This data is now included in the GraphQL API captureSessionInfo object.

2.1.32 (May 7, 2020)

  • Added support for NTP time synchronization.
  • Fixed an issue with audio/video timecodes drifting apart in the event of losing or receiving bad SDI/HDMI frames.
  • Improved Blackmagic capture card performance to be properly mutli-threaded.
  • Improved handling of the Blackmagic capture timecodes to prevent audio/video synchronization issues.
  • Added the following new URL JSON settings for the streamTargets URL field:
    • destinationDomain
    • destinationPort
    • isSecure
    • destinationApplication
    • destinationAppInstance
    • destinationQuery
  • Added a service to sync ClearCaster appliance time to the API time on start.
  • Fixed a null pointer exception and logging issue in fragmented MP4 recording.
  • Fixed a memory leak that occurred for audio-only broadcasts with overlay frames and Engineering View enabled.
  • Added support for graphics packages in Facebook Live Producer workflow.

2.1.20 (April 7, 2020)

2.0.2.26 (February 18, 2020)

  • Stream target controls - Enable or disable stream targets associated with a broadcast while live. This ensures a smoother go-live process when broadcasting to multiple destinations with different lead-time allowances.

    Note: With Wowza ClearCaster encoder version 2.0.2.26, audio bars in Engineering View don't work properly for MPEG-TS source streams.
  • Cleaned up AC3 decoder logging.
  • Fixed an issue with MPEG-TS/SRT outputs so that the PES length is set to zero when using mpegtsAlwaysSendZeroPacketLen, which is on by default.
  • Added support for the new Facebook graphical overlay engine.
  • Updated the VideoFrameBuffer allocation to prevent a memset if the frames are for capture.
  • Fixed an issue with NVCUVID decoding where we referenced frames outside of the pfnDisplayPicture callback and caused frame corruption.
  • Added support for enabling and disabling stream targets.
  • Fixed an issue with asset package downloads where removed asset packages remained visible until you rebooted the ClearCaster appliance.
  • Moved the pairing data and pairing messaging uploads to multi-part uploads.
  • Improved the LCD driver to prevent a memory leak in the event that the ClearCaster appliance can't communicate with the LCD screen.
  • Improved the accuracy of colorspace conversions when converting from YUV to RGB and from 10-bit to 8-bit color.

2.0.1.52 (November 12, 2019)

  • SRT - Improved SRT outputs to increase compatibility across destination types.
  • User management - View and manage contacts who can remotely access a ClearCaster appliance. Organization owners can manage contacts, while other levels of user can view contacts. Administrators and organization owners can remove access to the Integrations and Templates tabs for standard-level support contacts.
  • Graphics - Natively create slates, lower thirds, and bugs for your live broadcasts in universal mode.
  • Fixed an issue with the recording storage that caused low disk space warnings.
  • Fixed system monitoring logs to check space utilization from the correct partition.
  • Updated SRT/MPEG-TS outputs so that they no longer set PES length to zero

2.0.1.49 (October 8, 2019)

  • Custom broadcast templates - Copy and edit existing templates for destination and encoding settings, use a library of template widgets to create a custom broadcast configuration, or use encoder configuration templates to customize low-level settings for a ClearCaster broadcast.
  • New output options - New built-in templates and custom template options allow broadcasting to multiple targets and outputs. We've also added new output formats: MPEG-TS (unicast/multicast) and SRT.
  • New input options - You can now use IP streams for input, including SRT, RTP, RTSP, and HLS stream files. Access to AC3 decoding is available for IP input streams.   
  • Monitoring for live and completed broadcasts - View broadcast health for live and archived broadcasts to examine streaming conditions and diagnose issues.
  • Integrations - Generate an API key and access key to use the Wowza encoder GraphQL API to control a ClearCaster appliance, or add API keys for seamless integration with the Wowza Video service.
  • Recordings - Record broadcasts, then access recording assets that are automatically uploaded and hosted.
  • Added support for SRT input.
  • Added support for MPEG-TS output, including unicast and multicast.
  • Added support for MPEG-TS output over SRT.
  • Added support for broadcast recording and recording asset uploading.
  • Added support for opening UDP/multicast ports for MediaCaster input. RTP and SRT MediaCaster types refer to the mediaCasterStreamInfo URL field to determine which port to open.
  • Fixed an issue with timecode rollover in RTMP output streams.
  • Updated audioLevel to be a normalized integer percentage between -100 and 100.
  • Added packet-level debugging and optional JSON parameters for the RTMP server URL.
  • Enabled audio muting.
  • Addressed issues with support logging.
  • Fixed an issue with the decoder restarting after a crash so that it restarts successfully.
  • Updated the default Flash version string to include the Wowza ClearCaster name and version. 
  • Added additional real-time data monitoring capabilities.
  • For Facebook mode, improved accessToken handling, including ensuring that encoders can be properly unregistered from Facebook.

2.0.0.07 (May 21, 2019)

Note: Upgrading your appliance to version 2.0.0.07 or later is only available for ClearCaster appliances on hardware build 06 or higher. If you're not sure of your hardware build number, check the underside of the appliance.

  • Broadcasting to any RTMP destination with universal mode - Wowza ClearCaster version 2.0.0.07 introduces the ability to broadcast to a wide variety of destinations including the Wowza Video service; Wowza Streaming Engine instances; video-sharing websites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Twitter; and other RTMP-based destinations. Pre-tuned encoding templates are provided for each destination option to help provide the best streaming experience possible. For more information, see Create and manage Wowza ClearCaster broadcasts in universal mode.
  • Fixed an audio-synchronization issue by limiting QuickSync reference frames to 1.
  • Reworked the QuickSync H.264 encoder so that it properly switches bitrates to drain the encoder before switching.
  • Added support for broadcasting to RTMP-based desintations in addition to Facebook Live.
  • Improved the talent view help text for pairing and streaming to Facebook Live.
  • Increased the heap size to avoid running out of memory.
  • Updated the LCD screens to support universal mode broadcasts.
  • Fixed a problem with the x264 encoder that prevented some tuning parameters from being available.
  • Removed the printIn when unpairing an encoder from Wowza.
  • Reconfigured the systemd service script to restart on Java OutOfMemory.
  • Separated recording folders for recordings.
  • Improved the logging of bitrate switching.
  • Fixed a problem with bitrate throttling where we were improperly capping down the increment, which could lead to significant drops in bitrate.
  • Added a new bitrate measurement to see if the bitrate of the last full GOP is a more consistent bitrate measurement.
  • Added tracking of frame counts for video, video keys, and audio.
  • Fixed an issue with pairing ClearCaster devices to Wowza.
  • Improved the startup process to avoid a connected HDMI monitor from going into power saving mode.
  • Added unique IDs to broadcastSession.
  • Fixed an issue with an HDMI-connected monitor display by turning off DPMS for xdummy.

1.0.7.15 (March 19, 2019)

  • DNS path optimization - Wowza ClearCaster 1.0.7.15 adds support for optimizing the network path used to send the stream from the ClearCaster to Facebook. Path optimization should increase network and stream reliability, improving the viewer experience. This is enabled by default but can be configured from the ClearCaster Settings dialog. 
  • Removed monetization_status from Facebook metrics query because we don't have app permissions to ask for this data.
  • Updated the video adjustment of encoding to use QuickSync on ClearCaster hardware build 1.0.5 and earlier if the frame size is greater than 1280 x 720.
  • Fixed some issues that prevented the node script from running properly on ClearCasters.
  • Reduced the total number of reference frames to 1 and B-frames to 1 when using the X.264 or QuickSync encoders at 1080p60 to improve performance.
  • Made minor adjustments to the internal minimum bitrates.
  • Added support for GPT-formatted USB drives, which should improve the performance of USB drives formatted on macOS devices.
  • Added new fields to the incremental log data so that we can calculate (in milliseconds) for audio.
  • Added network path optimization for broadcasting to Facebook.
  • Updated the Vidpresso URL to point to the new Facebook-based URL.

Wowza ClearCaster version 1

1.0.5.17 (December 20, 2018)

  • Custom broadcast monitoring view (beta) - Wowza ClearCaster 1.0.5.17 adds public preview support for using a customized monitoring view to monitor broadcasts. The custom monitoring view is displayed on a local monitor connected to the ClearCaster via HDMI. A custom monitoring view is a great way to ensure visibility of the data you care about most. Because this is a preview feature, please contact Wowza Support if you'd like to build your own custom monitoring view. 
  • Support for multiple audio channels - Wowza ClearCaster 1.0.5.17 adds support for multiple audio channels. This can be configured at the appliance level and serve as a default for all broadcasts associated with the ClearCaster, or on a per-broadcast basis. If multiple audio channels aren't specified, a single audio channel is used for the broadcast.
  • Support for default titling and graphics - With Wowza Clearcaster 1.0.5.17 and later, titling and graphics can now be configured at the appliance level. In addition to being able to configure broadcast-specific titling and graphics, which would override any default configuration, you also have the ability to configure your ClearCaster to apply default titling and graphics to all broadcasts associated with the appliance. When using this feature, the video source is encoded, and then the graphics overlays are superimposed on top of the video. This ensures that even if something happens to your graphics application during a broadcast, the video stream will continue without interruption. We are most closely integrated with Vidpresso:LIVE, but you can also configure a broadcast to use other graphics applications as long as they output a URL. For more information, see Add titling and graphics to a Wowza ClearCaster broadcast.
  • Support for recording broadcasts on your ClearCaster (beta) - Wowza ClearCaster 1.0.5.17 adds public preview support for recording high-quality H.264 renditions of broadcasts. Note that this is a preview feature and storage is limited to a single event. When you need to make room for a new recording, you can use a USB flash drive to archive it. Please contact Wowza Support if you need assistance with this feature.
  • Updated the MQTT port from 1883 to 1884. 
  • Added a new driver environment to setenv.sh.
  • Fixed an issue that occurred when running a version of Java earlier than Java 10 and trying to get the CPU load using the system MBean.
  • Restored the Quick Sync libraries to the lib-native folder.
  • Added the NGCodec demo encoders plugins, limiting the reference frames for Quick Sync encodes to two because anything more causes issues.
  • Updated to the latest version of x264 and recompiled on Ubuntu 18.04.1
  • Fixed an issue with osupdate updates.
  • Enabled support for manually entering and editing a second DNS server in the network configuration file.
  • Updated the LCD screens to support other personalities, such as Workplace by Facebook.
  • Fixed a typo on the LCD screens.
  • Added captureSessionAudioLevel data to system monitor event.
  • Updated the capture card limit to 30 frames per second (fps) when encoding to 30 fps or lower. In that case, the frame rate is reduced by half for anything that is greater than 30 fps.
  • Fixed issue so that the Quick Sync libraries are included in the ClearCaster software builds.
  • Added a model for multiple renditions (adaptive bitrate streaming).
  • Removed a dependency on DataTypeConverter, which isn't included in Java 9.
  • Added a check to ensure that, when editing an IPv4 IP address with the LCD screen, each triplet value doesn't exceed 255. If you attempt to change a value to something greater than 255, the change isn't saved.
  • Refactored code to support multiple renditions and stream targets. Currently, only the largest frame size and one of the stream targets is used for bitrate adjustments.
  • Fixed an issue with automatically adjusting the frame rate when the source stream changes.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented titling and graphics overlays from displaying properly after a reboot.
  • Added support for expanding a 4x3 video source to 16x9 (anamorphic squeeze).
  • Added an aspectRatioMode setting, where 0 is cropped and 1 is stretched.
  • Enhanced the log collection to ensure that */etc/resolv.conf is copied to the system-info folder. 
  • Added a ClearCasterBroadcastSession.goKuveRecording method to signify for Facebook recording when to start recording.
  • Added the overlay graphics configuration into CommandDeviceGetStatus.
  • Map devices to overlay graphics so that they are recognized.
  • Updated to ensure default settings work when the encoder is first added to a broadcast.
  • Added support for broadcast-specific settings that override appliance-level settings.
  • Added a fragmented MP4 writer so that files can play in QuickTime.
  • Update the LCD to use the CaptureState to calculate FPS on the Stream Health screens.
  • Added intrinsic scaler by half scaling and better.
  • Added transcoder support for minQP, maxQP, and constantQP to the NVENC encoder.
  • Added additional fields to the system monitor to track overheating events: cpuCoreInfo, coreThrottleCount, packageThrottleCount, and scalingCurrentFrequency.
  • Added initial support for pushing MPEG-DASH to Facebook.
  • Added support for audio channel mapping in the transcoder capture system. Added audio channel level data to capturesessioninfo, and added devicesetaudiochannelmap to change the channel mapping.
  • Added the title field to the system monitor data.
  • Fixed an issue with the titling and graphics overlays not updating when the URL was changed.
  • Added the field monitorBrowserGraphics to the system monitor data.
  • Added new telemetry data fields and propagated some to the incremental data.
  • Added support for parsing the new audio data sent by the encoder.
  • Added a way to turn on and off SSH validation.
  • Fixed a problem with capture settings being propagated to the LCD screen.
  • Added support for a single ClearCaster recording.
  • Switched the WebSocket implementation from Neovisionaries to Netty to get support for socks4/5 proxies.
  • Added support for SOCKS/HTTP proxy to ClearCaster.
  • Fixed a problem with the channel map and volume not being applied when set at the start of a broadcast.

1.0.4.23 (October 4, 2018)

  • Support for adding titling and graphics  to Facebook Live broadcasts - With Wowza Clearcaster 1.0.4.23 and later, titling and graphics is fully supported and available out of preview. This was previously a beta feature. When configuring Wowza ClearCaster broadcasts to Facebook Live in Wowza ClearCaster Manager, you can add browser-based graphics overlays to the broadcasts. When using this feature, the video source is encoded, and then the graphics overlays are superimposed on top of the video. This ensures that even if something happens to your graphics application during a broadcast, the video stream will continue without interruption. We are most closely integrated with Vidpresso:LIVE, but you can also configure a broadcast to use other graphics applications as long as they output a URL. For more information, see Add titling and graphics to a Wowza ClearCaster broadcast.
  • High-motion video - Wowza ClearCaster 1.0.4.23 fully supports high-motion video at 60 frames per second (fps). This was previously a beta feature. 
  • Enhanced bitrate reporting - Wowza ClearCaster 1.0.4.23 includes improvements to the bitrate statistics reported for Live and Preview broadcasts. For more information, see Monitor Wowza ClearCaster live stream health.
  • Added validation for IPv4 addresses entered from the LCD screen to ensure that now triplet exceeds 255. If the number entered is great than 255, it's not updated.
  • Removed comments and reactions from the system monitoring data because of Kibana collection limits.
  • Added a simple operation at startup that updates the capture card firmware if necessary.
  • Added a delay in prepareStream to allow time to recognize capture settings before continuing to set up the encoding. This fixes a problem with broadcasting 1080p60 sources as 1080p30 broadcasts.
  • Updated Wowza Transcoder to use x.264 for 1080p60 sources if the hardware version is 1.1 or greater.
  • Removed VAAPI B-frames because there was a bug in the VAAPI driver that caused low bitrate and quality when B-frames were enabled.
  • Fixed a problem with redundancy that caused any encoder that was restarted to use the broadcast URL rather than the live_encoder API URL.
  • Added support for the Vidpresso:LIVE API.
  • Connected the Vidpresso remote API calls to set a broadcast ID.
  • Improved the way ClearCasters handle interlaced frames.
  • Added a progress bar to be displayed on the LCD screen during an update.
  • Improved the update progress bar so that it now includes any necessary additional steps and pauses for clarity.
  • Added the update progress bar view to the Talent View display.
  • Fixed the encoder so that if it's interrupted mid-stream, the LIVE timer will pick up where it left off before the interruption.
  • Added the ability for Blackmagic transcoders capture to set the frame size for a frame that is generated when no source is connected.
  • Added the ability to track the frame size of the last captured frame, including any scaling applied because of target frame size or "no-source" frames being scaled.
  • Configured the default frame size for "no-source" frames to be 1920x1080.
  • Updated the simulcast start/stop logging to include the name of the simulcast target.
  • Added support for vertical video aspect ratios that are rotated left or right.
  • Fixed an issue with the Go Live where the encoder was not fetching the encoding settings when the state machine switched from capture to live.
  • Improved the countdown timer.
  • Improved the color conversion from BT 709 YUV to RGB on the Talent View.
  • Fixed osupdate updates.
  • Enabled manual editing of two DNS servers in the LCD Settings > Network Info menu.
  • Added a Workplace by Facebook 'personality' to the ClearCaster and LCD settings.
  • Updated how we handle timecodes to increase accuracy and improve reliability for scheduled broadcasts. 

1.0.3.10 (June 12, 2018)

  • New and improved Broadcast workflow - The addition of a Broadcast page in the ClearCaster Manager gives you enhanced options for configuring and managing live streams. The Go Live workflow has been updated and is now called Create Broadcast, which aligns with the enhanced options on the Broadcast page. Additionally, as part of the Broadcast workflow, you'll be able to configure simulcasting, audience restrictions, and other broadcast-specific settings. See Create a Wowza ClearCaster Live Stream for Facebook for more information about creating broadcasts and Manage your Wowza ClearCaster broadcasts for more information about managing broadcasts.
  • Support for simulcasting to Wowza Video -With ClearCaster version 1.0.3.10, you can now simultaneously broadcast (simulcast) a stream from your Wowza ClearCaster device to Facebook Live and Wowza Video. 
  • Added support for 60 frames per second and aspect ratio settings for individual broadcasts.
  • Fixed the maximum frame rate system so it applies only when going into a preview.
  • Added a startup delay to wait for healthy capture frames and avoid using an incorrect frame size.
  • Added support for comments without user information.
  • Added a custom simulcast Flash connection version string with the format: FMLS/3.0 (WowzaClearCaster [version]).
  • Removed user_actions.video scope because it's been deprecated.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented broadcast information from being received after the broadcast was received from the live encoder API.
  • Changed the ClearCaster behavior so that if no source is found, the ClearCaster will default to 1080p output.
  • Improved the software update process. The LCD and TalentView screens now indicate when an update is in process.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented ClearCaster devices from recovering if it is rebooted or turned off during an update.

1.0.2.26 (March 22, 2018)

  • Fixed several issues with ClearCaster network IP settings configuration.
  • Added support for vertical (9:16) video.

1.0.2.23

  • Enabled support in ClearCaster for 1080p60 video streaming. You can send 1080p60 source video from ClearCaster to Facebook at 30 frames-per-second (fps) by default, or at 60 fps by using a High motion option. Facebook doesn't support 1080p60 video playback at this time.
  • Enabled support for ingesting CEA-608 captions in video sent to the ClearCaster SDI input port. (Note: Captions cannot be sent to the HDMI input port.)
  • Added ability to crop and send square video to Facebook Live for optimal playback on mobile devices.
  • Enabled monitoring statistics to be displayed in ClearCaster Remote Admin (clearcaster.wowza.com): video resolution, bitrate, network ping time, bytes waiting to be sent, and %CPU load.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented proper use of the Facebook Live scheduling feature for scheduling ClearCaster live video.
  • Added general improvements and fixes to Talent View.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented network settings from persisting when configured in the ClearCaster LCD.
  • Fixed an issue where changing the source video signal format from YUV to RGB without changing the frame size caused the ClearCaster to stop responding.

1.0.1.15

Note: You may receive two update notifications, and must install two updates, in order to upgrade your ClearCaster to version 1.0.1.15. The first update installs software that enables the second update (which includes the new features, enhancements, and bug fixes described below) to be installed.
  • Added user-selectable Talent View layouts that show or hide comments.
  • Added ability to ClearCaster LCD and Remote Admin (clearcaster.wowza.com) to adjust countdown clock increments.
  • Added support to ClearCaster LCD and Remote Admin for displaying input/output video resolution and frame rate.
  • Added ability to ClearCaster LCD to adjust audio levels.
  • Enabled ClearCaster-to-Facebook pairing on Remote Admin without pairing code.
  • Enabled view on Remote Admin that shows ClearCasters paired with Facebook that aren't owned by the user.
  • Other enhancements and bug fixes:
    • Fixed emojis display on Talent View
    • Added ability to ClearCaster LCD to cancel stream before countdown ends
    • Changed Broadcast Status light on ClearCaster front panel to only illuminate when the video is Live (not in Preview)
    • Fixed network timeout issue where network didn't time out after 90 seconds
    • Fixed issue where live video ended 5 seconds early
    • Fixed issue that prevented ClearCaster from recovering after network loss
    • Improved ClearCaster registration experience

1.0.0.33


  • Wowza ClearCaster 1.0.0.33 is the first release of the software.
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