Pinup Popper 1.4 to 1.5 Blank Screen Issue After Update

[Spacegoogie]

No that I know I'm not the only one that is having this issue since update 1.4 to 1.5 , wheres when in attract mode the backglass or/and the playfield go black after one play of the recorded file.

Is there any update or info on a sulotion besides the obviuse of just undoing the update?

 

 

 Thanks!

[Spacegoogie]

I made a discovery!  A few days ago I changed my attract mode playlist to just "All Tables" and for 10 sec intervals.

First I noticed that the tables were not changing in the 10 sec I set to, It was random from 12 sec to sometimes not changing at all.

I went in and added back a hand full of playlist to use in attract mode with 10sec intervals.

 

Now the tables change  to the respected time set intervals so this does not allow for the video files to end and not restart leaving a blank screen.

Odd I cant just use one playlist at a time without having the blank screen issue or  the Intervals go ignored.

 

Hope this helps a fellow member, maybe we can narrow this down?

[jestermgee]

I too have this same problem and I ahve seen it posted a few times on some FB groups, I ahev also posted a few times also but for months have been able to find a solution and I dont want to have to set the attract cycle to 10 seconds. Same as the OP, this only started to happen after an update to 1.5

 

I'm on a Windows 11 system with all PUP software up to date, all files unlocked and I ahve even downloaded the update again, unblocked and copied back again to make sure it's not a file issue. 

For me it seems to start happening after about 20+ minutes in attract mode but nothing seems to fix the issue and it only started after updating to 1.5 and from what I have observed it seems randomly a video just doesn't loop as it will play 1 time then black screen. I have checked/double checked, here are the details of what consistently happens:
 

- Everything appears to be fine for the first 20 minutes after launch.
- I have a randomly generated playlist for the home screen which is all I have set for attract mode so it is always loaded with a different 50 tables after each boot. 
- My attract cycle time is set to 120 seconds between table switches

- Leaving the system just running in attract mode with a random 50 out of 250 tables everything displays fine for the first 20 odd minutes

- After this period, randomly a new table shows the backglass or playfield video but after 20 seconds of playback the screen goes black (like the video ends but the player is still open). This is always a random table and never the same table each time either.

- When the next table loads, everything shows fine and it appears to be fine until some time later another table will do the same thing.

- if I notice this black video screen I can scroll to the next one and it is fine, scroll back and the issue will happen again. However if I scroll through several tables and then back to the one that had the issue, it is now magically fine and no issue.

I have checked and made sure that in all my DMD/BG/PF and Topper folders there are no images, just MP4 videos and no duplicates of files (each of my BG and PF screens has just a single MP4 video assigned). 

I have tried every suggested option in VLC to try address the issue, nothing worked so I reverted to a default backup.

Seems to me that after some period a video player simply stops working in loop mode and only plays videos for a short moment and then something causes it to stop

At a loss on this 

Edited July 30, 2024 by jestermgee

[jestermgee]

Still having this same issue ahve have been constantly trying everything. 

100% the video player just seems to stop playing with a black screen. The desktop does not show through, the screen is just black (and no, the screen does not go to sleep. 

It seems to be a VLC issue and it occasionally causes full pup pack tables to also stop playing video after a few minutes, sometimes the full DMD video doesnt load for a table and 100% of the time if I leave my machine running in attract, after about 20 minutes it randomly stops playing backglass videos. I would be shocked if someone had a suggestion I have not tried but I feel it just has to be something with the VLC player or something on my system that somehow is telling one of the VLC instances to stop playing. At a complete loss on this.

[Spacegoogie]

I wonder if its time to update VLC player, we have always been told not to but I might try that.

This is the only thing I have not tried, and it just might be time.

[SecretAntelope]

I have a very similar issue where VLC seems to randomly stop playing videos at different intervals. Has anyone solved? I tried a bunch of things, but updating VLC never worked - at least the versions I tried.

[jestermgee]

Yeah likely you saw my other post on your other thread. 

I'm pretty good with troubleshooting but this one has me stumped, makes no sense as to why it just doesnt work after a certain amount of time. Works 100% fine for that first 20-30 mins then over time gets worse and worse until all 4 of my screens have no videos playing and just show the desktop. Reboot PUP and all good again. Kind of ruins an otherwise nice setup 

[SecretAntelope]

Try the watchdog flag here! It solved the problem for me, finally. https://www.nailbuster.com/wikipinup/doku.php?id=custom_options

[jestermgee]

On 1/19/2025 at 3:42 PM, SecretAntelope said:

Try the watchdog flag here! It solved the problem for me, finally. https://www.nailbuster.com/wikipinup/doku.php?id=custom_options

Sadly, like everything else I ahve tried, this had no impact for me. 

 

It's so strange, the system works 100% in attract mode, it cycles through tables every 60 seconds just fine and looks a million $$$ just begging to be played. Leave it running in attract and come back an hour later and randomly the backglass is now not showing video for just 1 table, then another then an hour more goes by and now the backglass isnt showing or the playfield then eventually all screens just crash and the desktop is showing butn PUP is still running, just no longer playing videos. Restart PUP and presto, all fine again. 

 

To me it seems like a memory leak or something that requires some time to accumulate because within that first 30 minutes there is nothing to ever fault. Just wish I could solve this but it's now been a year and other than a complete format and reinstall from scratch, I am out of ideas.  

[Spacegoogie]

Has anyone tried updating VLC?

Wonder if its time.

I think since I'm VR only now, I don't  use popper as much maybe Monday ill just install the latest VLC and see what happens🍻

[SecretAntelope]

On 2/28/2025 at 5:38 PM, jestermgee said:

Sadly, like everything else I ahve tried, this had no impact for me. 

 

It's so strange, the system works 100% in attract mode, it cycles through tables every 60 seconds just fine and looks a million $$$ just begging to be played. Leave it running in attract and come back an hour later and randomly the backglass is now not showing video for just 1 table, then another then an hour more goes by and now the backglass isnt showing or the playfield then eventually all screens just crash and the desktop is showing butn PUP is still running, just no longer playing videos. Restart PUP and presto, all fine again. 

 

To me it seems like a memory leak or something that requires some time to accumulate because within that first 30 minutes there is nothing to ever fault. Just wish I could solve this but it's now been a year and other than a complete format and reinstall from scratch, I am out of ideas.  

Have you updated pinup popper through the app lately? A month or so again they put out a new .exe that also may have contributed to fixing.