--- title: "Getting started with Vicon Video Viewer" canonical: "https://help.vicon.com/space/VVV115/649822236/Getting%20started%20with%20Vicon%20Video%20Viewer" format: markdown --- Vicon Video Viewer is a tool for playing back files generated from Vicon applications such as Shogun and Nexus. > ⚠️ **Use with compressed video from Vicon Vanguard cameras** > ⚠️ To display compressed video, Vicon Video Viewer requires a Vicon Shogun Markerless license to be available. This is a restriction of the license. > ⚠️ If the license isn't available, `Unable to render frame` is displayed instead of the video and the Log displays the message `Not licensed to decode JpegXS`. This guide contains the following information on installing and using Vicon Video Viewer. > Macro (toc) ## Install Vicon Video Viewer Vicon Video Viewer may be installed when you install a Vicon application, such as Vicon Shogun. You can also download it from the [Vicon website](https://vicon.com/downloads/software/vicon-video-viewer). It does not require a license. After installation, to start Vicon Video Viewer do one of the following: - Click the Vicon Video Viewer shortcut > Macro (inline-media-image) on the Windows desktop. - Click the Windows **Start** button, begin entering `Vicon Video Viewer` and click the **Vicon Video Viewer 1.#** app. - In Windows Explorer or on the Windows desktop, double-click an associated video file. (An association for .*vvid* files is created during installation.) ## Get to know the user interface The key areas of the Viewer window are the menu bar, view pane, information area and time bar. ![image](media://93cc6651-c37c-4bf8-9f91-776f21e247d1) > Macro (inline-media-image) Menu bar > Macro (inline-media-image) View pane > Macro (inline-media-image) Current timecode > Macro (inline-media-image) Current decoder (hardware/software) and performance in frames per second > Macro (inline-media-image) Video information including resolution, payload format, frame rate, number of frames, duration in seconds > Macro (inline-media-image) Mute or unmute audio (if your video has audio) > Macro (inline-media-image) Time bar, with current frame indicator > Macro (inline-media-image)  Play/pause button, stop button and full screen button > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) ## Play a video with correction for radial distortion If a video is recorded from a calibrated system in Shogun Live, it contain lens calibration information. This information can be used to show the video without radial distortion. **To check whether a video contains lens calibration information:** 1. From the **File** menu, select **Video Properties**. 2. In the Video Properties dialog box, look for properties starting with *LensDistortionCalibration*, like those shown in this example: If you find these properties, you can choose to view the video with or without distortion, as described below. **To apply distortion or to view the video without it:** - From the **View** menu, select or clear **Correct Radial Distortion**. ## Play back a video with different gamma and saturation values If the video payload is a Bayer format, you can change the gamma correction and color saturation values that are used for playback. To access these settings: 1. From the **View** menu, select **Display Settings**. 2. In the **Bayer Decoder** panel that appears to the right of the video, view and/or change the gamma correction and/or color saturation. ## Supported video formats Vicon Video Viewer plays back files generated by Vicon applications. It also opens some video files created with third-party tools such as FFMPEG, but this is not its primary purpose. It plays videos in the following formats: > Macro (scroll-tablelayout) | **Container format** | **Extension** | **Supported video payload formats** | **Supported audio formats** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Vicon Video | .vvid | All payloads | All payloads | | Windows AVI | .avi | Uncompressed Luminance8 Uncompressed B8G8R8 Uncompressed B8G8R8u8 Uncompressed U8Y8V8Y8 Uncompressed Y8U8Y8V8 ImageJPEG VideoH264* | PCM UInt8 PCM Int16 PCM Int24 PCM Int32 PCM Float32 | | QuickTime / MP4 | .mov .mp4 | Uncompressed Luminance8 Uncompressed B8G8R8 Uncompressed B8G8R8u8 Uncompressed R8G8B8 Uncompressed R8G8B8u8 Uncompressed U8Y8V8Y8 Uncompressed Y8U8Y8V8 Uncompressed U10Y10V10Y10 ImageJPEG ImagePNG ImageTIFF VideoH264* | PCM UInt8 PCM Int16 PCM Int24 PCM Int32 | > Macro (anchor) * Only intra-frame (i-frames only) H.264 video is supported. > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) ## Troubleshooting Vicon Video Viewer ### Video playback is too slow - Large files take a while to load to wait at least a minute to allow smooth playback for files over 1GB. - On the **Playback** menu, point to **Decoder**, and make sure that **Hardware (GPU)** is selected. - On the **Playback** menu, make sure that **Full Speed** is selected. - Make sure that the video is stored on a local drive and is not open over network file-sharing. - Move the video to the fastest local drive, ideally an SSD. ### Error when opening a video - If the video was recorded from a Vicon application, it is likely that the file is corrupt. If the problem persists, contact [Vicon Support](mailto:support@vicon.com). - If the video was not recorded from a Vicon application it is likely that the file is an unsupported format. Consider using an alternative tool such as [VLC Media Player](https://www.videolan.org/vlc). - If a Vicon Shogun Markerless license isn't available when you try to display compressed video from Vicon Vanguard cameras, `Unable to render frame` is displayed instead of the video and `Not licensed to decode JpegXS` is displayed in the Log. To display compressed video, ensure that you have a Vicon Shogun Markerless license and that it is activated.