VIBRESIA

Media servers compared

WATCHOUT vs Pixera: two media servers for the same show?

By Syd Lawrence, a visual artist and developer who makes Vibresia. Facts last checked 2 November 2026; updated 3 November 2026.

If you are specifying a show for projection mapping, LED walls or a live event and you need a price you can put in a budget, pick WATCHOUT, whose media server licence costs €3,200. If you would rather have a system whose price arrives as a quotation, pick Pixera, which publishes no prices at all and quotes every licence on request. Both are Windows-only media servers for the same kind of production, both take MIDI, OSC, DMX and NDI, and what separates them is money you can see and how much the free version lets you do.

WATCHOUTPixera
What it isWindows multi-display production and playback software for building shows and playing them in sync across multiple displays.A 64-bit system for real-time media processing, compositing and management, with a show control framework for projection mapping, LED walls and live events.
PriceA WATCHOUT 7 licence is €3,200, and the Producer is freeThe creator licence is free, and the Director, Player and Server licences are quoted on request
Runs onWindowsWindows
RequirementsWindows 10 or later, 64-bit, with a Vulkan 1.3 GPU for the Producer and OpenGL 4.4 or DirectX 11 on a media serverWindows 10 or 11 Pro 64-bit on an Nvidia GPU with at least 4GB VRAM and 8GB of RAM
Free versionThe free Producer cannot drive output devices: showing a show on projectors or other displays needs licence keys, and connecting a media server needs a licence for both the production computer and the server.The free PIXERA creator licence watermarks its four outputs and any rendered video, so it cannot be used during a live production, and it cannot connect to a Director and Client setup.
Known forComposes and plays back video, still images, animations, graphics, live streams and sound across many displays from one set of timelinesReal-time 64-bit render engine that plays video files up to and beyond uncompressed 8K and handles HDR or 12-bit content.
Best forShow producers, projection mappers and AV integrators who need one set of timelines driving many synchronised projectors, LED walls and screens from a network of Windows machines, with live control from lighting desks, show controllers and MIDI gear.Professional projection mapping, LED wall playback and multi-machine show control for live events, fixed installations and broadcast, run on dedicated Windows media servers.

Control and connections

WATCHOUTPixera
MIDIYes: WATCHOUT ships a standalone MIDI Bridge service that forwards Control Change, Note and Pitch Wheel messages from a MIDI device or virtual port to the Director as variable updates, and it also handles MIDI Show Control.Yes: PIXERA Control has a MIDI module that receives MIDI commands, sends MIDI commands and receives MIDI timecode.
OSCYes: WATCHOUT 7 receives OSC natively over UDP port 8000 and TCP port 8001, mapping incoming messages to show variables and controlling timeline playback.Yes: PIXERA Control has an OSC module that sends OSC data out of and receives OSC data into PIXERA.
SyphonNo: WATCHOUT is Windows-only software and offers no Syphon support, since Syphon is a macOS technology.Not that we could find
SpoutYes: WATCHOUT can act as a Spout receiver, taking a Spout texture published by an application on the same node and the same GPU as a live capture source.Not that we could find
NDIYes: WATCHOUT supports NDI in both directions, publishing rendered display output as an NDI stream and receiving NDI streams as capture sources.Yes: PIXERA takes live video from NewTek NDI sources on the network and uses an internal NDI stream for preview.
DMXYes: WATCHOUT maps incoming Art-Net DMX values to show variables and sends DMX over Art-Net from timeline fixture cues, but it does not accept physical DMX input directly.Yes: PIXERA converts the colour information of a screen into DMX values and sends it to LED pixels, tubes or strips over Art-Net, sACN or KiNET v1.
Video in and outYes: WATCHOUT plays video, stills and live sources on multiple displays, with output routings for GPU, SDI, ST 2110, NDI and virtual displays.Yes: PIXERA renders to physical video outputs for projectors and LED walls, with four DP1.4a outputs up to 5120x2880 on the PIXERA one server.

Every row comes from the app's own documentation, on the date shown in the sources below. "Not that we could find" means we could not find it documented, not that the app cannot do it.

Pick WATCHOUT if

you are specifying a show across many synchronised displays and you need a number today rather than a quotation. A WATCHOUT 7 licence is €3,200 and covers one media server, each licensed node drives up to 8x DCI 4K of output, and the Producer is free, so a show can be built before anyone buys anything.

Pick Pixera if

you are mapping content onto LED pixels, running a Director with player clients across several machines, or buying the server hardware as well as the software. Pixera turns the colour information of a screen into DMX values for LED pixels, tubes and strips, the PIXERA creator licence is the full software with watermarked outputs, and every licence except that one needs a USB dongle as its licence key.

Why people compare them

They sit in the same part of a rig, driving projectors, LED walls and screens in a venue, so the people specifying a production weigh one against the other. Windows multi-display production and playback software for building shows and playing them in sync across multiple displays. A 64-bit system for real-time media processing, compositing and management, with a show control framework for projection mapping, LED walls and live events.

Both are Windows software, and both expect a dedicated machine in a rack rather than a laptop on a desk. WATCHOUT wants a Vulkan 1.3 GPU for the Producer and OpenGL 4.4 or DirectX 11 on a media server, and Pixera expects an Nvidia GPU with at least 4GB of VRAM and 8GB of RAM.

What separates them is where the show is built. WATCHOUT composes and plays media from one set of timelines across a network of media servers, and it takes its cueing from outside the room. Pixera is built around a 64-bit render engine and a show control framework, with Art-Net, sACN and KiNET pixel mapping built in and a Director driving player clients across several machines.

The licensing decides much of the rest. One of these two publishers prints a price and the other asks you to contact a distributor, so one of these two conversations has a number in it and the other starts with a phone call.

Where WATCHOUT wins

It has a price you can read before you call anyone. A WATCHOUT 7 licence is €3,200 and covers one media server, and additional media servers are not included. Dataton publishes a single recommended retail price rather than a tier list.

It plays one set of timelines across many displays. Composes and plays back video, still images, animations, graphics, live streams and sound across many displays from one set of timelines.

It scales by adding machines, and the scale is a number you can check. Scales to any number of display devices, with each licensed media server covering up to 8x DCI 4K of output and further servers added for larger pixel counts. Each licensed media server drives up to 70,778,880 pixels across its physical outputs, equal to 8x DCI 4K, and a display that would push a node over that budget is rejected.

It plays the formats an installed show asks for. Plays uncompressed 4K video and images at up to 120Hz with up to 16-bit colour, REC.2020 and HDR across GPU, SDI, ST 2110 and NDI outputs. NDI output is fixed at 8 bits per component and carries no HDR colour space, so HDR delivery has to use a GPU, SDI or ST 2110 output.

It takes live control from the room. Accepts live control from Art-Net and DMX, OSC, MIDI, MIDI Show Control, LTC, PosiStageNet and an HTTP REST API. WATCHOUT 7 receives OSC natively over UDP port 8000 and TCP port 8001, mapping incoming messages to show variables and controlling timeline playback. WATCHOUT ships a standalone MIDI Bridge service that forwards Control Change, Note and Pitch Wheel messages from a MIDI device or virtual port to the Director as variable updates, and it also handles MIDI Show Control.

Lighting is part of the package rather than an upgrade. WATCHOUT maps incoming Art-Net DMX values to show variables and sends DMX over Art-Net from timeline fixture cues, but it does not accept physical DMX input directly.

It sends a signal out and takes one in. WATCHOUT plays video, stills and live sources on multiple displays, with output routings for GPU, SDI, ST 2110, NDI and virtual displays. Takes live capture from capture cards, USB capture, network streams, VNC and NDI, and from local Spout textures published by other applications.

Where Pixera wins

It turns a picture into DMX values for LED. Integrated 2D and 3D mapping with Art-Net, sACN and KiNET pixel mapping that converts screen content into DMX values for LED pixels, tubes and strips. PIXERA converts the colour information of a screen into DMX values and sends it to LED pixels, tubes or strips over Art-Net, sACN or KiNET v1.

Its render engine handles the very big files. Real-time 64-bit render engine that plays video files up to and beyond uncompressed 8K and handles HDR or 12-bit content. PIXERA renders to physical video outputs for projectors and LED walls, with four DP1.4a outputs up to 5120x2880 on the PIXERA one server.

The show control framework is built in. Built-in show control framework with protocol modules for Art-Net, DMX, MIDI and OSC, plus LUA scripting and custom user interface elements. PIXERA control GATE, which is included with every PIXERA product, allows up to ten modules or devices in a project.

It runs across several machines as a Director and its clients. Multi-machine operation with a Director master and player clients, plus frame synchronisation through NVIDIA Quadro Sync.

Live inputs arrive over NDI or a capture card. Live inputs from capture cards, DirectShow devices and NDI sources, with preview shown as an internal NDI stream. PIXERA takes live video from NewTek NDI sources on the network and uses an internal NDI stream for preview.

The free licence is the whole software. The PIXERA creator licence carries the full software with four watermarked playback outputs, and projects can be built and saved without limitation. It cannot be used during a live production, and it cannot connect to a Director and Client setup.

Where both fall short

Neither one runs on a Mac. WATCHOUT is Windows-only software and offers no Syphon support, since Syphon is a macOS technology. The PIXERA documentation's protocol index lists Art-Net, sACN, KiNET, MIDI, OSC, NDI and capture devices, with no Syphon entry, and PIXERA is a Windows-only product.

Spout is a one-sided story. WATCHOUT can act as a Spout receiver, taking a Spout texture published by an application on the same node and the same GPU as a live capture source. The PIXERA documentation's protocol index lists no Spout entry, and PIXERA is a Windows-only product.

Both take something away in the free version. The free Producer cannot drive output devices: showing a show on projectors or other displays needs licence keys, and connecting a media server needs a licence for both the production computer and the server. The free PIXERA creator licence watermarks its four outputs and any rendered video, so it cannot be used during a live production, and it cannot connect to a Director and Client setup.

Both put a licence between you and the output. WATCHOUT needs licence keys on the production computer and on every media server it connects. Every licence except the free creator licence needs a USB dongle as its licence key.

Both have a ceiling on one machine. The PIXERA player licence is limited to two timelines when it runs stand alone. Each licensed media server drives up to 70,778,880 pixels across its physical outputs, equal to 8x DCI 4K, and a display that would push a node over that budget is rejected.

Both want the show designed before the night. Neither one generates visuals from the music it is playing. Both take media you prepared and cues you built, and both expect the content to be ready before anyone walks in.

What it costs

The WATCHOUT Producer is free to download and install without a licence key, and it cannot drive an output device until you add one. A WATCHOUT 7 licence is €3,200, one-time, one licence per media server, with additional media servers not included. Dataton sells it through a local Dataton partner or a price request form, and the same FAQ lists €1,950 per licence for an electronic upgrade from version 6, with educational licences discounted, restricted to teaching institutions and requiring annual renewal.

Pixera publishes no prices. Its own documentation says that for licence prices you should contact your local distributor or the PIXERA sales team, so the Director, Player and Server licences, the PIXERA control GATE, CORE and ENTERPRISE licences and the server hardware are all quoted on request. Every licence except the free creator licence needs a USB dongle as its licence key. The creator licence itself is free.

One practical note if you go looking for a price online. The live media software lives at pixera.one and is run by AV Stumpfl, while pixera.com belongs to Pixera Corporation, a maker of microscope cameras.

Questions people ask

Which is cheaper, WATCHOUT or Pixera?

You cannot compare them on paper, because Pixera publishes no prices at all. WATCHOUT publishes a single recommended retail price, and a WATCHOUT 7 licence is €3,200 per media server, one licence each, with additional media servers not included. The Pixera creator licence is free, but every other licence is quoted on request.

Can I try either one for free?

Yes, with a catch in each case. There is no time-limited trial: WATCHOUT downloads and runs without a licence key so you can get a feel for the software, but producing a show with output devices such as projectors needs licence keys, and connecting a media server and starting one or more displays needs a licence as well. The free PIXERA creator licence watermarks its four outputs and any rendered video, so it cannot be used during a live production, and it cannot connect to a Director and Client setup.

Do both of them talk to a lighting desk?

Both take MIDI, OSC, DMX and NDI, and the two use DMX for different jobs. WATCHOUT maps incoming Art-Net DMX values to show variables and sends DMX over Art-Net from timeline fixture cues, but it does not accept physical DMX input directly. PIXERA converts the colour information of a screen into DMX values and sends it to LED pixels, tubes or strips over Art-Net, sACN or KiNET v1.

Does either of them run on a Mac?

No. WATCHOUT is Windows-only software and offers no Syphon support, since Syphon is a macOS technology. WATCHOUT needs Windows 10 or later, 64-bit, with a Vulkan 1.3 GPU for the Producer and OpenGL 4.4 or DirectX 11 on a media server. Pixera needs Windows 10 or 11 Pro 64-bit on an Nvidia GPU with at least 4GB VRAM and 8GB of RAM.

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Sources

Every fact about another app on this page comes from the source listed for it, on the date shown. We make Vibresia, so we've tried to say where each of the others is the better choice. If something here is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.