Command & Control
StageDirector
Discover devices with Bonjour, organize playback targets, distribute media and route commands to individual devices, groups or displays. Monitor the connected clients from one workspace.
Explore the command center ↓
StageDirector & StagePlayerProfessional Playback System
One System.
Every Screen.
Professional media playback and centralized control for film production, live events and multi-display environments.
Two original application views. The Director coordinates; the Player renders.
One connected workspace
Two Applications.
One System.
StageDirector and StagePlayer work together over your local network using OSC. A single screen or a larger Apple-device setup follows the same division of responsibilities.
Playback & Display
StagePlayer
A native playback node with two independent media layers, separate libraries, transforms and opacity controls. Run it standalone or direct it as part of a distributed system.
Explore the playback engine ↓A practical system workflow
Discover. Distribute.
Control. Play.
From finding devices to playing the intended content, the system separates media preparation, control and rendering.
- 01 / Discover
Find the playback nodes.
Bonjour/mDNS discovery identifies clients and tracks fresh, stale and offline presence.
- 02 / Distribute
Make the media available.
StageDirector exposes files through its local HTTP media server, with per-client preparation and progress callbacks.
- 03 / Control
Choose the target.
Send OSC commands to one device, a client group or a specific display. Adjust transport, layers and transforms.
- 04 / Play
Render at the destination.
StagePlayer handles the media layers and playback. Status and metadata make the node’s state available to the system.
Command center
StageDirector
Discovery · media server · routing
OSC commands
HTTP media access
Status & progress
StagePlayer nodes
Mac / multiple displaysApple TViPhone / iPadStageDirector — Command & Control
One place to direct
the whole setup.
StageDirector is the command center. Apple’s Network framework provides Bonjour/mDNS discovery; OSC routes playback, layer and transform commands across connected clients.
Bonjour Device Discovery
- Automatic device discovery via NWBrowser with Bonjour descriptors
- Presence tracking with fresh, stale, and offline states (10s auto-rescan)
- IPv4-preferred transport with hostname resolution variants
- Organize devices by name, location, or function
- Real-time status monitoring for every connected client
Precision Control & Routing
- Route commands to single devices, specific displays, or multiple outputs simultaneously
- OSC message dispatcher with single, multiple, and group targeting modes
- Smart progress coalescing (120ms interval) to reduce network load
- Connection pooling: up to 192 active connections, 24 per host
- Transport controls, layer configuration, and transform parameters from one interface
Media Transfer & Fleet Management
- Built-in LocalHTTPMediaServer for exposing media files to clients (port 8090)
- Per-client media preparation with progress callbacks
- Fleet overview with tab-based UI, timeline editor, and logging console
- Persistent state storage and client group management
Built for Production
- Designed around practical on-set reliability and focused workflows.
- Native SwiftUI interface for production control.
- 8-second idle timeout with automatic stale connection cleanup
- On-set control from iPhone and iPad.
Director details, at a glance.
StagePlayer — Playback & Display
The content belongs
on the screen.
StagePlayer is the rendering side. Its dual AVPlayer architecture prepares the next media while the current media plays. Main and Overlay remain independent, with their own libraries, playback states and transforms.
Dual Media Layer Architecture
- Two independent media/video layers (Main + Overlay) with separate engines
- Independent media libraries for each layer (Media + Overlay subdirectories)
- Per-layer playback state, transforms, loop settings, and opacity control
- Overlay logos, lower-thirds, subtitles, transparent PNGs, or branding elements
- Both layers use native playback frameworks; efficiency depends on the media and target hardware.
50+ Remote OSC Commands
- Playback: play, pause, stop, next, previous, mute
- Looping: loop on/off, set loop range, play from frame/seconds, frame/time-based ranges
- Transforms: position X/Y, scale uniform/XY, rotation, opacity, reset
- Loading: load, loadAndPlay, loadImage, loadVideo, mediaLoad
- Display: fullscreen on/off, display list request
- System: ping, restart, settings open, library management
- Remote: virtual remote control (up, down, left, right, select, menu, home)
Deployment Flexibility
- Works standalone or as a fully managed node inside the StageDirector ecosystem
- Deploy across multiple Apple devices in the same system
- macOS multi-display support with per-display sessions and F1–F6 keyboard switching
- Persistent display configuration by signature/ID
- HTTP metadata server for real-time status (playback state, progress, library, displays)
Player details, at a glance.
Supported media formats
Video
Audio
Images
Professional features & architecture
Native foundations.
Practical control.
Separate playback engines, explicit targeting and native Apple frameworks form the technical foundation. Performance depends on the hardware, media and configuration.
Native media frameworks
AVFoundation, CoreGraphics and ImageIO handle media and rendering, with efficiency as a design goal.
Dual Media Layers
Two independent video/media layers with separate engines, libraries, transforms, and opacity control.
Dual AVPlayer engine
Player A and Player B provide standby preloading: prepare upcoming content while the current media plays.
OSC over UDP
Open Sound Control carries addressed playback and transformation commands across the local network.
Bonjour Discovery
Zero-configuration device discovery via NWBrowser with automatic presence tracking and hostname resolution.
Transform System
Remote position, scale (uniform/XY), rotation, and opacity control per layer via OSC commands.
Frame & time-based looping
Set loop ranges by frame or time. The documented engine includes loop-anomaly detection for repeat playback.
Multi-Screen Ready
Drive one screen, multiple Mac displays (F1–F6 switching), or an entire network of Apple TV nodes.
Mobile operation
CPU and thermal efficiency are design goals for portable use. Actual battery runtime depends on the device, media and configuration.
Network & implementation reference
- Discovery
- Apple Network framework · NWBrowser · Bonjour/mDNS
- Control
- OSC over UDP · single-device, group and display targets
- Media availability
- LocalHTTPMediaServer · port 8090 · per-client preparation/progress
- Progress coalescing
- 120 ms interval
- Connection pool
- Up to 192 active connections · 24 per host · 8-second idle cleanup
- Original codebase snapshot
- 74 Swift files in StageDirector and 39 in StagePlayer (113 total), using SwiftUI, Combine and AVFoundation. These are architecture figures from the existing documentation, not a current release-size measurement.
Performance context & long-running playback
The earlier product description reports approximately 3% CPU during optimized playback on a first-generation Apple TV 4K. Media settings, operating-system version, measurement method and output configuration are not specified in the available documentation. Treat this as a historical observation rather than an expected result for every setup.
The architecture is intended for sustained playback and efficient use of compact or older hardware. Evaluate the intended media, active layers and display configuration on the target devices. Standby preloading and frame-based controls describe playback mechanisms; they do not establish a guarantee of inter-device synchronization, latency or frame rate.
Platforms & responsibilities
An Apple ecosystem.
A role for each device.
Combine control interfaces, dedicated playback nodes and display outputs according to the needs of the installation.
macOSmacOS 14.6+
Playback & multi-display
StageDirector control and StagePlayer output, with per-display sessions, persistent display configuration and F1–F6 switching.
iOSiOS 17.6+
Portable playback & control
StagePlayer playback and StageDirector control on iPhone and iPad, for compact on-set setups.
tvOStvOS 17.6+
Dedicated playback nodes
Apple TV as a StagePlayer destination within the local network.
watchOSwatchOS 10.6+
Remote control & status
Playback control and status monitoring from the wrist, as described in the platform documentation.
visionOSvisionOS
Spatial workflows
Visual control and spatial presentation workflows. Ask about the target setup and current system requirements.
Platform roles differ. The original documentation does not state a numerical minimum version for visionOS.
The story behind the system
Production experience,
built into the system.
A practical response to the demands of multi-screen production work.
Designed for the moments
when playback simply
has to work.
StageDirector and StagePlayer grew out of practical requirements in professional film production. On set, several monitors and playback devices may need different content, with a clear way to prepare, operate and monitor the setup.
Existing solutions can be complex or a poor fit for a particular production workflow. The aim was a flexible system that separates centralized control from playback on the devices themselves.
Experience from international productions shaped the interface, architecture and feature set: finding the right device, putting the right media within reach and keeping the operator informed.
Stefan Hollekamp has worked in international film and television production since 2002, creating screen graphics, animation, interfaces and custom software, with direct on-set technical support.
Studio & Experience ↗Real-world applications
Different environments.
The same clear roles.
Possible applications of the documented system, from production work to public installations.
Film & Television Production
On-set screen content, reference media and background plates, with addressed playback control for the production setup.
Live Events
Visual content triggering, multi-screen event graphics and centralized control for live environments.
Multi-Display Environments
Distributed playback across multiple Apple TV and Mac nodes for art installations, lobbies, and retail.
Digital Signage
Content playback on compact Apple hardware for shops, offices and public spaces.
Museums & Installations
Always-on video displays, layered informational overlays, and centralized content management.
Education & Training
Classroom media distribution, training video playback, and multi-room presentation control.
Advertising & Branding
Promotional content loops, branded video displays and multi-screen campaign content.
Portable On-Set Rigs
Portable playback on iPhone and iPad for mobile setups, grip carts and quick reference stations.
Immersive & Spatial
visionOS support opens new possibilities for spatial media control and immersive visual presentations.
Technical documentation
A clear route
into the details.
The technical reference above covers discovery, routing, media layers, formats and deployment. For documentation and guidance specific to your setup, contact the studio.
StageDirector guidance
Client discovery, media availability, target groups, display addressing and operator workflows.
Request documentation ↗StagePlayer guidance
Media libraries, layer configuration, playback control, transforms and display deployment.
Request documentation ↗Business & Licensing
Built for Production.
Available for Partnership.
Discuss a demonstration, technology licensing or integration with an existing media workflow. The right arrangement starts with the intended application.
Demo, support & conversation
Let’s explore
your setup.
Interested in StageDirector and StagePlayer? Get in touch about a live demonstration, licensing, partnership, acquisition opportunities or custom integration.