Disguise GX 2C

Disguise GX 2C: VFC outputs, live inputs and playback checks

Evaluate GX 2C for event displays and content: project, capture, VFC outputs and operation. Ask GLMedia about rental or purchase and preparation.

Model and role

For multiple displays or live sources, select the server together with the project, destinations and rehearsal time. We can help organize those requirements and evaluate an equipment, preparation and operation proposal suited to the show.

The Disguise GX 2C is a media server for designing, sequencing and playing back a show. It combines media playback, live capture and video outputs in a configured project. This guide covers the legacy GX 2C; GX 2, GX 3 and EX 2C have separate specifications.

Panel variants and connections

Interface and show outputs: 1 × DisplayPort 1.2 for the GUI, plus 2 × 4K outputs using VFC cards. Identify each installed VFC: connector, format, frame rate and bit depth depend on that card and system configuration. The GUI connector does not establish another equivalent show output.
Live capture: 8 × 3G inputs on HD-BNC, supporting Quad Link 3G for 2 × 4K inputs. Documented simultaneous limits: 2 × 2160p60 or 8 × 1080p60. Capture supports 10-bit YCbCr 4:2:2; match the actual supported format and link grouping.
Network and sync: 2 × 1GbE and 2 × 10GbE network ports; BNC Genlock. Label each network role and the sync path; a link indicator alone does not verify the session configuration.
Power and mounting: AC 100–240 V, 50–60 Hz; Neutrik powerCON True1; 517 W peak. 4U, 19-inch rack mounting. The hardware reference lists 64 GB RAM and 3.84 TB removable NVMe media storage; verify the actual unit.

Show use and alternatives

For a stage with mapped content, we can evaluate GX 2C using the actual media, cues, capture and destinations. If only a looping video is needed, we consider simpler playback; if cameras must feel immediate in the room, we compare direct production routing with server composition. The proposal should include rehearsal time and who prepares and operates the show.

A screen sketch and content sample are enough to start. We then refine layers, cameras, outputs, project version, and acceptable delay to quote preparation and operation. Load validation requires the actual project and content; an initial estimate does not replace that test.

What the system needs

Provide a GUI monitor, appropriate VFC and capture cables/adaptors, configured downstream displays/processors, media files and a saved project. Confirm the licensed software, OS and hardware combination against the compatibility matrix.

Define source resolutions/frame rates, output timing, genlock where needed, network roles and a separately tested fallback. Port counts and storage capacity alone do not validate playback performance or redundancy.

In the proposal, define who supplies content and the project, prepares the session and operates it. Confirm the hardware, compatible license and services included in the offered scope; a server reference alone does not define an operational package. Rehearsal should cover actual cues and transitions, including the agreed recovery plan.

Prepare the system

Record the GX 2C label, installed VFC references, Designer/OS versions and starting project. Keep an independent project copy before changes; do not upgrade a show project merely to diagnose it.
Connect the GUI monitor to its documented port. Compare each VFC output and downstream input with the patch plan. Confirm output assignment and timing in the project before changing display settings.
For capture, identify single-link HD versus quad-link 4K and follow the published input-group diagram. Match the source format and, for quad link, square-division or 2SI mode across the complete path.
Rehearse a simple test pattern, then the heaviest intended section of the show with actual capture, effects and outputs enabled. Record problems and verify the fallback separately.
In Feed, inspect the physical slot, VFC type and Status before changing the output. The connected machine identifies its card type; compare any mode or connection mismatch with the actual fitted card. Mirror, Quad and Quad 4k split modes apply only to the documented Quad-DVI/Quad-SDI cards.
The official matrix lists GX 2C as End of Support, with Designer support up to r32.4.x. Check the incoming project build and server OS before rehearsal; preserve a separate copy and do not upgrade the only tested project.

Use and troubleshooting questions

I can see the server desktop, but no content on the show screens. Where do I start?
Can I connect a single 12G-SDI source directly for 4K capture?
A complex cue stutters. Does the published layer count guarantee it should play?
Should live cameras go through the server or directly to the switcher?
Do two servers guarantee automatic continuation if one fails?

I can see the server desktop, but no content on the show screens. Where do I start?

Check the destination input, cable/adaptor and physical VFC connection against the patch plan. Confirm that the project assigns the expected content to that output and that the chosen timing is supported by the installed card and destination.

During a planned test, compare a simple known-good pattern and substitute one compatible cable if needed. A working GUI proves neither the VFC signal nor the downstream path. Do not reseat cards, open the chassis or reinstall the system as the first response.

To isolate the issue, record which output fails, its card and whether a project pattern reaches the destination. That record helps evaluate cabling, conversion and assignment without starting by reinstalling the server.

Can I connect a single 12G-SDI source directly for 4K capture?

The documented GX 2C capture path uses Quad Link 3G-SDI, not a single 12G-SDI input. A 4K path therefore needs a compatible source/output arrangement or a verified conversion stage; a connector adaptor alone does not convert bandwidth or mapping.

Use the input-group diagram to check all links, source resolution/frame rate and square-division versus 2SI. Observe the limit of 2 × 2160p60 or 8 × 1080p60 simultaneously; do not add those maxima together.

A complex cue stutters. Does the published layer count guarantee it should play?

No. The performance tables describe a specific codec, resolution, frame rate and test setup; the published test uses an Actor with GUI disabled and a separate dedicated Director. It is not a promise for every project.

In a saved test copy, compare one media layer, then add the actual effects, live inputs and output load progressively. Note codec, media data rate and the exact cue where the issue appears. Preserve diagnostics for support; a generic OS reimage or firmware change is not an initial playback check.

Should live cameras go through the server or directly to the switcher?

It depends on required project composition or effects and acceptable delay. The GX 2C table measures server capture-to-output latency, not the complete camera, processor and display path.

We can compare both routes in rehearsal and quote capture, conversion and operation for the required result. A direct route may be worth evaluating for room pictures; the server can handle content and composition when that better serves the show.

Do two servers guarantee automatic continuation if one fails?

No. Failover documentation requires an available Understudy configured to replace the intended machine. Another powered server does not establish that it can assume the role or that the output path will switch correctly.

We can evaluate integrated backup or operator-led recovery according to what the show must retain. Scope should review version compatibility, project, media, inputs, and destinations, plus preparation and a replacement rehearsal. If only a holding picture is needed, we can assess a simpler alternative; it does not recover every project effect or camera.

Symptom and next check

Disguise GX 2C
Symptom	Check	Next step
GUI works, show does not	VFC connection, assignment and timing	Test the real downstream path.
4K source not captured	Quad-link grouping and source format	Verify conversion and all required links.
Complex cue stutters	Media/effects/capture under actual load	Rehearse a saved test copy progressively.

Power, environment and installation

The hardware page specifies operation at 5–35 °C and 5–95% relative humidity, non-condensing. Keep rack cooling unobstructed and power appropriately grounded; follow the exact unit and rack installation requirements.

Disguise warns against opening or removing the case unless instructed by a certified Disguise Engineer. Isolate power before authorized service; do not swap internal parts as generic troubleshooting.

Use the documented shutdown procedure and preserve project/media backups. Software and OS compatibility depends on the legacy hardware; consult the matrix before any planned change. The guide does not assume the newest Designer release is appropriate.

Manufacturer documentation

Use these references to identify the installed VFC cards and a compatible Designer, OS, and hardware combination. Prepare checks using the actual project and destinations before the event.

Live performer effect with demanding content

Show scenario

The opening combines cameras and graphics; rehearsal reveals delay or uneven playback.

A solution we can quote

We can quote project preparation and load testing: separate camera routing, media, effects, and outputs to identify processing load or added delay.

Another option to compare

Compare reduced effects, prerendered sections, or direct camera routing where responsiveness matters more than compositing.

Proposed acceptance check

Rehearse the most demanding cue with real inputs and destinations; log software and configuration, observe smoothness and delay at the destination, and retest after each agreed change.

To prepare a proposal

Share a visual reference, sample files, and what needs to react live. We can then identify the signals, modules, and licenses required for the proposal.

Is the performance table enough to approve the show?

No. The benchmark has specific test conditions; it does not certify this project’s layers, effects, or inputs.

Does another identical server eliminate every interruption?

No. Backup requires prepared projects, media, roles, and routes; quote and rehearse it as a separate scope.

Manufacturer documentation

External reference and options for your show

JSB Land case published by Disguise, with programming by Kentaro Hamada (Hibino Visual Div.) and visual content direction by Toyokazu Fujisawa (SOZO.inc).

Should we use live camera effects or prepared graphics for the show?

Disguise documents GX 2C and GX 3 in JSB Land, with different roles within the system. GX 2C was used primarily for the Notch NVIDIA Virtual Background effect on live cameras.

If the visual concept needs to react to the performer’s image, we can study live compositing with GX 2C, confirmed inputs and outputs, compatible software, and an operator. We define the effect through a sample and a rehearsal; the JSB Land result does not guarantee another project will behave the same way.

If a defined visual sequence is sufficient, we can compare prepared videos triggered by cues, with a separate camera path where appropriate. This changes the creative result: prepared video does not respond to the performer’s live movements. It allows a different content and operating scope to be considered.

Disguise — JSB Land: live camera effects with GX 2C and GX 3

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