Notch Blocks

THE SELF-CONTAINED REAL-TIME FORMAT

Notch Blocks is the self-contained real-time content format that the live and interactive industries rely on. Used by the biggest shows and installations on Earth.

What are Notch Blocks?

A Notch Block is a self-contained file (.DFXDLL) exported from Notch that contains all your assets and the real-time playback engine.

Think of it as an interactive video file, with exposed parameters that can be controlled in real time from a media server, lighting desk, or any other compatible software. This greatly simplifies workflow and version control.

Step 1

CREATE IN NOTCH

You create your real-time rendered content in Notch, the world's standard for interactive live shows. Bring in assets from traditional 3D packages, and set it all up like you want it to work in the show.

Step 2

EXPORT AS A BLOCK

Export your content as a Notch Block, a self-contained, industry-standard format that bundles together all the content and assets in a single file.

Step 3

LOAD IN MEDIA SERVER

Load your exported Notch Block in the media server of your choice. The Notch Block behaves like a video clip on the timeline, except it is all rendered in real-time, offering the ultimate in live show creativity and flexibility.

See how! See how!

Notch’s capacity to create adaptive real-time visuals played an indispensable role in delivering all-new ideas to the Sphere 16K mega-canvas night after night.

Manuel Galarneau, Multimedia Director, Moment Factory

PHISH AT SPHERE SHOWCASE PHISH AT SPHERE SHOWCASE

Phish Sphere 16 9 — PHISH AT SPHERE (MOMENT FACTORY)

Single-File Deployment

With all the content and assets collected in a single file, it has never been easier to create, update and distribute real-time rendered content for live shows.

Proven Performance

Battle-tested on major stages and installations for a decade, Notch Blocks is the industry standard supported in all major media servers.

One asset, Multiple Uses

When a Notch Block is exported, it can be used in multiple ways on multiple servers, and a show can be reproduced consistently.

FEATURES

Notch Blocks is the industry standard - see why!

SUPPORTED EVERYWHERE

Notch Blocks is the industry standard for live, interactive effects, and it is supported on all major media servers.

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TREAT LIKE ANY OTHER MEDIA

Notch Blocks work exactly like video clips on your media server timeline — cue, play, pause, crossfade, and layer them using the same controls your team already knows.

NO ADDITIONAL LATENCY

The natively integrated architecture of Notch Blocks does not add additional live video latency.

NETWORK EDITING

Make adjustments from anywhere on your network or even over the internet, perfect for last-minute changes or tweaking effects during rehearsals without being tied to the media server.

BROADCAST-QUALITY VISUALS

Professional color accuracy that preserves every detail. ACES-compliant 16-bit float processing ensures your visuals maintain full image depth and range throughout production.

REAL-TIME INTERACTION

Bring your content to life with live camera feeds, data inputs, and text updates that change your effects instantly during the show.

FEWER MOVING PARTS

Reduce technical complexity and points of failure by running everything directly inside your media server instead of managing separate systems.

SIMPLE, AFFORDABLE LICENSING

Playing back Notch Blocks only requires a Playback license — available in weekly increments, annual and perpetual packages. Whateever your show requires.

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VFX BLOCKS FOR AFTER EFFECTS

COMING SOON

Create stunning graphics in Notch, then load them into the familiar After Effects environment where you can keyframe and control them. Full path tracing supported.