Performance Problems

WayPresenter is designed to run smoothly on a wide range of hardware, but demanding features like AI scripture detection and high-resolution video playback can push older or underpowered systems. This guide helps you diagnose and resolve performance issues.

Minimum System Requirements

Before troubleshooting, confirm that your hardware meets the minimum requirements.

If your system falls below the minimum requirements, performance issues are expected and a hardware upgrade is the most effective solution.

Checking Resource Usage

Understanding where your system's resources are going is the first step in resolving slowdowns.

Using the Built-In Performance Monitor

WayPresenter includes a performance overlay that shows real-time resource usage.

1. Open Help > Performance Monitor (or press Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P).
2. The overlay displays CPU usage, memory usage, GPU usage, and frame rate.
3. Watch these numbers while using the application normally and during peak moments (e.g., playing a video while AI detection is running).

What to Look For

• CPU above 90%: The processor is overloaded. Reduce the AI model quality or close background applications.
• Memory above 80%: The system is running low on RAM. Close other applications or reduce the number of open media items.
• Frame rate below 30 FPS: The display output may appear choppy. Reduce video resolution or disable motion backgrounds.
• GPU at 100%: The graphics card is maxed out. Lower the output resolution or switch from video to static backgrounds.

Reducing AI Model Quality

The AI scripture detection engine is the most CPU-intensive feature in WayPresenter. If it is causing slowdowns, you can trade some detection accuracy for better performance.

1. Open Settings > AI Detection > Advanced.
2. Change the Model Quality setting:
   • High: Best accuracy, highest CPU usage. Recommended for modern quad-core or better processors.
   • Standard: Good accuracy with moderate CPU usage. Suitable for most systems.
   • Light: Reduced accuracy but minimal CPU impact. Use this on older or dual-core systems.
3. Click Save and monitor the performance overlay to see the effect.

If AI detection is not needed for a particular service, you can disable it entirely under Settings > AI Detection to free up CPU resources.

Media Optimization

Large media files are one of the most common causes of performance problems, especially during transitions and video playback.

Image Optimization

• Resolution: Images do not need to be larger than your output resolution. If your projector is 1920x1080, a 6000x4000 image is unnecessary and wastes memory. Resize images to match your output resolution.
• File format: JPEG is the most efficient format for photographic backgrounds. PNG is better for images with transparency but produces larger files.
• File size: Aim for background images under 2 MB each.

Video Optimization

• Codec: Use H.264 in an MP4 container for the best compatibility and performance.
• Resolution: Match the video resolution to your output resolution. A 4K video played on a 1080p projector wastes resources decoding pixels that are never displayed.
• Frame rate: 30 FPS is sufficient for most backgrounds and announcement videos. 60 FPS doubles the processing load.
• Bitrate: For motion backgrounds, a bitrate of 8-15 Mbps at 1080p provides good quality without excessive file size.

WayPresenter includes a built-in media optimizer under Tools > Optimize Media that can batch-convert files to recommended settings.

Clearing the Cache

WayPresenter caches thumbnails, rendered text, and other temporary data to speed up repeated operations. Over time, this cache can grow large and occasionally become corrupted.

Clearing the Cache

1. Open Settings > Advanced > Storage.
2. Click Clear Cache.
3. Confirm when prompted.

The cache is rebuilt automatically as you use the application. The first operation after clearing the cache (e.g., opening the Media Library) may be slightly slower than usual while thumbnails regenerate.

Cache Location

If you need to manually delete the cache (for example, if WayPresenter will not start), the cache folder is located at:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\WayPresenter\Cache
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/WayPresenter/Cache
• Linux: ~/.config/WayPresenter/Cache

Deleting this folder is safe and will not affect your songs, scriptures, media, or settings.

Hardware Acceleration Settings

WayPresenter uses hardware acceleration (GPU rendering) to offload graphics work from the CPU. In most cases this improves performance, but on some systems with older or incompatible graphics drivers, it can cause issues.

Checking Hardware Acceleration

1. Open Settings > Advanced > Rendering.
2. The Hardware Acceleration toggle shows whether GPU rendering is enabled.
3. The Renderer field shows which graphics API is in use (e.g., DirectX, Metal, Vulkan, OpenGL).

When to Disable Hardware Acceleration

Disable hardware acceleration if you experience:

• Flickering or visual glitches on the output display
• Application crashes when playing video
• Blank output despite the correct display being selected
• Better performance when running without a dedicated GPU

To disable it:

1. Toggle Hardware Acceleration to off.
2. Restart WayPresenter.
3. Test performance and visual output. If the issue is resolved, the problem is with your graphics driver. Check for a driver update.

Updating Graphics Drivers

Outdated graphics drivers are one of the most common causes of both performance problems and rendering glitches.

• NVIDIA: Download from nvidia.com/drivers
• AMD: Download from amd.com/support
• Intel: Download from intel.com/download-center

After updating your driver, restart your computer and re-enable hardware acceleration in WayPresenter.