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About This Manual

This manual covers Falcon Player (FPP) version 10. FPP 10 introduces a significant number of changes over the 9.x series, including a refreshed user interface, a reorganized Settings page, a new audio/video pipeline based on PipeWire and GStreamer, and expanded MultiSync and health‑monitoring features.

If you need a manual for an older version, see the Falcon Christmas.github repository.

The screenshots in this manual were taken from a running FPP 10 system. Your screens may differ slightly depending on your hardware platform (Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, or a generic Linux/Docker host), the capes or hats you have installed, and your UI Level setting (see the FPP Settings → UI section). Screens that require specialised cape hardware are noted where they appear.

Tip

Press F1 on any FPP page to open context‑sensitive help.

Conventions used in this manual

  • Bold text indicates on‑screen buttons, menu items, tab names, and settings.
  • Menu paths are written as Menu → Sub‑item, e.g. Status/Control → FPP Settings.
  • Notes and warnings are called out in indented blocks.

What's new in FPP 10

The most visible and important changes since 9.x include:

  • Redesigned UI – a new top navigation bar grouped into Status/Control, Content Setup, Input/Output Setup, and Help, with a persistent header showing host name, player state, CPU temperature, IP addresses and time.
  • Reorganised FPP Settings – settings are now split across clearly labelled tabs (Playback, Audio/Video, Localization, UI, Email, MQTT, Privacy, Input/Output, Logging, Services, Storage, System, Developer). Each setting is tagged with a UI Level marker so you can choose how much detail to see.
  • New audio/video pipeline – audio and video routing is now handled by PipeWire with GStreamer, adding audio output groups (per‑output delay and EQ), a routing matrix, AES67 and Opus network audio, and video output/input groups. This is significant enough to have its own chapter, The PipeWire Audio & Video Pipeline.
  • Pixel Overlay Model improvements – a model preview, plus support for xLights submodels and model groups, all addressable by name through the overlay commands.
  • Improved MultiSync – faster remote discovery, clearer remote status, and more reliable synchronised playback across players and remotes.
  • System Health Check – a consolidated health page that surfaces warnings about storage, services, audio/video, temperature and configuration issues.
  • Expanded plugin and package management – a reworked Plugin Manager and a Packages page for installing optional software.
  • Interactive API explorer – a built‑in, browsable reference for FPP's REST API (Help → REST API), letting you inspect and try every endpoint on the device. It replaces the old static API help page, and plugins can now document their own HTTP routes alongside FPP's. See the Protocols, Ports and the API appendix.
  • Variables and Recurring Tasks – FPP can now store named Variables and act on them: a Set Variable command stores values (fixed, counter, random, or a calculated expression), an If command branches on them, and any command's text field can substitute one with %VAR:name%. Recurring Tasks run a command or preset on a repeating interval and can capture its result into a variable. Both are on the Content Setup menu at the Advanced UI level and have their own chapters, Variables and Recurring Tasks.
  • Categorized FPP Commands – the command list is now grouped (Audio, Effects, Events, Media, Playlist, Pixel Overlay, Outputs, System) and each command is tied to a UI Level, so the Basic level shows only everyday commands. Command arguments now carry their own help tooltips.
  • Temporary Advanced UI level – you no longer have to change your UI Level permanently to reach one Advanced setting. A button on FPP Settings → UI unlocks the Advanced UI for 15 minutes, with an unlock icon in the header while it is active.
  • Reworked Plugins page – a card/grid layout with plugin icons, categories, popularity, live counters and filtering, an Installed / Available / Updates tab strip, and a single search box that also accepts a pluginInfo.json URL. Plugins can now be loaded and unloaded without restarting FPP.
  • Playlist improvements – the entry editor has been redesigned into labelled sections with help tooltips, and a media entry can now carry companion media that lives and dies with it.
  • Calendar view of the schedule – alongside the weekly preview, the Scheduler offers a month/calendar view of what will actually run.
  • Support bundle – Help → Troubleshooting Commands can package the logs, configuration and health-check data into a single zip to attach to a support request.

Each of these areas is covered in detail in the relevant chapter.

Note

FPP 10 continues to be developed after release, so a very recent build may show items this manual does not yet describe. The version you are running is shown at the top-left of every page and on Help → System Upgrade.