Run xLights Shows Without a PC: Offline Playback on the BC-200 PIXELPLAY Controller

Why PC-Based Playback Is Annoying

In a classic xLights setup, your computer becomes the show engine:

• renders effects

• streams E1.31 / Art-Net packets

• plays audio

• keeps the schedule running

• stays awake from 17:00 to 22:00 every night

It works great on the workbench. In the field, it is fragile:

• laptop goes to sleep → show dies

• Wi-Fi drops → frames stutter

• OS update reboots the machine → lights go black

• one expensive PC is permanently tied to the installation

For permanent architectural lighting, facade outlines, matrix panels, or commercial pixel installations, that is not acceptable.

What the BC-200 Actually Does

The BC-200 PIXELPLAY Controller​ is not just a protocol converter. According to the user manual, it is a standalone show device.

Key points:

• Supports xLight lighting profile / FSEQ sequence decoding

• Plays xLights-rendered sequence files from MicroSD

• Outputs Art-Net, E1.31, Art-Net Broadcast, E1.31 Multicast

• Also has DMX512​ output

• Decodes audio formats: MP3 / AAC / OGG / FLAC, stereo output

• Built-in web server for configuration

• High-precision RTC​ for scheduled playback

• Up to 16 schedule tasks

• Up to 32 triggers​ via DIO / DMX512

• Online file management and firmware upgrade

So the workflow becomes:

xLights → render FSEQ → upload to BC-200 SD card → controller plays standalone

Typical Offline Workflow

1. Design in xLights

Build your models, map pixels, assign universes, sync audio, add effects.

Make sure your controller/output setup in xLights matches the real-world universe layout that the BC-200 will output later.

2. Render and Save the Sequence

Render the sequence so the lighting data is written into the FSEQ​ file.

The FSEQ file is essentially precomputed frame data: channel values for every frame, at a fixed frame interval such as 25 ms = 40 FPS or 50 ms = 20 FPS.

3. Prepare the SD Card

Use a FAT32-formatted MicroSD card.

Copy the needed files to the BC-200:

• .fseqsequence files

• .mp3[](@replace=10002)/ .aac[](@replace=10003)/ .ogg[](@replace=10004)/ .flac[](@replace=10005)audio files if the show is music-synced

• playlists / combined SeqMedia files if required

You can upload through the BC-200 web file manager instead of ejecting the card every time.

4. Log Into the BC-200

Default setup from the manual:

• PC static IP: 192.168.0.51

• Controller IP: 192.168.0.50

• Browser: Chrome / Edge

• Username: admin

• Password: 123456

Then open the web interface.

5. Create Playlists

On the BC-200 you can:

• create playlists

• add Sequence / Record / Media files

• combine sequence + audio using SeqMedia / RecMedia

• enable shuffle

• drag to reorder

• loop the show

This replaces the job that xSchedule or a PC would normally do.

6. Configure Protocol Output

Set the BC-200 to output:

• Art-Net

• E1.31

• Art-Net Broadcast

• E1.31 Multicast

Define universes, channel ranges, output count, and target decoder IPs.

For unicast outputs, the controller even has a Ping​ tool to verify the decoder is reachable.

7. Schedule the Show

Because the BC-200 has an RTC, you can schedule shows like a real show player:

• start date / end date

• active days

• start time / end time

• repeat mode: None / 0 sec / 1 min / 5 min / etc.

Example:

Play “Building_Facade_Christmas.fseq” every day, 18:00–23:00, repeat every 5 minutes.

No PC required.

What This Replaces

In other words: xLights stays the design studio, BC-200 becomes the show brain.

Good Fit For

The BC-200 is especially useful for:

• building facade / architectural contour lighting

• large matrix panel walls

• hotel / mall / bridge pixel installations

• permanent holiday displays

• signage and media-frame pixel walls

• projects where nobody wants a PC in a cabinet for 5 years

A Few Practical Tips

• Use FAT32​ SD card, as required by the manual.

• Keep file names simple — no weird symbols — especially for playlists.

• Make sure xLights universes/channels match BC-200 output config.

• For music shows, transfer both FSEQ and audio.

• Leave enough free SD space before recording shows; single recording file limit is 4 GB.

• Set RTC/time zone correctly, or schedules will look “wrong time.”

• For big networks, prefer multicast/broadcast carefully — the manualnotes Art-Net Broadcast can cause congestion on weak networks.

Bottom Line

The BC-200 does not replace xLights.

It replaces the always-on PC.

You still get the power of xLights for sequencing, effects, models, and audio sync — but the rendered show lives on the controller. The BC-200 reads the FSEQ from SD, outputs Art-Net / E1.31 / DMX, plays audio, runs playlists, honors schedules, and triggers events from IO or DMX.

For permanent pixel-light engineering, that is the whole point:

Design on the PC. Deploy to the controller. Let the controller run the show.

The BC-200 turns an xLights project into a standalone lighting appliance.