diff --git a/apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/gl/OpenGLComposite.cpp b/apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/gl/OpenGLComposite.cpp
index 1efc5db..d0f2514 100644
--- a/apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/gl/OpenGLComposite.cpp
+++ b/apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/gl/OpenGLComposite.cpp
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ bool OpenGLComposite::InitializeVideoIO()
 	}
 
 	const VideoIOConfiguration videoIOConfig = mRuntimeHost->GetVideoIOConfiguration();
+	const VideoIOBackendDescriptor* backendDescriptor = GetVideoIOBackendDescriptor(videoIOConfig.backendId);
 	mVideoIO = CreateVideoIODevice(videoIOConfig.backendId, initFailureReason);
 	if (!mVideoIO)
 	{
@@ -93,8 +94,8 @@ bool OpenGLComposite::InitializeVideoIO()
 
 	if (!mVideoIO->DiscoverDevicesAndModes(videoIOConfig, initFailureReason))
 	{
-		const char* title = initFailureReason == "Please install the Blackmagic DeckLink drivers to use the features of this application."
-			? "This application requires the selected video I/O drivers installed."
+		const char* title = IsVideoIOBackendUnavailableError(videoIOConfig.backendId, initFailureReason) && backendDescriptor != nullptr
+			? backendDescriptor->unavailableTitle
 			: "Video I/O initialization failed";
 		MessageBoxA(NULL, initFailureReason.c_str(), title, MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);
 		return false;
diff --git a/apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/videoio/VideoIOBackendFactory.cpp b/apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/videoio/VideoIOBackendFactory.cpp
index 7ec5b60..a12a0a1 100644
--- a/apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/videoio/VideoIOBackendFactory.cpp
+++ b/apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/videoio/VideoIOBackendFactory.cpp
@@ -3,14 +3,73 @@
 #include "DeckLinkSession.h"
 #include "VideoIOTypes.h"
 
+#include <array>
+
+namespace
+{
+struct VideoIOBackendRegistration
+{
+	VideoIOBackendDescriptor descriptor;
+	VideoIODeviceFactory factory;
+};
+
+const std::array<VideoIOBackendRegistration, 1>& RegisteredBackends()
+{
+	static const std::array<VideoIOBackendRegistration, 1> backends = { {
+		{
+			{
+				VideoIOBackendId::DeckLink,
+				"decklink",
+				"Blackmagic DeckLink",
+				"Please install the Blackmagic DeckLink drivers to use the features of this application.",
+				"This application requires the selected video I/O drivers installed."
+			},
+			[]() { return std::make_unique<DeckLinkSession>(); }
+		}
+	} };
+	return backends;
+}
+}
+
+const VideoIOBackendDescriptor* GetVideoIOBackendDescriptor(VideoIOBackendId backendId)
+{
+	for (const VideoIOBackendRegistration& registration : RegisteredBackends())
+	{
+		if (registration.descriptor.backendId == backendId)
+			return &registration.descriptor;
+	}
+	return nullptr;
+}
+
+std::vector<VideoIOBackendDescriptor> ListVideoIOBackendDescriptors()
+{
+	std::vector<VideoIOBackendDescriptor> descriptors;
+	descriptors.reserve(RegisteredBackends().size());
+	for (const VideoIOBackendRegistration& registration : RegisteredBackends())
+		descriptors.push_back(registration.descriptor);
+	return descriptors;
+}
+
 std::unique_ptr<VideoIODevice> CreateVideoIODevice(VideoIOBackendId backendId, std::string& error)
 {
-	switch (backendId)
+	for (const VideoIOBackendRegistration& registration : RegisteredBackends())
 	{
-	case VideoIOBackendId::DeckLink:
-		return std::make_unique<DeckLinkSession>();
+		if (registration.descriptor.backendId != backendId)
+			continue;
+
+		error.clear();
+		return registration.factory ? registration.factory() : nullptr;
 	}
 
 	error = "Unsupported video I/O backend.";
 	return nullptr;
 }
+
+bool IsVideoIOBackendUnavailableError(VideoIOBackendId backendId, const std::string& error)
+{
+	const VideoIOBackendDescriptor* descriptor = GetVideoIOBackendDescriptor(backendId);
+	return descriptor != nullptr &&
+		descriptor->unavailableMessage != nullptr &&
+		*descriptor->unavailableMessage != '\0' &&
+		error == descriptor->unavailableMessage;
+}
diff --git a/apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/videoio/VideoIOBackendFactory.h b/apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/videoio/VideoIOBackendFactory.h
index be41432..d85f8f3 100644
--- a/apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/videoio/VideoIOBackendFactory.h
+++ b/apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/videoio/VideoIOBackendFactory.h
@@ -2,9 +2,25 @@
 
 #include "VideoIOConfig.h"
 
+#include <functional>
 #include <memory>
 #include <string>
+#include <vector>
 
 class VideoIODevice;
 
+struct VideoIOBackendDescriptor
+{
+	VideoIOBackendId backendId = VideoIOBackendId::DeckLink;
+	const char* backendName = "decklink";
+	const char* displayName = "Blackmagic DeckLink";
+	const char* unavailableMessage = "";
+	const char* unavailableTitle = "Video I/O initialization failed";
+};
+
+using VideoIODeviceFactory = std::function<std::unique_ptr<VideoIODevice>()>;
+
+const VideoIOBackendDescriptor* GetVideoIOBackendDescriptor(VideoIOBackendId backendId);
+std::vector<VideoIOBackendDescriptor> ListVideoIOBackendDescriptors();
 std::unique_ptr<VideoIODevice> CreateVideoIODevice(VideoIOBackendId backendId, std::string& error);
+bool IsVideoIOBackendUnavailableError(VideoIOBackendId backendId, const std::string& error);
diff --git a/tests/VideoIOBackendFactoryTests.cpp b/tests/VideoIOBackendFactoryTests.cpp
index 3f4b6cd..f31800d 100644
--- a/tests/VideoIOBackendFactoryTests.cpp
+++ b/tests/VideoIOBackendFactoryTests.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,18 @@ void Expect(bool condition, const char* message)
 
 int main()
 {
+	const std::vector<VideoIOBackendDescriptor> backends = ListVideoIOBackendDescriptors();
+	Expect(!backends.empty(), "backend registry is not empty");
+	Expect(backends.front().backendId == VideoIOBackendId::DeckLink, "decklink is registered");
+	Expect(std::string(backends.front().backendName) == "decklink", "decklink registry name is stable");
+
+	const VideoIOBackendDescriptor* descriptor = GetVideoIOBackendDescriptor(VideoIOBackendId::DeckLink);
+	Expect(descriptor != nullptr, "decklink descriptor can be looked up");
+	Expect(descriptor != nullptr && std::string(descriptor->displayName) == "Blackmagic DeckLink", "decklink descriptor exposes display name");
+	Expect(descriptor != nullptr && std::string(descriptor->unavailableTitle) == "This application requires the selected video I/O drivers installed.", "decklink descriptor exposes unavailable title");
+	Expect(IsVideoIOBackendUnavailableError(VideoIOBackendId::DeckLink, "Please install the Blackmagic DeckLink drivers to use the features of this application."), "decklink unavailable message is recognized");
+	Expect(!IsVideoIOBackendUnavailableError(VideoIOBackendId::DeckLink, "some other error"), "non-driver errors are not treated as backend unavailable");
+
 	std::string error;
 	std::unique_ptr<VideoIODevice> device = CreateVideoIODevice(VideoIOBackendId::DeckLink, error);
 	Expect(device != nullptr, "decklink backend factory returns a device");