Multi-screen

[Nicholas Rivero]

While not a PC solution, a great offering is Renewed Vision’s ProPresenter. With one Mac computer running ProPresenter, you purchase two additional things, a software add on for ProPresenter called the “Advanced Module” as well as a piece of physical hardware called a Matrox Triple Head to Go. This then lets your one computer do a three screen “video wall”.

From an operators standpoint, it makes it incredibly easy to load and execute 3 screen video content.

I’ve installed quite a few of these in churches and I use this same setup at lots of concerts and various other places. I actually used it last night!

ProPresenter info:
https://www.renewedvision.com/propresenter/

ProPresenter Advanced Module info:
https://www.renewedvision.com/pp.php?page=modules#advanced

//nick

[Nicholas Rivero]

Also to say, with ProPresenter, the Advanced Module, and the Triple Head to Go, it allows you to span single graphics across three screens, it allows you to put the same graphic on screen, and it allows you to put text on any of the three screens. The cost is also unparalleled in doing multiscreen video: a iMac $1800-2200, ProPresenter $400, the Advanced Module $200, and a Matrox Triple Head to GO $300 VGA/$350 DVI = $2700-$3200 depending.

//nick

[Sam Chan]

The ProPresenter system that Nicholas described sounds really good. What would be the closest equivalent for the PC platform?

[Sam Chan]

Thomas, Thanks for informing me about Wings. Do you know how much it costs? How does it compare with some of the other like Watchout, ProPresenter, PowerShow?

[Thomas Leong]

Sam,

Forget everything else. I googled for “Worship software” and found Presentation Manager, Windows-based, 2- or 3-monitor support, other language support, etc., etc., which IMO seems ideal for you. Costs from $375 up, and being one unit rather than the multiples of Watchout, Wings, Renewed Vision, etc…should be easier to use and maintain.

best of luck,
Thomas

[Tony Mcahren]

You could use a TV One C2-7210 switcher to bring in all your sources. This unit allows dual PIP with a background. The program output would then be fed to a 1×2 DA then going to 2 1T-C2-760 units (one for each projector) that then could be edge blended together. Total end user cost we be less than $12,000.

[John Ford]

Hey..

For the last week i have been reading all your, and many others posts on this forum to learn all i can about Wings Platinum 4…

Long story short:

I am in an electronic band, and i also premake visuals for the music in Final Cut, we perform the music with the visuals at our events..

I have decided to up the quality of what we do…

Our next tour will have 3 projection screens (Left – Center – Right of stage) and 4 Plasma Tvs along the front row..

The Tvs will all have the same feed, but the 3 projections will have individual feeds. I have read all about Wings Platinum 4 and spoken with them personally, and i know i can control all i need with that program….

What i need to know is I want, well, HAVE to run it from 1 laptop. As we will be on the road and cant travel with a 4U rack monster hahahah.

So i came across ¨MATROX – TRIPLE HEAD2GO¨ for the Projection screens.

Can i run WIngs Platinum 4, from a laptop using a Matrox Triple head2go smoothly and reliably?

Also, I have looked all over, But i can not find any kind of price for wings platinum 4 or what i will cost me to have this setup..

I will not travel with any projection, Organizers will rent them.

Plus, if you have any ideas which MATROX i should get, They have one with DVI and D-SUB… Whats best for projectors and whats best for Plasma Tvs?

I am a musician, this is gear is new for me, but i make a sick visual 😉

Anyextra help from you and anyother here will be the most helpfull.

GREAT..
Mail me

John

[Thomas Leong]

Hi John,

I’m afraid I can’t answer your question re the Matrox TripleHead2Got as I have not tested one before. My only qualm is that the Matrox unit merely splits a high resolution file to 3 outputs. It still depends on the PC system’s GPU to process any high res video file SMOOTHLY, else you will get jerky video.

As for the DVI or D-Sub (RGB/XGA/VGA) question, being on the road and renting, the D-Sub (RGB/XGA/VGA) route is safest as I’m pretty sure most if not all rental projectors, plasmas and the like have that as an available input. However, if you intend to do seamless multi-screen panoramics at all, it is said that DVI reduces, if not eliminates, the banding at the overlap areas (the result of adding the light output from 2 projectors in these areas).

Wings 4 is supposed to cater for 4 screens/outputs from one PC. I have Wings 3 which caters to 2 outputs from one PC and have not upgraded. But you are also correct that to be able to process 4 outputs, it should be a very beefy PC or laptop. Perhaps Alienware, Clevo or Asus might have one.

As for your intended configuration and usage, I don’t see one laptop fulfilling your requirements. All in, I reckon you need 5 outputs: one for Master Timeline/Control, 1 to the Plasma TVs, and 3 more for the 3-screen show. If the TripleHead2Go does the 3-screen split from one big output, that would have used up the laptop’s secondary output, and leaves nothing for the Plasma TVs. I know of no laptop that has 2 external outputs.

An option is to travel with 2 laptops and 1 TripleHead2Go unit. Having a Master and Slave configuration allows you to distribute the processing a bit. The Master can have the Wings Timeline/Control on the laptop’s LCD monitor (designated as Primary) whilst its D-Sub (Secondary) output goes to the VGA-distribution-amp-to-multiple-plasma-TVs. Then via an Ethernet Gigabit hub, the Slave takes its instructions and files from the Master, and outputs the 3-screen show to the TripleHead2Go as one big high res video which the TripleHead2Go will split into 3 outputs. This Slave laptop will probably need to be the beefier of the 2 – probably equipped with RAID 0 and a high end graphics card since the GPU does most of the processing of the high res video. This would mean the cost of 2 laptops, and 2 Wings 4 licences/dongles.

As for the pricing of Wings, you won’t find it on the Net. This is because different distributors/dealers in different countries will have various costs to cover, and discounts to offer. You can ask for a quote from the US distributor for the Multi-Display version of Wings 4. You may or may not need the extra features provided by the Show Control Module which is extra cost. You only one Show Control Module for the Master as the Slave will take the same code from the Master (check the Versions Comparison table in the Wings Help file for features).

hope that helps,
Thomas Leong

[Chris Harrington]

Has anyone used ProPresenter with audio software like Protools or Logic Pro? My goal is to sync video to multi-tracked audio. ProPresenter says that they support multi-channel audio output, but I’m not sure what that means. Ideally, I’d use their multi screen functionality and run the multi track audio out to a front of house mixing console, so that it can be mix properly.

thanks

Chris

[Rich Fifer]

Hello. I work for a production company in New York City. We deal with sound video and lighting. We have a full L-Acoustics 108P speaker system with L-Acoustics SB15P subs, A dataton Watchout version 5 Media Server, and the Matrox triple head and Matrox Dual head as well as play back pro and Arkaos Grand VJ software. Please take a look at our Blog and website below.

https://www.moorepahire.com
https://www.moorepahire.blogspot.com