Multi-Screen Presentation Question

[Seth Bloombaum]

Perhaps one PC with two dual display cards. Of course you can always get the (Mindpath? Datapath?) cards to display ppt within dataton watchout, but the frame refresh rate is too slow to support video. Perhaps you would drop powerpoint and go all watchout.

All watchout is probably the slickest way to do it. 4 presentation machines and one controller, need dongles, etc. for a one-time tradeshow you’d probably hire someone in to do it.

Challenge with powerpoint is synching multiple presentations and/or distributing 4800×480 over 4 screens. Perhaps this can be designed around, depending on your content.

[Alex Horvath]

First I would drop powerpoint. Create pictures and text in a compositing software like AfterFX.
Make a Composition 4800 x480 and render out the 4 splitscreens separately. Put this videos on https://www.alcorn.com/products/dvm4/index.html an you are done.
IMHO the easiest and cheapest way for 480px plasmas for a fixed installation.
Extra benefit: “The DVM4 may be controlled using RS-232 or Ethernet. Sophisticated play-listing and a Real Time Clock scheduler support extremely complex stand-alone operations.”

bg
alexx

[Bob Bonniol]

Just my personal .02, but I avoid AM (Alcorn/McBride) gear like the plague. Worked for Disney for a long time, they were a big supplier, and it was constant nightmares. All of our rental partners have also run, not walked, away from Alcorn gear.

There are lots of other players (Doremi, FFV, Quvis, Video Brick) that also have good serial and other control protocols, MPEG playback, and good prices.

But if this guy isn’t planning on making a career of multiscreen presentation gear rental, he should probably contact his local AV rental company and see what they have… Focus on the content (built as described by Alexx) and let the AV company tackle the gear headache.

Cheers,
Bob

MODE Studios
http://www.modestudios.com
Contributing Editor, Entertainment Design Magazine
Art of the Edit Forum Leader
Live & Stage Event Forum Leader
HD Forum Leader

[Alex Horvath]

Bob, basically you are right, we too had a nightmare with AMB

[Frank Otto]

Alcorn was a great company…when all they did was sync-slide. They tried to please the Imangineers at WDC and ended up with more bastardized ways of doing the same thing and the quality went bye-bye.

We ditched all the Alcorn stuff at FLV – we had show controllers running overhead lights and a sync-slide-vt that still required a manual start every two hours or so – I still have the bastardized Apple2 that AB programmed under my desk as a museum piece.

Hey Bob – what WDC division were you in? Or were you a sub?

I was at MAPO (74) till I went to subbing in 75-76.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Bob Bonniol]

All hail the Maus !!!

Spent 4+ years in WD Theatrical on the Broadway shows (Beauty and Lion King), Before that (and after) did lots of Sub work on the content creation and integration side for the ships and offshore parks (euro D, and Tokyo).

There’s almost no escaping working for them, if you are in entertainment long enough !

Cheers,
BB

MODE Studios
http://www.modestudios.com
Contributing Editor, Entertainment Design Magazine
Art of the Edit Forum Leader
Live & Stage Event Forum Leader
HD Forum Leader

[Aaron Wells]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Looks like my client is going with a 4-head card from Digital Tigers and PowerShow (software that works with PowerPoint).

[Sam Chan]

It has been several years since these posts.

Does anyone have any updated advice to the question of how to do Multi-Screen Presentations?