Syncing 3 video playbacks simultaneously

[Bob Bonniol]

Bryan,

Please swing by the Live & Stage Events Forum here on the cow. We’ve laid this whole topic out at least 2 or 3 times in the last 6 months. Capsule answer: Look at sync’d computer playback, via a system like Dataton Watchout or AVStumpfl (not a typo !) Wings Platinum. Probably cheaper than the Doremi solution. With the Doremi’s you will need a software or hardware controller to trigger them all simultaneously, like Dataton Trax, Medialon Manager, or Crestron.

You could also use Hippotiser Media Servers. They are dual output, so you’d need two (could use Catalyst as well)… They are easily synch’d via timecode connection.

If this isn’t permanent, you probably should look at renting any of this gear, as opposed to buying. Generally cheaper.

For more, go check in on the other forum.

Best,
Bob Bonniol

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

[Marc Poirier]

I’m doing a lot of those mutliple screens events, and so far, I had two working solutions…

1 – for a 5 screen projects where there was an explosion happening througout the 5 screens, we used the Pioneer professional DVD players…with audio, and it played flawlessly… we put the audio track on the first DVD.

2- the second one was an animation running on a 3 screens projection. we ran it from a PC, in QT full screen, and the output was made through the matrox video card that has 3 outputs so each output was 1 third of the screen. Using the Photo JPEG codec…

have fun

markyyy

[Bryanparris]

Markyyy,

I am intrigued by your second solution. Can you tell me a little more? What resolution was your Quicktime file? If you ran that full screen, was it 4:3 aspect to start with then? Did splitting this screen into 3 give you 3 squeezed-looking outputs? Maybe I misunderstand?

Thanks,

Bryan

[Paul Walerow]

Hello! I am very interested to hear how this project went. I have the same type of project due in November. Three perfectly sync’d video outputs with music. Thanks for your information!

Regards,

Paul Walerow

Wheatland OmniMedia
1701 Quincy Ave., Suite 8
Naperville, IL 60540
+1.630.778.7900
http://www.WheatlandOmniMedia.com

[Bryanparris]

Paul,

I was looking into this for possible multiple future events with this client – which haven’t materialized as of yet. The solution we will probably go with is 3 Pioneer V7400 Pro DVD players (Half-rack size with RS232 and blackburst) and a synchronizing box from Dave Jones Design – the DVD Play 3BN. I’ve talked with a company in Minneapolis that used this setup with flawless results. The Dave Jones box sends blackburst and RS232 to the decks so that they start together and stay synced.

Bryan