Viewing multiple camera feeds on one monitor

[Todd Terry]

To see four pictures on the same screen from four different sources you need what is known as a “quad splitter.”

They actually can be had pretty cheaply….

https://www.markertek.com/SearchProduct.asp?item=CQ%2D900&off=33&sort=prod

There are monitors with built-in quad splitters as well, but they tend to be a fair bit more expensive…

https://www.markertek.com/SearchProduct.asp?item=MAR%2DVR151P4&off=13&sort=prod

I’m not sure exacly what you call splitters that do six-way splits exactly (hex splitters, maybe), but I know they exist. A couple of broadcast studios I have been in use big 50 inch plasma screens that have 16-way splits in them, eliminating a need for a big monitor bank (but no doubt eventually burning their plasma tubes).

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Thomas Leong]

Browse through –
ems-imaging

Else, try googling for security surveillance solutions where I’m sure they have 4, 9 or 16 feeds to one mon.

Thomas Leong

[Todd Terry]

Yikes, for some reason the links that I sent you didn’t even come CLOSE to showing the right products (even though I pasted them exactly from a search I did), I seem to have forgotten that Markertek’s links are for some reason screwy that way..

If you want to see those, go to markertek.com and do a manual search in the “SEARCH BY PART #” box for these three items:

Part RQS-5C
Part CQ-900
Part MAR-VR151P4

Hope this helps, sorry for the confusion.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Adam Fischer]

Todd, thanks for all the info. That led me down the path I was looking for. I found several multiplexers that will work, and this one interesting and very cheap product that may work. I need to check it out a little closer first, but in case anyone else is looking for something similar, here’s the link:

https://www.fgeng.com/vmux.htm

[Todd Terry]

Well, I looked at that…. that might be what you need, but if it is I did not understand what your requirements are.

Firstly, that is entirely a computer-based card… it is going to require a computer and its resources to run it. I would think one of the little stand-alone boxes would be less trouble and less costly in the long run.

Secondly, I didn’t read it all extremely closely, but I don’t think that device will allow for screen splitting (seeing all your sources in a quad split or hex split at once). Rather instead of a splitter, it is a multiplexer. You may have seen multiplexed footage before, if you have ever seen a raw security camera tape from a store with lots of cameras. What multiplexers do is show ALL the video sources full screen, one after the other after the other. Screen durations can be of any length, but I see them average about 5 frames each in length, I’d say (anyone remember Wang Chung’s “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” video?..or am I dating myself? That’s what multiplexed video looks like, although that was only from two sources).

I only know a little bit about this because last year we did a marketing film for a company that makes software that “demultiplexes” multiplexed video. I’m not sure that card-based solution will give you the results you desire, if I was reading your requirements correctly.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[George Socka]

search markertech for Speco RQS-5C – no computer required

[Adam Fischer]

Thanks for the heads up on the splitter vs. multiplexer thing. I was looking at multiplexers today and I guess I was assuming they split them on the same screen. You’re right, splitting is what I need. I thought the computer based solution was interesting because the set we’re doing is a permanent installation and our production room has plenty of space for another computer. If it did split the video then I would be thrilled to only spend 100 bucks. The 4 way splitter at Markertek was perfect, but I would prefer more inputs. We will only have 4 cameras at first but will probably add a couple within a couple of months.

I called Markertek and the 4 channel model was the highest number of inputs they had. I then started searching for surveillance equipment websites and saw the multiplexers. Here’s a 16 channel model I found that says it has several options for multi-display:

https://www.pelikancam.com/cgi-bin/pelikancam/pmt.html

Of course, 16 inputs is overkill and the price is starting to creep up. Even at $750 it’s still not bad if the other option is buying multiple consumer LCDs at $200-$300 each. Not to mention I would have a table full of monitors to deal with.

Thanks for your help!

[Todd Terry]

[FischTale] “Even at $750 it’s still not bad if the other option is buying multiple consumer LCDs at $200-$300 each”

Well I believe you said quality didn’t matter at all, if I recall. So if it was me (and admitadly it isn’t), I think I’d just buy a couple of the cheap 4-plex splitters and a couple of really cheap small $88 plain ‘ol TV sets from WalMart or the like. Yes, that is one monitor more than you wanted, but still shouldn’t take up TOO much real estate, and you could view 8 cameras at once. You’d probably be out on $450 or so, total.

OR…just buy one of the quad splitters and one of the cheap TVs for now, since you only have four cameras at the moment. When you add more cameras, get another identical splitter and TV.

I haven’t read the specs, but I’m not sure those quad splitters will drive computer LCD monitors anyway (although they might)… the are primarily designed for regular NTSC monitors.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Adam Fischer]

Good points Todd. Thanks again!

[Nick Righton]

Extron makes a nice unit for 4 source PIP on one monitor. It is pricier but very high quality. (the 2 source display sells for around 600). Here is the link :: https://www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=pip444