Thomas Leong
Forum Replies Created
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There is PolyDVD from videobotics.com for industrial Pioneer DVD players. Not cheap. Consumer DVD players are not built for multi-sync playback, therefore the hit-and-miss affair you have been dealing with.
A possible alternative (versus the more expensive Master-Slave combinations via Ethernet such as Dataton Watchout and AvStumpfl Wings Platinum) is the Matrox Triple-Head-to-Go or its Chinese competitor, Mviewtech (https://www.dhgate.com/wholesale/products/ff808081237ec04601237fc0330a7c67.html – look for the single units, not the lots-of-ten-units) where the source is a reasonably beefy PC or Mac that can playback a single 2160×480 file smoothly.
If you do this type of work often enough, might be worth investing in Dataton Watchout or AvStumpfl Wings Platinum. With AvStumpfl, you could opt for a combination of software for programming and their hardware for playback using CF cards.
Thomas Leong
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Since it is 12 different videos, frame-accurate sync may not be absolutely necessary. Have a look at the freeware from Multiscreener from https://www.zachpoff.com/software/
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Hi,
You could have a look at the freeware Multiscreener from zachpoff.com (Mac and Windows versions available; read their readme; seems to deal only with Quicktime files); or a hardware solution like that from Brightsign (the HD210 would be the cheapest; https://www.brightsign.biz/tutorials.php#MultiSynch)
or that from EMS
https://www.ems-imaging.com/online/categories/Stand%252dAlone-Video-Wall/There are others from the VJ software world like Modul8 for Mac’s, Arkaos and Resolume for Windows which are supposed to support multi-screens…but there is a learning curve involved.
Thomas Leong
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Other things being equal (eg. prices, seating capacity, etc), my general guide is –
If audience is seated along the long and narrow, use rear projection (narrower viewing angle than front);
If audience is seated wide relative to the stage, use front projection (for its wider viewing angle). -
Having run some tests through my SVGA projector, it is safe to say that it won’t distort a 768×432 file. Still projects it as a 16:9 format. But this depends on your encoder and quality will depend on the codec used.
I re-encoded a 1920×1080 file to wmv, mov (animation codec), mp4, and mpg (MPEG-2).
Only the mp4 came out as a 4:3 format, but the letterboxed content projected in the same size as the others. Quality of the mp4 wasn’t good though.I used TMPGEnc version 4 for all my transcodes (std. settings). Playback was tried using Quicktime Player (non-pro version), Vlc version 1.03, and Windows Media Player. Quicktime was the only player that did not allow playing on a secondary monitor (which was split to the projector). You may want to package vlc version 1.03 or later with your files as it allows the controls to be dragged to one monitor with content full-screen on the other.
As for the other suggestion to provide 1920×1080 file to your client, I would suggest not. Some PCs do not have the power to play 1920×1080 without hiccups. Moreover, some SVGA projectors may not accept a 1920×1080 resolution (error message: “beyond range” or thereabouts) and therefore refuse to project the file. Also, the scalers in these projectors are not the best, so I would not trust them to do a good job.
happy encoding!
Thomas Leong -
Jim,
Not sure if that would work well (ie. without distortion). I have a SVGA projector in my office which I’ll feed with a re-sized 1920×1080 and let you know. Time zone differences may mean about 12-16 hours from now though.
Thomas
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Q: Would my 1080p x 1920 file automatically resize within a SD projector?
Yes. A projector can only output its native resolution, so will internally re-size anything larger (or smaller) fed into it.
Ideally always produce for the projector’s native resolution for the best clarity, etc when projected. You could provide them with 2 files – one SVGA (800×600), the other XGA (1024×768).
Thomas Leong
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Hi,
I have used AvStumpfl’s Wings Platinum to run a 3-screen show for live theatre. Sources were not live though, and comprised of mainly still pix and video, the latter being the more complicated since a scene would run +/- over different runs of the show, and I was required to dissolve from 3-screen video (3 clips) to another 3 clips of video everytime, over 35 nights. The ‘Mixed Group’ feature of Wings came in handy for these situations, and performed flawlessly once sufficient time had been pre-allocated for the out-going video clips (Group A) and the in-coming clips (Group B). Pre-designated Function keys then allowed me to fade from Group A clips to Group B clips, or Group C, etc and vice versa. For safety (F keys were too small on my laptop), I bought a programmable Genovation RS-232 keypad that sent serial signals to Wings via serial USB, to trigger the ‘mix groups’ fade over – a’la a remote control pad to the application.
Another possible software is MXWendler though I have not tried it myself.
https://www.mxwendler.netThomas Leong
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Just saw a couple of REDs in a 3-D config close up today in Singapore!! An over-under mirror setup.
But bad news is that the Quad Media Engine from Austria won’t arrive in Hong Kong till about 2 weeks’ time, so can’t get to test the Sony T420 next week while I’m there. Will have to be the next trip when I have to be there to receive the Quad Media Engine and check it before delivery to client. Hope my associates can still arrange for the Sony then.
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Thanks for the info Scott.
My associates’ client in Hong Kong has ordered a Quad Media Engine from AvStumpfl (purpose-built PC with 4 synced outputs from their Wings Platinum 4 software). Hope this will suffice to feed 4K inputs into the Sony like the Doremi DSV-J2. Material is a worry at this point.
Shall keep this forum posted.