Jerome Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Anyone know where I can get a couple of quotes for this piece of kit. I can't find a retailer anywhere. Thanks Jerome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason5d Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 we're a reseller of video kitwe could get a price if you need Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerome Posted December 16, 2008 Author Share Posted December 16, 2008 That would be brill. Thanks. Jerome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnhuson Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Have you tried contacting PRG themselves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete McCrea Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 we're a reseller of video kitwe could get a price if you need I think you'll struggle. And IIRC the reason you won't find a retailer is because it is a PRG product that is only available for rental from PRG. We were having a serious look at Media Servers over PLASA, and the MBox looked great. However when we were talking to PRG it emerged it is rental only. I would have thought though that a retail price would have been in the £10k region. What do you actually need the server to achieve? What sort of content are you looking at playing back, and to what sort of devices? What do you intend to drive the server with? If you have a search around the board, there are plenty of different posts about Media Servers and the particular flavours. Personally if we had £15k spare right now I'd be heading for a Catalyst system, so we could run true HD to our Projectors. It runs on Mac (so we understand the OS), as well as offering all the input and output flexibility, as well as the ability to start on a MacBook, and grow as required, unlike some of the alternative systems that are tied to the Hardware for the playback. Give me a PM if you need any more advice.Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerome Posted December 16, 2008 Author Share Posted December 16, 2008 Basically its for live events and we use projectors. We tend to use around 8 projectors at once going to 8 vision mixers then 8 monitors and then 8 DVD players that will all work in sync because we found the infra-red signal of one remote will do the lot, we press play, it goes. We also want to use our own video files because we have to design all the video for everyshow we do as the requirements are always different, every 4-8 weeks. However due to the fact we design the video- at the minute we have to make 8 DVD's . If for instance we want four of the screens to be on we have to design the other 4 DVD's to be projecting black for the duration of the scene, song etc. Its a pain especially when a system would do that live for you. Now myself and my tutor have finally convinced people to move on with technology they are slightly interested that maybe servers are the answer to the problems we have. We also work in what acts like a faraday cage and we us mono inputs because we're running off of DVD players so if we turn radio mics on the projectors go loopy due to frequencies and length of cable we use. Surely a media server would allow us to run signals Digitaly or at leat through VGA, no? The thing is we need to run these projectors in sync a lot of the time and also be able to select screens for individual video footage a lot. I was told that media servers is the way to go so I looked at the ones that had four outputs. Maybe this is not what we need but I'm a little out of my depths with the solutions to the problem. I have a basic understanding of how media servers work from hours of sitting down and researching them in my own time but I've never used them so to be honest I haven't a clue. I just looked through as many as possible but as you say they all do different things but the Mbox Extrem V3 seemed to be what we wanted from a server. Plus I don't know what software I would need. Arkaos? The catalysts do sound good but a little expensive. If you could help me out in any way that would be brilliant. thanks Jerome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete McCrea Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 ...Plus I don't know what software I would need. Arkaos? The catalysts do sound good but a little expensive.You pay's you money and takes your choice.... I don't think it's that expensive, and the prices I mention above are for flight cased multiple input and output systems capable of taking in HDSDI and giving several outputs. As for 'what software' you need, basically the workflow would be similar to the point where you currently burn the DVD's. Rather than burn the DVD you load it to the server, so after the media server I don't think you'd need any other software. You mention 8 separate screens. The way I believe Catalyst works is to drive the full output to the Graphics card to the display. However I believe that the Mac Pro's that catalyst runs on will only take 1 graphics card with dual head. ISTBC, but I think the total number of displays would be 6 (dual head running to triple head to go, 2x3=6), so short of your 8 required. Probably best to speak to one of the catalyst retailers such as SNP Productions It might also be worth looking at Watchout, as this is designed more for this sort of structured multi-screen playback that you seem to indicate, as opposed to a more freeform requirement that media servers give. As also mentioned give the search a good hammering as there are a few posts already about the different systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnparrack Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 if its only preproduced video content that you are projecting then a very easy method would be to have a hard disc player per projector...eg Doremi Nugget/Doremi Hd or Blade 3...then u can upload the content to each via ethernet and fire the machines in one hit from one place...it only gets more complicated when you add more sources..and source types And I'd definately add a matrix, which might save some wear and tear on hardware when using the same source on multiple displays.Also agree with Pete above about Datatons Watchout system...but that like my idea above would be 1 master firing 8 slaves...probably don't help alot, but hope it gives you some more ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnPartridge Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 Hello, Thanks for the Inquiry about the Mbox Media Server System. I work for PRG Europe and can confirm that the Mbox System is available only from us. If you would like more information about this product I suggest you call our Longbridge facility on 0845 470 6400. Many Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason5d Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 are you spreading one image across your projectors? You could try some of the really good vj softwarelike arcaos and modul8 both do multiscreen with live3d effects and arcaos has soft edging and modul8 will have soon.also You're not limited to one compression even with a top of the range new mac and 4 gfx cards it's still less than £3500 also video servers go on ebay for very little we got our 4ch mpeg2 server for £100 for running long video links use cat5 extenders for vga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerome Posted December 17, 2008 Author Share Posted December 17, 2008 Thanks to all for your replies they have cleared up a few questions I had. Peter + johnparrack Ile have to have a deeper look into what is available, ebay and what type of servers are out there. Don't really understand what you meant john about the hard drive facility. JohnPartridge- I may give them a call thanks for the number. Jason 5d- We wouldn't need the servers to split one image, we would need one sperate image to everyscreen, usually all playing different video content at once yet in sync. maybe all the same but usually different. We don't tend to want panoramic screens so to speak although if this was available to us im sure we would try it. Thanks again, Jerome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henny Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 have you looked at watchout - www.dataton.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerome Posted December 19, 2008 Author Share Posted December 19, 2008 Yeah been looking at it... looks to be the thing we may need. Thanks to all. Jerome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuji0050 Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Basically its for reside contest and we use projectors. We tend to use about 8 projectors at already traveling to 8 eyes mixers again 8 monitors and again 8 DVD players that will all plan in accompany because we begin the infra-red arresting of one limited will do the lot, we columnist play, it goes. We aswell wish to use our own video files because we accept to architecture all the video for everyshow we do as the requirements are consistently different, every 4-8 weeks. However due to the actuality we architecture the video- at the minute we accept to accomplish 8 DVD's . If for instance we wish four of the screens to be on we accept to architecture the added 4 DVD's to be bulging atramentous for the continuance of the scene, song etc. Its a affliction abnormally if a arrangement would do that reside for you. Now myself and my babysitter accept assuredly assertive humans to move on with technology they are hardly absorbed that maybe servers are the acknowledgment to the problems we have. ________________IP PBX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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