8 feed video

[smyles]

Hi Everyone,

 

We've just started a new show and the director has decided they want 8 projectors which will show up to 8 different images at a time.

These will need to show videos, images and at points a live camera feed. It's also possible we will need to show 1 video split accross all 8.

 

From hours spent trauling through old topics I guess our only means of doing this is to hire a media server in with something like two datapath x4's?

 

I've been looking at the Green Hippo servers, can anyone recommend which one will be best? or maybe another brand?

 

Any advice you can give would be great.

[deadpixel]

There are various ways of doing this but first of all, what is your budget? There is no point specifying a system if you cant afford it!

[jason5d]

we use our own custom servers with equally custom software - much cheaper and better

 

Our servers are based on i7 chips with sata3 ssd drives for floor-less performance

and the time line is ideal for theatre and show integration.

The server can easily deliver 8 video images

[AHYoung]

whatever route you go, id suggest that you neeed to get someone in to set it up for you. If you cant afford a specialist, you cant afford an 8 projector show. Id take the fact that you can build a cheaper and better media server that can easily deliver 8 unsable video images with a sizable pinch of salt. If that was the case, youd retire from the money any of the media server manufactureres would pay you for your groundbreaking technology, as its taken them years of research and they still cant do it.

 

Personally id look at a pair of Catalyst machines with Active silicon Capture cards fitted, You can use a single catalyst or hippo hd with 8 outs from 2 x4s, but youd have to be running fairly lo res outputs and be very carefull as its a lot of pixels, as remember if you are fading between 2 clips, thats a minimum of 16 actual files running at the same time, ambitious... Ive done shows this size and bigger, and you need to have done this to fully appreciate the pitfalls involved, Id obviously be happy to quote as its an interesting job, but whilst like everythig it can be done to a budget, it certainly cant be done cheap. If its centrlt to the show, you need something you can trust not to fall over midshow, and thats one of the accepted solutions....

[smyles]

Thanks for the replies.

 

The screens will be playing a bit part in the show. In the directors words, the show will revolve around the technology!!

 

I suppose there's always a chance, but at the moment I don't expect to be fading between clips, the majority are stills to act as scenery and the clips will eithe snap in or fade from black.

 

We will get someone in, at least to programme if we go down the server route. But it's still something I'd like to understand.

 

I'm interested in capture. Why would you recommend running 2 machines instead of 1? Just for extra processing power?

[sleepytom]

Why 8 projectors? That's a lot of line up and colour matching to get right. 8 separate screens do not necessarily need 8 projectors to fill them!

 

 

I'd suggest speaking to a video company / media server tech / projectionist about the creative requirements of the show. Personally I'd suggest that you can quite possibly achieve the creative brief with far fewer than 8 projectors. This will make everything easier and cheaper and enable you to use a smaller number of servers for the content playback.

 

I'd be happy to talk you through some options. I've experience using a few different servers (hippotizer, catalyst, pixel addicts / avolites, resolume arena to name a few!).

[jason5d]

This will be a very expensive 'bit part' what ever way you do it

 

Of course you have to have a tech who knows the equipment you want to use.

2 machines makes sense in case the server goes down mid show.

Are you projecting on to 1 big projection screen or separate screens?

Are you planning to project square images or another shape?

Is this a touring show?

 

Work out what you want the video to do for your show 1st of all and how much money you can spend.

[deadpixel]

These conversations just end up going in circles. they best way to achieve what you want to achieve is to figure out how much you have to spend and involve someone who has done this kind of thing before and is knolegable on the processes and equipment available to you.

[smyles]

Sorry that should have been "big part"

 

Thanks for the replies so far.

 

They want 4 to form a lags screen at the back, 2 on the archway around the stage, an 2 movable screen that's would be brought on for certain scenes. Images will all be square.

I'm trying get them to use less projectors for the big screen but use widescreen instead. As for the others, thre's no way to reduce numbers unfortunately, unless they agree to mirror some of them which is another conversation to be had.

 

And Deadpixel, I'm sorry if it seems like it's going round in circles to you. But I'm never going to learn anything if I don't try to understand the different ways of creating this effect. I hope that makes sense.

[jason5d]

seems fairly straight forward

 

you need some servers, a good op and some bright projectors

 

still remains the question we're all asking - how much?

 

even if you're doing it low end it will be over £1000 per day

with the projectors

[sleepytom]

As for the others, thre's no way to reduce numbers unfortunately, unless they agree to mirror some of them which is another conversation to be had.

Mirroring them wouldn't make any difference to the number of projectors needed, it may reduce the number of outputs from your servers.

 

I would talk to someone with considerable professional experience ASAP. Your not going to learn how to do this level of setup from a web forum. Some of the assumptions your making may turn out to be incorrect and unhelpful to getting the show done.

 

I disagree with Jason here it is not all about the money. The key thing to work out is what the CREATIVE needs are. If you have a good handle on the creative requirements then your in a much better position to get advise about how you could fulfil these needs.

 

If you go into the conversation with a budget being the lead item then you'll find a whole load of AV companies happy to hire you whatever they have in their warehouse for pretty much exactly the budget you've got available!

 

Talk creative needs first and work out the ways you can achieve them, then work out if you can afford to do it all or if you need to cut down the requirements to meet your budget.

[AHYoung]

what tom said...

has to be said that there are as ever 2 kinds of people, those that know what they are talking about, and those that think they do. you cant tell the difference online and the area of multi projector playback is a prime example. Its never cheap and the setup will take much longer than imagined. get a consultant / programmer in now, they will cover their wages in the money the save you from wasting and by brokering a decent deal with a rental co, and on an extended hire of 8 units plus playback, everyones going to want to talk to you. They ill also tell you how much the kit to cover your artistic requirements will cost you. If you cant afford this, simplify the show until you can afford it.

[jason5d]

I've never had a show that hasn't some how been restricted by budget,

this can be a good thing to help avoid over production.

 

TBH I suspect that there wont be 8 huge projectors and lots of expensive playback in the end,

as this is a touring show and there wont be the time and probably budget for an involved installation

on top of the show - simplify

 

I have an arts show next month for 3 weeks in a london gallery involving loads of video etc. it'll probably be at least 10 casio LED projectors and several servers they don't have the cash for catalyst or any of the brand names but it'll be just as good - I'll post some utubes when it's set up

 

it should be interesting - It's video projected on paper draped between columns to be torn up during the show