New Video System

[Theatrrap]

We have a video system that is terrible and needs to be completely replaced. I am looking for suggestions of equipment that can do what I need. I have 8 inputs and at least 5 outputs. I would like to send any of the inputs to any of the outputs.

Next I am looking for a professional level projector to replace our office projectors for our house video. I cannot get an exact measurement now but the throw distance is about 15' and the width of the image is about 10'. Something that has a good black level, or preferably the ability to close a shutter when blacked out on the switching device if such a thing exists, would be best.

Finally, we are currently running QLab to output our video and audio. I am wondering if QLab can properly handle 3 video signals at once while running various layered audio files or if we need to find either another software for our needs or if we should run a second computer for some of the outputs.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[wolfman005]

What makes your system terrible and dictates that it has to be replaced?

You'll probably want to give a height or aspect ratio on the screen. I can't help you with picking a projector, but whoever can will likely want to know.

I don't use Qlab, but from what I pick up on other threads, it all depends on your machine.

 

[Theatrrap]

The current system was piece mealed together and is't working well. We have a 150' VGA cable heading to FOH where the signal gets split to two single office use projectors. This is fed from our QLab computer. The video signal sometimes shorts out and is stuck to only taking input from our VGA cable, so we can't send other signals and we can't send different signals to each projector. Then we have a camera in the pit for the conductor that feeds monitors backstage and one in the house during the show. This monitor in the house has a consumer level switcher that jumps back and forth with a tiny remote and no on unit control. If the batteries go out in the remote we can't switch the switcher. The second input from this switcher is a consumer level DVD player that tends to read about 2/3 of the discs we try to use. When we have events in the space we have to get into the FOH splitter and run a new VGA cable down the wall visible to the audience to the stage.

 

[ccrews]

Would a video mixer help? Roland makes some lesser expensive units. Something along the lines of the VR-3EX would give you the ability to switch between several different input sources, add HDMI to Cat6 converters for long runs and you should be in business. We use the older analog version of that mixer. I know we can run same image to both, but have to change to a second source to run two separate images at the moment. We run Qlab, but I have not tried multi-image sources from it.

 

[ruinexplorer]

OK, so you are asking a few things here. The projectors are not the issue. At least, they are not the issue as long as they are providing the image quality that you need. What you need to be concerned about is the signal getting to the projectors. It doesn't matter if they were intended for home, office, or stage use for the most part. With a short throw as you describe and size of screen, you will likely not have much improvement on black level (though it is possible as long as you can also control your ambient light, otherwise it doesn't matter) and you won't get an internal shutter until you get quite a bit bigger projector. Better look at adding an external shutter instead. Also, most video systems end up getting built piece meal.

Qlab does need a good computer to make sure that it can run everything that you are wanting to throw at it. So, make sure that you have a discrete graphics card and as much processing power as possible. Trick out your computer for sure.

Yes, running 150' VGA will be part of your problem, especially when you then split it after that run. It may benefit you to change your distribution. But this also seems to be the biggest issue with what you are looking to do.

You do not need to run other cables to the projector. You aren't going to want to be switching inputs on the projector during your show. What you want to be doing is using a production switcher as suggested above. This way, you will connect all of your sources to the one unit which will convert and scale the signals to send to the projectors as the same type of signal. However, if you add additional displays or do not want your two projectors to have the same image, this will take some additional equipment and processing. But first, make sure that's what you need.