DarthFader
Member
I think I've read all the older threads that address some of these issues, but it seems like the technology is changing pretty quickly so maybe someone has some new ideas.
Our 1400 seat theater formerly had video fed to CRT monitors via composite video. The camera was an inexpensive color security camera mounted at FOH. The quality was not great and of course the 4/3 aspect ration is wrong for all things theater, but it served well enough to keep tardy patrons in touch with the show till they could be seated and allow our theater volunteers to keep an eye on the production.
During a remodeling all the CRT monitors disappeared and were replaced with 46" LCD flat screens. There are now eight flat screens, currently attached only to a digital signage system showing upcoming events and theater promotional video etc. This is wonderful, but we need the old capability back while the show is actually playing on stage.
The screens (all TV/Monitors) are connected via RG6 coax and have 16/9 HD signage images delivered on digital channel 60.1. So far so good.
The box that gets the signage video onto a digital channel is not horribly expensive so I intend to purchase another one to distribute show video on an additional channel, say 50.1 for example. Any TV could then choose to view either the signage or the show. The boxs accept either a VGA signal or a 720p component video signal.
Converting the old 4/3 aspect 300 line security camera results in very poor quality and nasty geometric distortion so the problem is how to get an HD 16/9 signal in either format into the box. My internet research has been unsuccessful in that I find that the few folks that actually build hd cameras (720p component) consider "reasonably priced" is 5-$9000.00. That's a budget buster.
Although there seem to be a few camcorders out there that can record and playback 720p video they don't seem to be happy to be used as cameras. Either shutting down after a while, or flashing some type of "no tape" message over the picture. A lot of them can only deliver a SD composite video output while they are recording.
IP cameras in 720p resolutions are much cheaper, but come with some unknown amount of latency. I've considered an IP camera feeding a dedicated computer supplying VGA to the distribution box, but the manufacturers I've talked to rave about the quality, but can't seem to address the amount of latency that would exist. the most technical thing I can get from them is, "it should be real good." I'm sure we could live with a little bit of latency, but there is also live audio from the stage distributed to the theater and too much latency could be really annoying. Audio distribution directly to the TVs themselves isn't practical mostly because of their pitiful audio performance.
Does anyone have any experience to share?
Jerry
Our 1400 seat theater formerly had video fed to CRT monitors via composite video. The camera was an inexpensive color security camera mounted at FOH. The quality was not great and of course the 4/3 aspect ration is wrong for all things theater, but it served well enough to keep tardy patrons in touch with the show till they could be seated and allow our theater volunteers to keep an eye on the production.
During a remodeling all the CRT monitors disappeared and were replaced with 46" LCD flat screens. There are now eight flat screens, currently attached only to a digital signage system showing upcoming events and theater promotional video etc. This is wonderful, but we need the old capability back while the show is actually playing on stage.
The screens (all TV/Monitors) are connected via RG6 coax and have 16/9 HD signage images delivered on digital channel 60.1. So far so good.
The box that gets the signage video onto a digital channel is not horribly expensive so I intend to purchase another one to distribute show video on an additional channel, say 50.1 for example. Any TV could then choose to view either the signage or the show. The boxs accept either a VGA signal or a 720p component video signal.
Converting the old 4/3 aspect 300 line security camera results in very poor quality and nasty geometric distortion so the problem is how to get an HD 16/9 signal in either format into the box. My internet research has been unsuccessful in that I find that the few folks that actually build hd cameras (720p component) consider "reasonably priced" is 5-$9000.00. That's a budget buster.
Although there seem to be a few camcorders out there that can record and playback 720p video they don't seem to be happy to be used as cameras. Either shutting down after a while, or flashing some type of "no tape" message over the picture. A lot of them can only deliver a SD composite video output while they are recording.
IP cameras in 720p resolutions are much cheaper, but come with some unknown amount of latency. I've considered an IP camera feeding a dedicated computer supplying VGA to the distribution box, but the manufacturers I've talked to rave about the quality, but can't seem to address the amount of latency that would exist. the most technical thing I can get from them is, "it should be real good." I'm sure we could live with a little bit of latency, but there is also live audio from the stage distributed to the theater and too much latency could be really annoying. Audio distribution directly to the TVs themselves isn't practical mostly because of their pitiful audio performance.
Does anyone have any experience to share?
Jerry