Projection Configuration for Show

[Theater]

Hi!


This is the configuration of projection equipment I created for an upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz. Does this look like it will work from your experience? I am pretty new to projection design... The blue lines are representative of VGA cable, and the black surfaces are projection screens. I will be projecting using QLab, and a firewire external hard drive will also be connected to the computer and housing the video.

Please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions!!

Thanks in advance,
Tommy

 

[museav]

I see what looks like three screens but what are you trying to do? The same image displayed on all three screens, one image spread across all three screens, different images displayed on each of the three screens or what?

 

[Theater]

The main (center) screen will be showing one image/video, while the two side screens will both be showing another image at the same time.

 

[techieman33]

That should work fine. You may need VGA amplifiers in line depending on how long the cable runs are.

 

[LavaASU]

You might be able to use the output of the first of the paired projectors and skip the splitter. If you are going for cheap using a 2nd laptop would eliminate the dualhead.

 

[museav]

The main (center) screen will be showing one image/video, while the two side screens will both be showing another image at the same time.

You may already know this but the DualHead2Go will make the two outputs appear to the computer as a single very wide display rather than as two independent outputs so making each half of that resulting image, and thus each projector, display a different image will have to be handled within QLab.

Since you did not mention what it is you may want to testand verify that the computer can reliably support getting the video from an external drive, driving the extra widescreen video output and running QLab all at the same time.

 

[Theater]

Thanks for your responses.

The theatre has acquired a 7200 rpm Firewire800 external hard drive. Will this work well with my 15 inch Macbook Pro that I'm running the projections off of?

 

[gionze]

Wondering if your set up was successful. I am about to try something similar with my 15" Macbook Pro and would like to know if you have good results and any advice.

 

[Theater]

Hi! Everything is working as planned, so far.

This setup worked well, and I ran the video off of an external hard drive with FireWire800. I highly recommend this - It worked well with two standard definition streams at the same time. In addition, the two projectors that we rented for the sides had video outs, eliminating the need for a VGA splitter. What program will you be using for your projections? QLab worked extremely well, and additionally we ran sound cues off of this laptop at the same time using QLab because of our audio guy was stupid.

Just a word of advice for you, and I do not know if it's possible for you... Staples sells backup power battery things, and if you are able to, plug everything (projectors, computers) into it. This saved our show during a 15 minute power outage.

Let me know if you have any additional questions on this.

 

[derekleffew]

... Staples sells backup power battery things, and if you are able to, plug everything (projectors, computers) into it. This saved our show during a 15 minute power outage. ...

Fairly certain the term that is eluding you is UPS, Uninterruptible Power Supply. All computers and machines with a long start-up time in the theatre should have them.
.

 

[gionze]

Thank you for your prompt response. Glad to hear all is well.

We will also be using QLab. Did you need basic or pro version?

To review:

15" MacBook Pro to DualHead2Go to send 2 different feeds to two projectors. Use the VGA out on the SL one to daisy chain to the SR unit.
QLab will be pulling the files from the external G-Drive.
Plug everything into a UPS!

No switcher needed if the projectors have VGA outputs.

Did I miss anything?

Again thanks to you and to all who contributed to this thread!

 

[chausman]

Don't forget a dual-head2go only makes the two displays act as one very wide display.

 

[Joshualangman]

But fortunately in QLab 3, you just tell the program that the one display is a Dual-Head and it automatically treats the projectors as separate screens.