Running video...

Hola lighting comrades. I needed some advice, or rather a direction for a show. I am working on Ragtime for the Thespian Festival in Nebraska this year and I need to run two rear-end video projectors and a slide projector. I'm really concerned about how to run the two video projectors, I can run out a component, s-viedo, or rgb feed but I wondered if there was a program (preferably cheap) that I could use to compile all of the videos and then write q's with them and then send out the q's to two different projectors. The two different feeds wouldn't be displaying the same images either. Am I looking at a media server? Lights I can do, but getting into projection is more than a little foreign to me, any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
The best device is a media server. But they're expensive. And programming can be time consuming, but worth the effort in the end. If available, perhaps you could contract that out. If all your content is on dvd and is pre-done, then I'd consider investing in a couple dmx controllable dvd players (yes they do exist) http://www.wahlberg.dk/ as the best way to go. I've used one once and it's easy to program.

Since you're in Vegas, you should have no trouble getting the right equipment, assuming you have the money for it. A lot of production companies have offices in Vegas, and I bet one of them would be willing to help you out, for a price.

You can only see the Captain when he's not in his office.
 
PowerPoint might be the answer to your problem. You can have movies on a slide (not sure how good the quality would be in full screen), and each slide could be like a cue. Though a DMX DVD player, like Len said, or a media server would probably be a better move, if money limits that, then maybe PowerPoint would work.
 
Well we have some great contacts around the valley, so I think I want to go with a media server. Has anyone had any exerience with them and could they recommend any for me? Thanks for the help. 'preciate it.
 
I'm not sure, if it'll work for video, but I know you can essentially DJ with WinAmp. If you had a computer with a dual head video card, you could open multiple instances of WinAmp and assign one to each output (drag it left or right and maximize). Then just set up a play list.

There's software available that will alternate between two instances of WinAmp and work from a single playlist with crossfades. If you need simultaneous playback it would just take two playlists.
 
Try PRG Los Vegas at 1.702.942.4667
Ask for prices for the EX1 ,(probably the cheapest), as well as Catalyst and Mbox.

Hope it helps and good luck
 
I had a chat with the director and we refined the ideas behind the combination of videos and stills we will be using for the show. I think the media server is the fun expensive idea but there has to be some sort of downloadable or bought program i can install on a pc laptop, the help you guys have offred has really been useful in steering the direction of the show, if you guys can offer any more suggestions along the lines of an installable progam I would deeply appreciate it. Thanks again.
 
Catalyst is the defacto choice right now, mainly because of the easy integration with dmx, and the DL1 projectors, but it's not the only thing.
 
I would definitely say to rent a media server, not nearly as expensive as BUYING one. There was recently a comparison article in PLSN about diff. media servers.
 
Are both projectors going to be displaying something at the same time, or will it be one projector is sent something then it stops and the other one projects something?

one way I can see you doing is use a computer (not nesscessarily a media server) have two video cards. for software you can have two instances of power point going out to the two seperate video cards and before-hand (using built features of power point) you can set it to using a timer to change the slides and activate the movies.
 
Radman said:
I would definitely say to rent a media server, not nearly as expensive as BUYING one. There was recently a comparison article in PLSN about diff. media servers.

Much less buying the replacement lamps for them - very much not economical equipment for other than the high budget shows.
 

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