Video Mixer (Part Two)
After much discussion with justPlainRon, we can upon a few more practical solutions.
The current situation is that we have
- One PAL DV Camera.
- ProPresenter3 site licence
- Projector
- LCD TV for Creche Area
- Potential other LCDs
Below are two other options. The second can forgo the use of a Video Mixer/Switcher and therefore safe money – especially because we have only one camera at the moment (a second can make use of a simple RCA switch)
Option 1
Option 2
- Main Screen: Projector Screen
- Baby: Creche LCD TV
- PP: ProPresenter3
- PvP: Pro Video Player
- Video Source: Camera/s
- Chroma Key: a dedicated hardware keyer like DataVideo’s DVK100MkII
- Mixer: Video Mixer like Edirol’s V8
The only problem with option 2 is that we will need 2 operators for the PP Macs. But then we can provide a set of slides that are formated and sized for lower thirds to place the text over the live footage for the Creche TV.
thanks. Although I can be a bit of a cowboy in trial and error testing on a live blog :O lol .-=...
Why not just split the video from one ProPresenter computer to the baby and main screen. Unless you are looking to make the baby area see a different picture (like smaller words or something). Then never mind.
Yes that works if u just switch between the PP3 and video camera output. But then it will not be very professional and you cannot key the text out very well. However with 2 PP3 macs and 2 sets of slides you can and without a mixer. All at a zero cost to start off with – except a volunteer, and we can slot in a mixer/keyer as needed.
Personally I prefer option 2 above. and yes Gareth we would like to send a completely separate stream (with words keyed) to the crèche). I thought of an option that would allow us to ’slave’ one PP3’s slide transitions to the other. That way we would only really need one person to do the slides. so I sent this message to renewed Vision (the people that do PP3):
Hi
Going to give you the short story. If it is unclear I can elaborate.
We have a PP3 site licence. and would like to run 2 copies of PP3 on 2 separate mac’s. One will output to the cry room/crèche area and the other to the main service area.
We would d like to synchronise the lyric changes so that when one is updated the other one is ’slaved’ to do the same. but we would like to run backgrounds independently (live video on one and background/animated video on the other.
I see there is an app available to control PP from an iPhone. is this technology not portable (or already available) to slave one PP3 to another?
Their response:
Unfortunately the “slave” method you are talking about it not available. Do you have the capability of running a cable to your cry room in order to just split the feed into there? That would eliminate the need for a second machine.
Which does not allow us to put a different video stream to the crèche. So option 2 still seems like the best option (and it can be extended as time and money allow.
One day we might be watching one of the younger chaps in the production team direct a group of camera persons and other inputs together with something like a 4K HD Ross Video Switcher. And then we must look back to these days and say we have come a long way. Thanks to God. Imagine that?
come to think of it we will need to think about the type of training involved when we are faced with a multiple camera switching environment to a big screen live.
I haven’t been following all of this, but thought I’d mention (in case you hadn’t heard of it) that the NewTek VT[5] is a quite good video mixer, and quite affordable as well (and probably more flexible than other solutions to boot). Sorry if that doesn’t relate.
Hey man, thanks for the input.
That is certainly an interesting option, especially for the benefits beyond live production switching.
From what I saw from a brief scan it requires a Desktop PC to run and requires MS Windows. Back we are also trying to limit the computer footprint at the production desk.
The TriCaster looks pretty cool as well.
Just a pity that it does not appear to support MAC OSX
here is another option for splitting a signal from the laptop and potentially setting different outputs to different screens, although it may require a good strong machine like a really beefy Mac Pro
:
from http://www.renewedvision.com/pp.php?page=modules
under Three Screen Advanced Module
This is a software addition to ProPresenter used in conjunction with the Matrox DualHead2Go or the Matrox TripleHead2Go products (TripleHead2Go pictured to right – available from Renewed Vision) These devices are little black boxes that connect to your computer’s VGA or DVI port and tricks your computer into thinking that it is connected to a really wide display. The TripleHead2Go then takes this ultra-wide video signal being sent to it and splits it into three separate outputs (left, center, and right). ProPresenter has always been able to work with the TripleHead2Go, but because the computer only thought it was connected to one wide display, ProPresenter would only display text as if it was displaying to an ultra-wide display. With module, however, ProPresenter can now project videos and lyrics independently on each of the TripleHead2Go’s outputs. Lyrics can be placed on any or all of the screens, and background videos can be spanned or displayed individually on each display. This unique solution provides for the easiest and least expensive way to create a multi-screen lyric and video presentation for your environment, avoiding the complication and cost of distribution amplifiers, scaler-switchers, and extra computers and software otherwise required to get your lyrics on multiple displays. No other software package offers this level of support or flexibility for the TripleHead2Go.
ooo that “Three Screen Advanced Module” is pretty cool.
Except I see that the video is either tiled or stretched. you cant put 2 video streams to different outs