suggestion for relatively simple set-up
by Matthew McNulty
on
Aug 12, 2009 at 9:30:57 pm
The idea is a videotaped presenter is projected onto one screen lecturing... on the other screen their support materials including stills, video clips, text, motion graphics etc are projected... and we would like users to be able to select different lectures from a kiosk or remote interface... some of the suggested products i have seen here would be appropriate though they seem overkill for this set-up...
Re: suggestion for relatively simple set-up by Walter Soyka on Aug 14, 2009 at 6:29:56 pm
A couple years ago, people were doing kiosks like these with industrial DVD players, custom-authored DVDs, and RS-232 serial control. Today, you'd also have the option of flash-based solid state players.
Walter Soyka, Principal
Keen Live, Inc. Presentation, Motion Graphics & Widescreen Design
RenderBreak: A Blog on Innovation in Production
Re: suggestion for relatively simple set-up by Walter Soyka on Aug 14, 2009 at 8:22:00 pm
Sorry, I had meant a flash memory-based video player, not Adobe Flash—although you could certainly hire a Flash developer to write something like this for you.
Can you describe your project in a little more detail?
Walter Soyka, Principal
Keen Live, Inc. Presentation, Motion Graphics & Widescreen Design
RenderBreak: A Blog on Innovation in Production
Re: suggestion for relatively simple set-up by Matthew McNulty on Aug 15, 2009 at 12:09:30 am
what we have is a small theater/lecture room... guest comes in interfaces with a kiosk where they can select a 5-10 minute lecture... the lecture person has been record against a green screen... he was chroma keyed to be against black or empty background... now that's one projector the other projector will project support material for the presenter... all video is canned and edited for proper timing... two projectors getting separate though related content right now nothing is live
Re: suggestion for relatively simple set-up by Walter Soyka on Aug 18, 2009 at 9:18:47 am
I'd look at getting two solid-state video players, one for each output. Each player will be loaded with its own media, but identical playlists.
Your kiosk (with push-buttons? a touch screen?) would interface with the players; when your guest interacts with the kiosk and requests a particular piece of media, both players respond, each with their own media, and you've got your two channels.
Walter Soyka, Principal
Keen Live, Inc. Presentation, Motion Graphics & Widescreen Design
RenderBreak: A Blog on Innovation in Production
Re: suggestion for relatively simple set-up by Thomas Leong on Aug 18, 2009 at 4:44:13 pm
Instead of 2 units, you could check out avstumpfl's SC Video dual Player which has 2 built-in compact flash players that can be synced to each other internally. Control can be via their SC Master units, probably the Lite version with a numbered keypad attached, or a touch panel controller (more $$$). I'm not familiar with the latter so you'd have to ask AvStumpfl re the 'how to'.
An alternative is Brightsign's HD410 which seems to have interactive and sync features as well according to their blurb. There may be others.
Sometimes having 2 players in sync may be better than one dual player, just in case one fails, replacememnt for one is probably cheaper. But the major good point with compact flash players for 24/7 usage is that there are NO MOVING PARTS, so they are supposed to last, and last. And updating media is as simple as popping in new compact flash cards.
Re: suggestion for relatively simple set-up by Thomas Leong on Aug 19, 2009 at 1:02:15 pm
Hi Walter,
No I have not used the Brightsigns before. Was eyeing it long time back though, when they only had the 600 model, then the 2000. But they did not have a fail-safe sync solution between multiple units then, so I did not buy. Was also following their user forums for a while, and I must say their support/response to user problems/questions was very good and prompt, sometimes sending a script via email to solve a problem for those not good at scripting. They used to offer a developer price for a single unit if you apply...not sure if they still do.
