2021 hardware recommendations

[simontl]

I have searched for a recent post without success. My theatre is looking to replace an ageing PC. I want to argue for a best spec PC rather than cutting corners. Directors do like their video but I would plan for HD quality at the most. I need to expect a maximum of 4 projectors.

Is this along the right lines please?

i7
RAM 32Gb
HD to include at least one NVMe SSD
graphics cards
--- motherboard for operator
--- 2 x RTX 3060 Ti 8gb or similar

projector cabling to be fibre HDMI

Many thanks

[Mike Daniell]

Will the 4 projectors being showing the same video/image for each video/image cue? If so then that configuration should handle your requirements well. If you need to run multiple video cues simultaneously (different video cues to different projectors) then there could be performance issues. I've successfully run two video cues simultaneously, but more than two may cause problems.

[simontl]

Thanks Mike. Just sometimes they want four different videos. Elsewhere I have read that 1 good graphics card per two projectors so we would need to cards. Do you think we would still be challenged? If so then linked PCs would be best?

[Mike Daniell]

For four different videos I recommend two linked PC's - both with good graphics cards so that hardware acceleration is available.

[simontl]

Many thanks

[simontl]

Can someone point me to anything in Help or elsewhere that explains how to use a linked PC? Is it done with "Run External Program Cues"? Thanks.

[Mike Daniell]

There's no specific topic about linking two SCS computers (apart from having a backup SCS computer) - I should do something about that! The best solution is to use a network connection between the two computers. You will need an SCS Professional Plus or higher license for this.

On your primary SCS computer, set up a Network Control Send device in Production Properties, and on your secondary SCS computer set up a Network Cue Control Device. The 'Remote Device' for both the control send device and the cue control device should be set to 'SCS on another computer'.

In the SCS cue file of the primary computer, create a Control Send Cue to be run when ever you want to play a cue on your secondary computer.

The most useful information about this can be found here: Cue Control Devices - Network. I recommend you use the OSC message format, eg /ctrl/go. For example, when the next cue is to be played on the secondary computer, on your primary computer have a Control Send Cue that sends /ctrl/go via the network control send device to the network cue control device on the secondary computer.

[simontl]

Thanks Mike