Dual video output?

General topics regarding SCS
Post Reply
texas2stepdancer
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:27 am

Dual video output?

Post by texas2stepdancer » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:59 am

Previously. I have only used SCS for sound cues for theater plays. My current project is a modern dance show. There are two video projectors in this show. One projects on the back wall. The other projector displays images on the floor. They are not on at the same time. Before I spend a lot of time and money on equipment, can SCS be setup to direct videos between two different video outputs? Currently, I am using SCS for projection the back wall and a DVD player to project on the floor.

Thanks,
Bruce

Mike Daniell
Site Admin
Posts: 3632
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:58 am
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. TZ:GMT+10
Contact:

Re: Dual video output?

Post by Mike Daniell » Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:06 am

SCS currently only supports one external display. Your current solution is probably the cheapest solution unless anyone can suggest something better.
Mike Daniell
Show Cue Systems Pty Ltd
mike@showcuesystems.com
Image

runawaymartin
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:46 am
Location: Runaway Bay, Gold Coast, Australia
Contact:

Re: Dual video output?

Post by runawaymartin » Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:51 am

Hi Bruce . . .

Seeing as you are running the videos at different times I was wondering whether a video splitter/switcher (1 into 2) from your laptop would do the trick. I can't suggest any particular brand but there are a lot out there. It would then only be a matter of switching the outputs of the splitter in between the video playbacks, but may be a lot less cumbersome to set up and also take up less space . . . .

Cheers . . . Martin
Martin Norris
Sound Achievements P/L
Runaway Bay, Qld, Australia

enigmatheatre
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:42 am

Re: Dual video output?

Post by enigmatheatre » Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:31 am

HI

I do something like what you are looking to do with a procon (now AMX i think) Switcher. It has 4 inputs and 1 output and you can swap the input with a serial connection to SCS. The good thing about this is you can add the data to the cue and it switches to the correct input per cue (no operator errors).

You would just need one with 1 in and 2 out which i think they do.

Greig.

texas2stepdancer
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:27 am

Re: Dual video output?

Post by texas2stepdancer » Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:44 am

Thanks for the info everyone. I will try a video splitter. It should be easier than dealing with this DVD player. With computers able to have several video outputs, maybe SCS will consider this as a new feature in a future release.

Bruce

Peter Jackson
Posts: 76
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:37 am
Location: Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, UK
Contact:

Re: Dual video output?

Post by Peter Jackson » Mon Jun 14, 2010 6:52 pm

Hi Bruce and Mike

Don't know if this is any help, but, would it be possible through Midi connections to link two copies of SCS on different machines and drive a second unit as a slave for you second screen. I'm not a midi user but I believe a keyboard will trigger SCS cues so is it possible to repeat this action with SCS instead, one to send the midi signal and one to receive it, then just use the second copy for video only on your second screen.

Maybe Mike can let us know, as I said I'm not a midi user only video/audio for my shows.


Peter
Peter Jackson
Jackson Media and Trevonne Stage School
http://www.jacksonmedia.co.uk

Mike Daniell
Site Admin
Posts: 3632
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:58 am
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. TZ:GMT+10
Contact:

Re: Dual video output?

Post by Mike Daniell » Mon Jun 14, 2010 8:16 pm

Yes, Peter, that's an option I hadn't considered. You would just need to set up a cue file for the second computer containing only the video/image cues to be played to the second screen. Set up MIDI control on that computer, and in your main cue file (on the first computer) have MIDI Control Send cues for when you want to play a video to the second screen.

If you don't have MIDI ports available on both machines but you do have an SCS Professional Plus license you could alternatively achieve the same using Telnet. Just set the SCS Telnet options on one machine as the Telnet Server, and the SCS Telnet options on the other as a Telnet client.
Mike Daniell
Show Cue Systems Pty Ltd
mike@showcuesystems.com
Image

Post Reply