Help/advice needed. Multiple display system (synched) for Video

[rabit1]

Hi guys,

Here's what my client needs. He'd like to use multiple projectors to display a seamless video on 3 or more connected walls. The total size of the walls is something like 4 meter high and about 12 meters long or maybe even more in the future. Each wall is connected in something like 45 degrees angle. sort of like this \__/ .

The thing is the looping video images has to be seamless between each projectors. So they look like one big video image.

Now my questions is. What would be you best solution to approach this project.

-How many projectors would be needed?

-How to display/play a highres video smoothly? Something like 3 times HD resolution? Maybe somewhere around 6000x2000 pixels? Assuming one PC will be able to play this using multiple head display port such as Matrox M9188 card or ATI eyefinity 6. (Is it possible?)

I can't find any reference for ATI Eyefinity 6 capability to display such a high res video across 6 displays. I know it is a gaming card, and able display 3D high res. But for a movie?


- If one PC is not possible, how to setup a multiple PC to display and project images in sync so that they look like one giant video image?

-What kind of PC/MAC and hardware requirement needed?

-What other / better solution would you guys recommend?

Sorry, lots of questions, but Thanks in advance,

Regards
T.Kart

 

[LordJummy]

I actually do some AV setup in my spare time for some people here in Houston.

I would seriously need to take a look in person or at images of the walls, regardless of dimension. I don't fully understand how things would be setup and the shape you drew.

My first guess is going to be go with one of the new eyefinity 6 cards or a similar amd setup.

You can hook up 3-6 projectors using adapters unless they have Displayport/minidisplayport and they will all act as one large display. It's completely possible with one computer.

Eyefinity treats all the screens/projectors as a single stretched display and is VERY easy to configure. It's literally child's play.

You just need any decent CPU and RAM setup, a nice solid HD that can hold the super high res video, and the AMD card.

You could do this with 3 high end projectors no problem.

 

[Batou1986]

Eyefinity would be fine for your needs. As for the picture eyefinity would be seamless on a projection setup there would be no gap between the projectors image if setup and calibrated properly.

As far as how many projectors you need im not sure that would depend there resolution and optimal throw distance and size.

Eyefinity simply groups displays in any configuration and treats them as a single display, for example.
2 1920x1080 displays
Oriented horizontally are treated as a 3840x1080 screen
Rotate them 90* vertically they are treated as a 2160x1920 screen
4 of them would make 3840x2160 and so on.

 

[digibucc]

yeah it's really easily possible, just not entirely inexpensive. still, for high quality video
you don't have many options on which way to go.

as jummy said, a beefy pc with an eyfinity 6 card and a few projectors is all you need. the
card and projectors costing the most, I haven't looked in awhile but probably about $1000USD
for each.

I am assuming the walls are fit for this of course, as jummy said you need to make sure.

 

[rabit1]

Thank you...

So everyone agrees Eyefinity should do the job in displaying one giant video image across 3 projectors. (again to remind u guys, I'm not displaying 3D output from games),

Another question then.. since each projector should be capable in playing a full HD resolution (1920x1080) movie each, then 3 projectors will total to 5760x1080 pixels.

If assuming I can create and edit a video file with that resolution size... (any recommendation on how to edit video that size would be the next question I guess.. .).., Then what hardware (cpu) and software (video player) requirement would be able to play 5760x1080 resolution video smoothly? Has anyone tried this?

Editing a video file that size seems scary... Instead of doing that, is there a way to play 3 full HD video files instead of one giant video, but each video is projected to corresponding projector and all 3 should be played in sync so they'll look like one giant image? Would this be a better solution?

Again, thank you guys...
Regards,
T.Kart

 

[LordJummy]

You should be able to edit a super high res video like that with any production quality software. Don't expect to use Windows Movie Maker or something

You're going to need some serious multi threaded CPU & GPU power unless you want to spend a LONG time working on this.

Once it's put together playing it is easy. You can use VLC or any playback software. The player doesn't care what resolution the video is as long as the hardware can handle it.

I would go with a dual westmere xeon setup with some high end workstation graphics cards or just a lot of desktop gaming GPU's.

The type of graphics cards depends on what editing software you go with, but for playback AMD is definitely your only real option here for hardware playback through 3+ projectors.

 

[rabit1]

Thanks LordJummy,

But are we still talking about Eyefinity 6 for playback?, Or are you talking about some other graphic cards? Can you specifically recommend the hardware? How about Matrox M9188

Has anyone actually tried playing a 6000x2000 (approximately) videos smoothly on Eyefinity 6?

While we're on it, theoretically, would Eyefinity 6 be able to PLAY 6 times HD resolution file smoothly? Say, for example, I'd like to setup eyefinity to display 6X portraits HD resolution video images? Something like this: [][][][][][]


Thanks again,
Regards,
T.Kart

You should be able to edit a super high res video like that with any production quality software. Don't expect to use Windows Movie Maker or something

You're going to need some serious multi threaded CPU & GPU power unless you want to spend a LONG time working on this.

Once it's put together playing it is easy. You can use VLC or any playback software. The player doesn't care what resolution the video is as long as the hardware can handle it.

I would go with a dual westmere xeon setup with some high end workstation graphics cards or just a lot of desktop gaming GPU's.

The type of graphics cards depends on what editing software you go with, but for playback AMD is definitely your only real option here for hardware playback through 3+ projectors.

 

[LordJummy]

Thanks LordJummy,

But are we still talking about Eyefinity 6 for playback?, Or are you talking about some other graphic cards? Can you specifically recommend the hardware? How about Matrox M9188

Has anyone actually tried playing a 6000x2000 (approximately) videos smoothly on Eyefinity 6?

While we're on it, theoretically, would Eyefinity 6 be able to PLAY 6 times HD resolution file smoothly? Say, for example, I'd like to setup eyefinity to display 6X portraits HD resolution video images? Something like this: [][][][][][]


Thanks again,
Regards,
T.Kart

That should all work fine.

that 6 portrait configuration in 1920x1080 would be 12441600 pixels.

It will work fine.