Split Quicktime Movies over multiple screens on a Mac
Another useful Mac app here- this one is called
MaxiFrame and it lets you play a QT movie across
multiple monitors or projectors from a (fast)
Mac.
READ MORE for how this could be used for VLOBLIVE gigs, and how it could be improved.
READ MORE for how this could be used for VLOBLIVE gigs, and how it could be improved.
Regular readers (if there are any) will know that
I am a bit obsessed with doing multi-screen widescreen video/graphics on the
cheap. It is just something that is ONLY the reserve of the big gigs at the
moment and it would be great to find a lower cost solution that would allow the
same superwidescreen effect for VLOBLIVE
gigs.
here's on possible step in the right direction.
MaxiFrame could be genuine competitor to multi-screen playback systems that cost many thousands of dollars. (like Dataton Watchout for example) It's ability to split a quicktime movie over multiple monitors, or in this case projectors enables the use of two relatively low cost XGA projectors to display high resolution HDV widescreen material on a large scale to really get the benefit of the extra resolution available in this new and upcoming video format.
If you think about it a normal standard XGA 4:3 projector is 1024 x 768 pixels. If you put two of them side by side that's 2048 x 768, which is a little bit TOO widescreen for HDV which is 1800x1080, but with some cropping you could really get the use of those extra pixels.
Of course you would have a join down the middle, but hey - that's scope for some creativity in filming!!
There are, however, some additional enhancements that would make this product even more compelling for this kind of use:
1. Playlist support: I was surprised to find that you can't use MaxiFrame to display playlists of video clips as you can their other product cinematics. Clearly if you are using this product live, the ability to step through a preset playlist of clips is pretty much essential. You have all the bits already - you just need to join them up.
2. Edge blending - if you added an adjustable opacity control and image overlap function, then that would allow you to blend the images coming from two projectors on one screen, with a small overlapping section with blended edges that are seamless to the viewer. This would allow one HUGE screen to be illuminated by two or more projectors without any obvious joins. The high end products do this already.
3. remote control - some way to remotely trigger the playback of clips and the advancement through the playlist would be great. This could be as simple as extensive keyboard shortcuts (which you might have already), a floating controller window (that sits on a 3rd monitor) or even a network client that lets you trigger things via another Mac using ethernet or a wireless network like this product.
It will be interesting to see if this product heads in this direction.
here's on possible step in the right direction.
MaxiFrame could be genuine competitor to multi-screen playback systems that cost many thousands of dollars. (like Dataton Watchout for example) It's ability to split a quicktime movie over multiple monitors, or in this case projectors enables the use of two relatively low cost XGA projectors to display high resolution HDV widescreen material on a large scale to really get the benefit of the extra resolution available in this new and upcoming video format.
If you think about it a normal standard XGA 4:3 projector is 1024 x 768 pixels. If you put two of them side by side that's 2048 x 768, which is a little bit TOO widescreen for HDV which is 1800x1080, but with some cropping you could really get the use of those extra pixels.
Of course you would have a join down the middle, but hey - that's scope for some creativity in filming!!
There are, however, some additional enhancements that would make this product even more compelling for this kind of use:
1. Playlist support: I was surprised to find that you can't use MaxiFrame to display playlists of video clips as you can their other product cinematics. Clearly if you are using this product live, the ability to step through a preset playlist of clips is pretty much essential. You have all the bits already - you just need to join them up.
2. Edge blending - if you added an adjustable opacity control and image overlap function, then that would allow you to blend the images coming from two projectors on one screen, with a small overlapping section with blended edges that are seamless to the viewer. This would allow one HUGE screen to be illuminated by two or more projectors without any obvious joins. The high end products do this already.
3. remote control - some way to remotely trigger the playback of clips and the advancement through the playlist would be great. This could be as simple as extensive keyboard shortcuts (which you might have already), a floating controller window (that sits on a 3rd monitor) or even a network client that lets you trigger things via another Mac using ethernet or a wireless network like this product.
It will be interesting to see if this product heads in this direction.
Posted: Tue - October 4, 2005 at 08:04 AM |
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This site contains my personal views, ideas, tips, tricks and rants about doing live video, IMAG or graphics at live events on a very low budget. They are published as I get time, in a style closely approximating a weblog. Dave C.
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My name is Dave Chalmers and I live in Edinburgh in Scotland, UK. My background is in Electronics, but for 10 years I have been helping to put on live video at events in central Scotland in my spare time. Through the course of these events, nearly all on very constrained budgets, I have learned a few things about what works and what doesn't. While I would not claim to be able to give you all the answers, I can at least help you avoid some of the mistakes.
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Published On: Jul 06, 2006 11:37 PM
Total entries in this category: 7
Published On: Jul 06, 2006 11:37 PM