datapath x4 for this project?

[jawbone]

I am doing a projection on a 120' wide by 30' high building. I am using 3 Eiki LC-XT4 projectors. They are XGA (1024x768). Would the datapath x4 be a solid choice for this or is there better.

The projectors inputs are

DVI-I x 1 data/video, RCA x 2 audio, 8-pin DIN x 1 control
BNC x 5 video, RCA x 2 audio, 8-pin DIN x 1 control
BNC x 2 & S-Video x 1 video, RCA x 2 audio
HD15 x 1 data, RCA x 2 audio, 8-pin DIN x 1 control

Also I am looking at these to connect to the projectors:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gefen-DVI-FIBER ... SwpLNYB9SU

Any thoughts

[Oaktown]

Hey Jawbone, the Datapath X4 will work great for your project.

I'd be more concerned about using 3 old 12K XGA projectors on that size of a building especially if the building is not white. We own a few Eiki LC-XT4 and these would definitely not be my first choice for this type of application but if that's all you can get your hands on you can make it work.

As a head's up, you're going to end up with large pixels (~ 1/2") and you're probably going to end up with 4-5 foot lamberts at the building so hopefully your audience is far enough and there is a good way to control ambient lighting. You can always bump the brightness 15-20 points in resolume to help get a brighter content on the building but I would make sure all the lamps are fairly new.

Take a look a these calculations (your specs are in the first column).

The cables you're looking at will work great as well.

[Empyfree]

Unless my maths is wrong you've also got no spare pixels to do any overlaps with, so you'll either have to hard edge line up the projectors or sacrifice some vertical pixels in order to gain width. Of course... this further reduces your brightness....

[jawbone]

Thank you both for your feedback

I used these projectors last year after doing a brightness test and it seemed to worked within the scope of what we were projecting and audience area. I am working with a very limited budget, so the projectors are what they are this year. We can control brightness to the area to a large degree, which definitely helped. Also these units are 120v, so a single 20 amp per projector was another consideration. I used two projectors to project two separate areas. This year, we are moving up to 3 projectors for a single image. I would love to up the resolution in the future.

What projectors would you recommend looking at for an outside event 12-20k lumens for the future, if I can get the budget increased?

[Oaktown]

I used these projectors last year after doing a brightness test and it seemed to worked within the scope of what we were projecting and audience area. I am working with a very limited budget, so the projectors are what they are this year. We can control brightness to the area to a large degree, which definitely helped.

It's amazing what darkness does to projections, so if you can control the ambient light to the point where you hardly have any, then you'll be in good shape.

Also these units are 120v, so a single 20 amp per projector was another consideration.

Power is always a very important consideration so if you have 3 independent 20A circuits, that's great!

I used two projectors to project two separate areas. This year, we are moving up to 3 projectors for a single image. I would love to up the resolution in the future.

As Empyfree mentioned in his post, don't forget to plan for an overlap so that you can blend the projectors.

What projectors would you recommend looking at for an outside event 12-20k lumens for the future, if I can get the budget increased?

My go-to projector for this kind of project would be the Panasonic PT-DZ21K (20K, WUXGA, 3-chip DLP) but they do require 12A at 200-240V

[jawbone]

Thank you again for your response. I will add a fourth projector to the setup for better overlap. I hope to purchase a couple of better projectors over the next 5 years. I am looking at the Panasonic PT-RZ31K projectors. For cables, how would you compare dvi fiber optic to HDbaseT fiber optic?

[Oaktown]

I hope to purchase a couple of better projectors over the next 5 years. I am looking at the Panasonic PT-RZ31K projectors.

The Panasonic PT-RZ31K would be quite a step up from the Eiki LC-XT4! As a note, these weigh close to 200 pounds and you'll need 120V-30A or 240V-20A circuits. In the same category, I would also look at the Christie Boxer 30

For cables, how would you compare dvi fiber optic to HDbaseT fiber optic?

I use both but these days I've defaulted to HDbaseT. DVI dual link will be limited to 4K @ 30Hz and is quite expensive to implement whereas HDbaseT will allow you to push 4K @ 60Hz and is much cheaper (if you can do it over Ethernet) Why use fiber optic with HDBaseT? Are you going more than 300ft?

[jawbone]

I am looking at scalable cabling solutions that have dynamic range capabilities and minimum latency for use over multiple live projects. Plus, I have not yet gotten to play with any HDbaseT equipment.

[jawbone]

Here are the specs on my computer for this project.

Intel Core i7-6700K Processor 4GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 4.2GHz
Windows 10 Pro
16GB DDR4 2133MHz Memory
NVIDIA GeForce GTX1080 Ti
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB5 with EAX 5.0
128GB SSD
1TB SSD
10/100/1000 (Gigabit) LAN (RJ-45 Port)
6 - USB 3.0 Ports (2 Front, 4 Rear)
2 - USB 2.0 Ports (Rear)
3 - Display Ports
1 - HDMI Port
1 - DVI Port
730W Power Supply

Do you think a DP splitter will work as well as a datapath in this situation?

[Oaktown]

Do you think a DP splitter will work as well as a datapath in this situation?

Definitely not and the Datapath Fx4 is definitely worth the investment!

I am looking at scalable cabling solutions that have dynamic range capabilities and minimum latency for use over multiple live projects. Plus, I have not yet gotten to play with any HDbaseT equipment.

What do you mean by dynamic range? If you mean the ability to extend/retract your runs, then both Ethernet and fiber optic can do that. Also, don't forget about 6G-SDI either.

The main question what's the longest run and highest resolution you'll need. 3/6/12G-SDI & HDbaseT work for most venue-based applications because you're likely not going to need anything beyond 300ft but if you do big outdoor installations they won't cut it unless you implement repeater/amps. Fiber optic is great and will go for much longer distances than you'll probably need but expensive to implement. Also, make sure you only use tactictal fiber optic cables.

You will find fiber optic adapters for both HDMI or 3/6/12G-SDI such as the following two:

• Gefen 4K Ultra HD Extender for HDMI over One Fiber
  Teranex Mini - Optical to HDMI 12G + Teranex Mini - HDMI to Optical 12G