Server help

Bro, does your rig even lift?
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blabberbytes
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Server help

Post by blabberbytes »

I'm trying to set up a media room for the new museum that's opening-up. I will probably hire someone to help design the setup but wanted to pick your brains here first. We have 15 4k Projectors that we need to connect to the media room. The longest run is about 150-200 feet away. I'm planning on setting up all the projectors with SDI connections and running Resolume Arena servers. I have a few questions as I have never had to design something this big before.

Any thoughts Oaktown I saw in an earlier post you are more inclined to use resolume VS Watchout. I prefer simplicity and the client doesn't need anything too fancy. I'm pretty much trying to convince them they need a media room vs just having media players at each projector.

How many high-powered computers will I need to run to handle something at this scale? Will a high power machine be able to handle four 4K projector outputs? How do I network/sync the computers? I connect them on a network switch I'm guessing and run OSC. What hardware do I need to connect the SDI connections to the resolume arena servers? Have and HDMI/SDI switch/hubs you could recommend? What else am I missing / not thinking about? Any help would be great thanks!

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cosmowe
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Re: Server help

Post by cosmowe »

Hey blabber,
I do have some questions first.

- Need those projectors be framesync? So.. do you have any edge-blending planed?
- Will there be any kind of interactive interaction with the projections?

15x4k so or so will not be an inexpensive task

My first intention if you say "no" to any questions above would be to use digital signage players.
I have made some very good experiences with the lineup from "Brightsign"

https://www.brightsign.biz/digital-sign ... oduct-line
Image

The performance is good and they are very reliable. Just bring them inside a network and you can manage the content and schedule them from a any computer in the network. You can configure one of them as a master and the others will follow with their own content. It's not perfectly framesync....but comparable to what you get if you would use multiple display outputs from a single gaming graphics card.

Even if you have simple interactions, for example a client can press a button to change content. This is also possible with some of their players in their product lineup.



Best wishes
cosmowe
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blabberbytes
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Re: Server help

Post by blabberbytes »

For the the current project we dont need frame sync or edge blending. Ideally i would want to future proof it for future needs. So ideally yes we would incorporate frame sync and edge blending.

I was thinking of getting 4 resolume arena servers, networking them with a switch. And connecting them with OSC. Would that be reliable ?

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cosmowe
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Re: Server help

Post by cosmowe »

Frame-syncing 4 Servers is not an trivial task at all. Beside every GPU you need one Quadro Sync card from Nvidia. https://www.nvidia.com/de-de/design-vis ... adro-sync/
To use them you also need nvidia Workstation GPUs. You can find the list of compatible cards on their page.
+ You'll need a Genlock Clock generator. This is one way to do it. And it is expensive.

Another way since you mentioned you want to use SDI.

Every system should be equipped with a nice RTX card as rendercard for Resolume. Then you also have to add something like the Blackmagic DeckLink 8K Pro to every system.
4 Pc's with 4 SDI Out each = 12 SDI Outs... so to get on 15 SDI outputs you might add another card....but I have no experience if that is even possible.


Image
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/de/pro ... s/W-DLK-34

You can use 4 SDI ports as outputs. The fifth sdi port is a Ref in. There you need to send your GenLock clock in - generated from for example by a Blackmagic Sync Generator. You might see that nowhere UHD is mentioned on the BM Page....but with a Tri Level Sync you can also sync 4K Outputs.


Image
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/de/pro ... /W-CONM-15

Also think of buying good cabeling with 12G SDI specs to connect your projectors.


I was thinking of getting 4 resolume arena servers, networking them with a switch. And connecting them with OSC. Would that be reliable ?
hmm.....I would say 95% :-) I am pretty sure this will not run without any flaws for 24/7 365 Days.

For fixed installations for a museum I would always go with digital signage players. Ones the system is running.... it turns on and off by itsels 24/7 365 Days.


What about audio anyway? .... Resolume is not able to send different embedded audio feeds via SDI.


Best wishes
cosmowe



EDIT:
I might be a bit on fire :) ....so I made a rough calculation

Costs for:

Resolume solution (Hardware):
4x PC with RTX 3070 ti + 4x Decklink 8K Pro + Sync Generator >> 11.585,00 Euro + 15x12G 60m SDI 2235,00 Euro = 13.820,00 Euro

Digital Signage Solution
15x BrightSign XD234 8250,00€ + Gigabit PoE Switch 250,00€ + Cat6 Cabeling 380,00 Euro
= 8880,00 Euro
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blabberbytes
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Re: Server help

Post by blabberbytes »

Hey thanks for your reply! I really appreciate it. For audio we only need a single audio loop playing. It does not need to be multi-channel.

What if i used HDbaseT at 200 feet instead of sdi??
Something like this? Would that make it a little less conplicated? Also with the frame sync it doesnt need tk be 100% flawless. If its off by a few frames every now and again we’ll be okay with that.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087HWPNBD/re ... 8Q78?psc=1

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cosmowe
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Re: Server help

Post by cosmowe »

sure, HDBase-T is also a way to do it ;)

If you are very lucky, your projectors may support HDBaseT and you only need a Transmitter. What model do you plan to use?

greetings
cosmowe
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Zoltán
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Re: Server help

Post by Zoltán »

Playing back a single video, you don't need a media room.
Projectors capable of DNLA with a single NAS as server, or direct USB playback could do the job.

A small player computer like an intel NUC, placed next to the projector, and running a player software on loop, could be easy too. Connect them to your network and you can then manage them remotely.
These can also be set up to connect to and play NDI sources with NDI studio monitor on Auto start with the system.

There are also NDI to HDMI boxes. I'd probably go that way. Easy flexible networking, which can be switched and routed.
Then you can use a single Arena computer to play multiple clips to NDI outputs with a single audio track routed over the PA. https://resolume.com/support/en/NDI_inp ... uts#output
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