Best Export for Mac Mini Playback to Plasma?

The client has three Intel Mac Mini's with 60GB serial ATA in each. The idea is to synch up each of three screens and play each screen out to an LCD or plasma-- assume 20" 4:3 screens.

I was disheartened at the quality of H264 at 800K, and I certainly don't want to try celphone screen at 40K. We're very jaded here, coming form 10-bit uncompressed! :-(

Anybody exporting QuickTime for computer playback through DVI? What's your favorite high quality export settings... and do you use Compressor 2 or bypass it for QT Conversion?

We'r ehoping for better than DV-NTSC or MPEG-2, but you tell me.
TIA

-lsm

Why not just a self contained QT movie? What do you need to compress it for?

Michael Horton
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All the tests have been self-contained, and DV-NTSC was one of them, and looks okay-- it's the baseline.

-lsm

Then why quicktime conversion? I can't imagine H.264 looking better than native DV NTSC assuming that was your media.

Michael Horton
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What program are you using to actually play the video out, Loren? Like Mike says - why the need to convert at all?

Client s using QuickTime Player Pro. With some expert advice we decided on DVCPro 50 aas an export codec, set at High and NOT best, which seems to fall apart-- maybe the QT team was dislexic and gave the Best data rate to Low. Anyway, that's why we recompress, we are downconverting and each strip needs to bve a self-contained 40-minute clip. Passing through 10-bt uncompressed won't play on a Mac Mini.

That seems to work but now they're experimenting with triple-Mini playback for an art installation to be set up in Spain. This means carrying three Minis and synching three movies for three screens for a simultaneous start. I never played with that idea. Client said an artist friend has used iCal to trigger the playback to the split second! Sounded cool. If they get it working I'll report back.

If anyone has ideas on good weays to control three Minis and keep them in synch (remember, 50 cycles/second power over there, not 60 like here in US) I want to hear! This client is reinventing Cinerama

- Loren
Today's FCP 4 / 5 keytip:
Do a virtual Audio Mixdown to lighten playback load with Command-Option-R!

The FCP KeyGuide?: your power placemat.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

This: http://www.matrox.com/mga/workstation/cre_pro/news/expanded_compat_pr_june06.cfm, combined with a single, faster machine, might be a simpler, more elegent solution.

Travis
VoiceOver Guy and Entertainment Technology Enthusiast
[www.VOTalent.com]

friends of mine did exactly this for a gallery display a while back.
3 (or 4?) mac minis linked

i think they used DVCProHD as the codec.
and there was one mac min set up to control the others via some software.
not iCal, though i'd love to hear more about that.
i''ll report back when i find out what they used.

nick

details:

original media HDV
converted to DVCProHD 720 for playback
software was Pro Video Player & Remote Desktop to control the various Mac Minis
installation ran continuously for at least 8hrs a day.

love to hear more about the iCal thing

cheers,
nick

That would make a great tutorial - I've been asked for ideas for a similar design for a friend doing work for a real estate agent. They were quoted $45,000 to set up a 3 screen display in their shopfront, which involved the most bizzare setup of servers and cabling, and we were sure it could be done with a couple of mac minis.

So the remote desktop on one triggers the others to play in sync?

What about - even older technology - just run off one computer and put the signal through a Distrubution Amp out to the three screens?? There would be plenty of old VHS dub facilities willing to sell some of those off, surely.

Or - if you need three different displays all in sync - there's the cheap as chips but works everytime method. Get a long stick. Line up the three keyboards. Mount a knob on the stick over the enter key of all three keyboards. Press the stick down. Viola! Simultaneous starts.

Oh - and for best effect, make sure to make the stick out of titanium or carbon fibre. Much more professional looking

I wonder if it's possible to use one keyboard and take the USB out through a USB hub to the three Minis. Click the enter key and all three play.

We did the same thing with three identical DVD players for a trade show. Hit them with one remote but it wasn't consistant. Next time will use Tascam DV-D6500 decks with serial control.