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Video Wall w/ computer

M

Majik

n00b
Joined
Dec 13, 2001
Messages
30
I'm being tasked to build a video wall for a nightclub, and I'm wondering if I can do this using a PC and video cards. There will be 4 monitors (LCD I believe) in a cube formation (2x2) mounted on the front of the DJ booth.

The wall will display DVD, movies, graphics (something similar to WinAmp's little window that shows graphics and fractal artwork moving to the beat of music), and other applications.

Budget for the club is around 2 grand for the processor (the computer in this case).

What I was thinking (and I'm no guru) is a custom computer with 5 video outputs (1 AGP card and 4 PCI cards?). 1 video output would run in the DJ booth to basically control the 4 outside the booth (preloading movies, running the software, etc..) while the 4 on the outside would just show images.

A big desire in such a system is to be able to split the video and/or be able to make each screen do a different image/movie.

IF this were possible on a PC based system, how would you go about building such system (keeping in mind that the budget is 2 grand) and what software (OS, applications, etc.) would be a required installation on such a system?

There are non-computer video processors that do this job, but I'm wondering if it can be done with a PC...

Majik
 
get a 4600 or something that does dual-Dvi, then either find a pci card with dual-dvi or just buy a bunch of dvi pci cards.
I was going to say a matrox parhelia, but that only does triple CRT and not triple DVI
let me try and configure a system on newegg for the price.
 
Thanks V0ltage. Now that I know the hardware side will work, will it do what I need it to do as explained in my first post? I guess this would be more of a software question...

Display video across 4 screens (to look like one video as in video wall)
Ability to display different objects on each of the 4 screens
Ability to have a master monitor in the booth that I can basically run the other 4 with (and how would this work)

Also, the 4 main monitors, I won't be able to see them, nor do I want anyone that can see them to be able to see mouse trails, or me resizing windows, etc...

I think I'm outside the realm of what a basic computer can do for me here...but I'm open to ideas.
 
well, i know you can just run the 4 moniters independently and use a really good winamp plugin like jet or acidspunk, that would look really cool on all the moniters. and since both cards are geforce fx's, im sure theres alot of options under NView for different setups for the moniters, im pretty sure you can make all 4 moniters linked, but im not exactly sure. and you would mose likely want to find a better visualzation program than just a winamp plugin, so ask around about that, since im not really sure of what to use. and also, you could get a really cool case, I built my friend whos a DJ a comp with a clear case and a bunch of lights in it, (he just stores all the songs on the comp and just randomizes the playlist for school dances and parties and stuff), and the case gets alot of attention. you can get real cool cases at Xoxide
heres a nice clear case: click
if you put some UV (blacklight) lights and fans in it, the whole thing will glow.
 
thanks for the links. I know most don't know, but DJ booths (just like most nightclubs) are a very dirty place. The best option for the case would be rack mounted, sitting in the same rack as the amplifiers and processing.

To prove how dirty a nightclub is, the amplifier fans (about 60mm fans with guards) get entirely coated with a mixture of fog fluid and dust. Every month each fan requires cleaning by wiping the crap off of each of the fan guards (usually totally coated with this filth allowing no circulation of air). It's a very high maintenance area, and I'm well aware that the computer would require the same maintenance.

I'll leave this to others for the software side of this. Thanks for your help V0lt.
 
just buy a big colideascope and mount it in the front. seems like a waste of a computer just to display some colors in the front of a dj booth ( unless he's playing games behind ). i have no idea how you would really get it set and looking cool without a pre-made non-pc realted whatshamacallit. sorry i couldnt help.
 
make sure its a fairly big rackmount case so you can mount all the cards and stuff.
 
st buy a big colideascope and mount it in the front. seems like a waste of a computer just to display some colors in the front of a dj booth ( unless he's playing games behind ). i have no idea how you would really get it set and looking cool without a pre-made non-pc realted whatshamacallit. sorry i couldnt help.
Click to expand...

well it's not only doing cool video graphics, it will also play music videos, movies, etc... and I've already installed fiber optic fractal image projectors on one wall of the place...so I'm kind of looking for something a tad different.

It doesn't have to be run by a computer, but it will be run by something, why not see if it's feesable to be run by a computer. Keep the input coming, thanks!

Majik
 
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