Mike Fahl

This should be doable, assuming a router that can be configured to allow "administratively scoped multicasts" to go through.

This feature is available for auxiliary timelines. Or perhaps you're referring to something else?

You do know that you can copy displays from one show and paste them into another, right? Mike

Yes, that's the idea. Let me know how it works out. Mike

I think you can do this already, albeit in a somewhat manual way. Try this:Make a 10% gray rectangle image (PNG), about the size of the none-overlap area, possibly with a very slightly feathered edge (one or a few pixels only), where the image fades to black. No alpha channel needed. Create an auxiliary timeline in the Task windtw that sits on top of all others. Add the above mentioned image to this Aux timeline, one for each non-overlap area. Scale and position the rectangle to eactly fit the darker area. Add a Color tween track, and use its Brightness setting to tone down the image so it's just bright enough to match the brightness in the overlap areas. Set the blending mode of each of those cues to "Lighten". I haven't tried this myself, but I think it should allow you to get pretty close. At least it could provide a way for further exploration of this idea. Let us know how this works out. Mike

I've generally been happy with TMPGEnc when using non-standard frame sizes, and have so far never run into anything it couldn't do. Fast and cheap too! Keep in mind that with MPEG2 you need to stay within the macroblock constraints in terms of frame sizes. If you really need an oddball size, round it up in encoding (padding the video with a black bar), then crop this off in WATCHOUT to get back to the exact pixel size you need.

We've identified a regression when using 5.2 with Datapath Vision RGB PRO (the very old, VGA-only card). This will be corrected in the next maintenance update. We apologize for the inconvenience. As a temporary work-around, you may prefer to revert to 5.1 if your system relies on this capture card. Mike

Generally, a higher framerate results in smoother playback. The same goes for a camera feed. However, as you say, few cameras support 1080p60, so you're either stuck with interlaced or will have to drop down to 720p60. If you can live with the lower resolution, I'd pick 720p60 any day. If you must use interlaced, turn on the deinterlacing function in WATCHOUT to get rid of the "jaggies".

Since you're loading images through SWFs, it's more a matter of what Flash does than what the Dynamic Image Server does. Makw sure that the image is released by the image server before it's to be shown next (i.e., that the image disappears from the image server's window). Alternativey, make your SWF reload images from the server on a regular basis, in case you want to keep the SWF loaded all the time.

Whatever your displays prefer. In many cases, outputting at 60Hz is preferable - particularly if you use 29.97/30/60 fps video. Some people prefer to output 50Hz if they use PAL-style (25/50) video. I would recommend trhat you avoid interlaced, if at all possible. Even if this means dropping down to 720p. If possible, run 60p, since this results in substantially smoother video and reduces the delay somewhat.

The scheduler has to remain running in order for schedules to have any effect. It is what runs the schedule, so schedules wonät work unless the scheduler runs.

It should be on a stand-alone computer. You may want to try one of the simpler remote apps first to see if communication works OK. If so, the scheduler should work fine too. Mike

You'd need some "glue code" in between. This code talks to the Kinect, adapts the data, and forwards relevant information to WATCHOUT using its network protocol. This "glue code" can be made in pretty much any language that can talk to the Kinect as well as do IP network communication. Mike

You can add points to the geometry correction grid, as well as move the points individually. See the User's Guide (page 164) for details. Or perhaps you mean something else entirely?

Just a basic question. Do you play your split videos using "Presplit Proxy" media, or have you just added each of the split pieces manually as individual cues? If the latter, that can indeed cause performance problems (especially in the production computer, as you describe), and you should take a look at how presplit proxies work. Note tnat you can also add a scaled-down preview video to the presplit, which allows you to preview without adversely affecting the performance of the production computer. Mike

With the wide variety of use cases suggested by you as well as other posters, my feeling is that a separate "countdown cue" would be the best option. Possibly combined with some general-purpose "note cue" concept, allowing you to specify what the count down refers to. With the result appearing in a Status window panel (this could allow for having multiple note/countdown panes open for different purposes). Mike

You must actively load the show using the remote app. This is done by selecting the show in the list of available shows after connecting to the display. After loading the desired show from the remote app, you should be able to control the entire cluster.

Sorry, you can't avoid the slight dip in the middle, as it is intrinsic to how standby works. Apart from turning it into a "cut", as you say. Having said that, depending on your needs here, you may be able to accomplish similar effects (i.e., doing an "interactive transition") using an input that controls the opacity of a layer that appears on top of other layers. Or perhaps trigger an auxiliary timeline that fades up on top of all other timelines, etc. So there are other ways to accomplish similar things, which may or may not choose your needs.

Juan, may I suggest that you open a new topic to ask a new question. Doing so makes it easier for others to find it afterwards. Generally, "hijacking" a subject is considered bad netiquette - even if you're the original poster. Mike

It would be interesting to hear what you think of how this countdown should work. I can think of a number of options:A new "countdown" cue, where you determine the duration of the countdown by the length of the cue, along with some text to be shown during the countdown. An attribute that can be attached to any cue, stating that it should have a count down ahead of it (possibly along with the duration of said countdown). Using a composition as a countdown, allowing you to display the countdown on any WATCHOUT display (this you can do already, actually). Finally, where should the countdown be displayed? Only on screen in the WATCHOUT production software (e.g. in the Status window), on an external display, on a control device (e.g. and iPad)? Getting some good thoughts here would hopefully allow us to come up with a solution that most of you guys would be happy with.

Seems like overkill if all you need is a balanced XLR output. This is probably closer, and less expensive: http://www.markertek.com/Audio-Equipment/Audio-Interface/Impedance-Matching-Transformer/Rolls-Corporation/MB15B.xhtml?MB-15B or this one, for a passive solution: http://www.markertek.com/Audio-Equipment/Audio-Interface/Impedance-Matching-Transformer/Applied-Research-Technology/DTI.xhtml Mike

This tool doesn't mix audio channels. It merely re-maps channels to another channel numbers. If you want to mix down a stereo to a mono, something like the free Audacity (or any other decent sound editor) should fit the bill. Mike

WATCHOUT version 5.2 is now available for download. This is a free upgrade for all current WATCHOUT 5 users. It contains numerous new feratures and enhancements. Full details in the release notes and updated user's guide (included in the installer). Enjoy! Mike

The dynamic image server display still images and Flash content. So at present, Flash is the only way to render data feeds, such as JSON, XML, etc. What other ways do you envisage? Mike

You will most likely have to create a presplit for such a wide video. See the User's Guide for details. Mike