most number of monitors you've run - and how

[alangeering]

Hey everyone,

just wondering what you do when you have to run video to 27+ screens.

Basically I have 3 video feeds and I want to be able to put them to 27 monitors.

At one point I want to switch all the monitors to one feed.

Any ideas? I'm a little stuck.

What I was thinking was having a load of video distribution Amps and a basic switch (clunker) at the top. The monitors should be able to cope with the switch. Anyway, that's the plan so far but I'm sure I could be doing it better.

[rickmaersk]

I usually use Kramer DAs but it shouldn't make alot of difference.
I'm sure i've worked on corporate gigs with about 20 monitors.
The rule of thumb I've worked with is not to have more than 2 DAs in a chain.
Kramer do a 1:54 model i.e. 54 outputs ! but the biggest you're likely to find on hire is 10 or 20 out.
You could get away with a 10 and a 20. Just take on of the outputs from your first DA and feed it into the second one. You'll have lost one output from linking them leaving 29 other outputs for your monitors.
Get your crimpers out. That's a lot of cable.

Rick

[rickmaersk]

If you are using broadcast display monitors you could loop some of them aswell. Just don't leave the end of the chain without a monitor or you'll get shitty termination picture problems.
Sorry to state the obvious but the main problem with systems like this isn't distribution it's earth loops and interference from other sources ( especially motors and lighting cables). Best to keep all the AV kit on the same mains phase which can often mean ignoring convenient power sockets in venues.
If that cannot be avoided you might need video isolation transformers.
Even a single transformer can separate 2 sides of a room when they are on 2 different phases.


Rick

[syzygy]

If you want to have more control and nicer switching, hire in a nice big matrix so that you can route your three sources to whatever screens you want.

If you can't afford to get a 30 out matrix then group the screens into groups of 4 or 5 and stick a DA on each output from the matrix.

The matrix will allow you to have all three sources playing on different sets of screens, all the screens showing one source or any combination thereof.

Also, a decent matrix will allow you to program scenes in so you can flick between different configurations nice and quickly.

Dan.