To all windows users

[madsmeskalin]

This is not meant to be a Os X vs Windows thread. I dont think one platform is better than the other, but they have different strengths and weaknesses. What I want to hear is what kind of pitfalls I can expect in regards to live video performance if I go down the Windows way.

Reason I`m asking is:
My Macbook Pro recently died, so I borrowed my friends HP Laptop with similiar specs. He has used it alot for music production, sound of movies etc, and quite a decent graphics card (6xxxm 1gb ati radeon) I wanted to connect a Matrox Dualhead2go to two 1280 x 800 projectors using Resolume. However, I encountered nothing but problems all the way. Couldnt dual monitor resolutions, display went black, drivers stopped working, program had to restart. When it worked, it worked well, but I think I aged 10 years during that gig.

Before that I wanted to buy a stationary shuttle PC, top of the line, 7970 radeon 3gb, Ivy bridge, Dell Touch Screen etc, but now I got a little scared of doing the switch.Having used Macbook Pro`s ever since I started VJìng, I`m very much used to plug and play using Triplehead2go, it just works. I usually use crossplatform software (resolume, after effects) but I also use motion and modul8 from time to time. I can live without however. The simplest choice is to buy a Macbook Pro, I know it, it works. But I like the idea of multiple choices in hardware, the ability to make a semi transportable shuttle and to be able to connect 6 projectors using eyefinity as some promoters have asked me to do bigger shows. Portability is important, but since I drag around 3 + projectors, the extra 10kg`s is not so important.

So to all Windows VJ`s out there (or people with experience from both platforms) what kind of headaches can I expect if I make the switch? I`m a quite tech savvy guy (learn fast) even though I dont have much experience with the windows platform.

1. Do you experience driver issues and troubles related to that?

2. I`m not dependant of Syphon, but I would love to see a Windows version eventually. Do you think that is likely to happen during the next couple of years?

3. Blue Screen of death or other strange issues?

4. I have always wanted to get into Quartz Composer to create patches and effects for Resolume, but is there a equavilent Windows version?

5. I`ve always been drooling over this one:

Dell ST2220T 21.5" W Multi-touch monitor with IPS - YouTube

Dell ST2220T 21.5" W Multi-touch monitor with IPS - YouTube

, which is one reason I always wanted a PC.

6. Slower performance over time using Windows? Or is that a thing of the past?

7. Is the Os X video engine better than the one Windows is using?

8. Any video software for windows that currently doesnt work in os x?

9. Can you predict the future? is Apple leaving the pro market? Is Windows on a comeback?

Hope this post is clear enough. I`m asking what I`m likely to miss out on, what I can expect, what headaches and what new possibilities comes with changing from Mac Os X to Windows. As my computer broke, now is the time for change, if ever. Hope to get some constructive replies guys!

- Mads

[madsmeskalin]

btw: the mac pro is not really an option due to size and weight.

[devonmiles]

touchscreens work with a mac too thats not a windows exclusive thing.
aside from that it really boils down to your personal choice. some people are tweakers and modders, for them windows is a great platform to modify a plethora of components to their hearts content. others are of the "it just works" mentality and they buy macs.
I have macs and windows machines in my studio and they both have their flaws. so to point 1:
yes. you will encounter trouble with drivers et al. but you will have issues with macs too when the next OS update is introduced and some stuff "just dont work"
2. no clue about that. but I was never a big friend of having several apps open on one machine. I would rather capture the output of one computer into another running a mapping software.
3. BOD does no harm. just restart, nobody will ever notice.
if you have a mission critical business gig, you should have a budget to rent
suitable backup solutions.
4. vvvv offers a similar approach as quartz composer.
the undeniable advantage of QC is the tight integration into OSX core video
which lets you use QC patches in other mac applications as plugins.
6. performance is more a question of the budget.
7. its not an engine. actually its the wrong question as its fundamentaly different. the quicktime API has its drawbacks for sure but core video is a well thought concept at whole.
8. canopus procoder, wings platinum, Nthusim and many more.
9. apple will proceed making solid user friendly products that work out of the box but are more pricey. apple is constantly buying either patents or whole companies, to accumulate building blocks for future products to stay in the competition.

[sleepytom]

1. Do you experience driver issues and troubles related to that?

yes - inherent to a wide range of hardware is a wide range of things which don't work in combination, if you buy expensive hardware from pro level manufacturers then it tends to work better than cheap shite.

2. I`m not dependant of Syphon, but I would love to see a Windows version eventually. Do you think that is likely to happen during the next couple of years?

Not at all likely - the underlying architecture simply isn't present in windows.

3. Blue Screen of death or other strange issues?

see point one

4. I have always wanted to get into Quartz Composer to create patches and effects for Resolume, but is there a equavilent Windows version?

no - there are similar (ish) noodling environments but they do not plug into resolume

5. I`ve always been drooling over this one:
Dell ST2220T 21.5" W Multi-touch monitor with IPS - YouTube

what the fuck use is that without a multitouch OS and applications which support it?

6. Slower performance over time using Windows? Or is that a thing of the past?

yes you need to do maintenance to computers (even macs!)

7. Is the Os X video engine better than the one Windows is using?

define better. OSX has GPU based decoding for H264 and Prores built into the OS windows needs application developers to write special code to do GPU decode.

8. Any video software for windows that currently doesnt work in os x?

loads, but there is loads of mac software which don't exist on windows, so what?

9. Can you predict the future? is Apple leaving the pro market? Is Windows on a comeback?

Apple are possibly phasing out pro apps, this doesn't matter though as your not a pro (no insult here, when we are talking about pro users we mean finalcut server on xsan fibre networks)

In all honesty just buy a mac, and look after it this time! Mac's don't break on their own. I have apple machines which are 10 years old and still going strong.

[visualove]

For live performance, reduce background processes to the minimum. I think there have been discussions here on that. Windows XP and later have a good real time process priority scheduling system, if you want to go deeper.

[Anders]

The learning curve on quarts or vvvv/procesing/max jitter is just too steap for me, its really not like adobe or anything else where u can sit down alone and learn it, you need that creative math brain to really do the cool stuff, mind you that the ppl i know that use it do extremely awesome stuff , but i think my point here is choose your software and THEN choose your platform


My 20 year old amiga still works !! and i think a good designed pc can last just as long if you take care of it

[Shorties]

Originally Posted by sleepytom

5. I`ve always been drooling over this one:
Dell ST2220T 21.5" W Multi-touch monitor with IPS - YouTube

what the fuck use is that without a multitouch OS and applications which support it?



In all honesty just buy a mac, and look after it this time! Mac's don't break on their own. I have apple machines which are 10 years old and still going strong.

I agree with your end assessment, but just thought I'd mention that both Windows 7 and Windows 8 are multitouch OS's. That still doesn't change the problem that the video mixing software isn't though.

[madsmeskalin]

Thousands of thanks to you all, guys! That was very helpful and constructive answers. Not a single fanboy comment :-)

devon miles - can you point me to an affordable touch screen for mac? Have any of you tried those overlays? I know its not the best option without an interface designed for it, I just really want to try it out.

Sleepy Tom - thanks for the comment regarding pro apps. To be honest, I never really understood what people refer to when they talk about "pro apps" as even low-key open-source programs can be used "professionally" - to make money, but you made it pretty clear :-)

[sleepytom]

Dell ST2220T works with OSX via Touch-Base driver.

Touch screens are really a terrible interface though.

[devonmiles]

I have used touchscreens right from the very beginning when they where hideously expensive gadgets ( 800 - 1200 bucks for 15") and partially agree. the thing with touchscreens is, they only make sense with a software interface that is specifically designed for touchscreens. else you will end up using the mouse at least half the time.
the best touchscreens are made by Elo, the company that pretty much dominated the touchscreen market for quite some time. on the picture above you see an elotouch industrial touchscreen which I build into a case and on the right, theres an ipad. both are considered state of the art touch surfaces and both arent really satisfying, at least when you want to control vj software.