Rock band A/V set up - help

[ess765]

Hi

We re a brazilian rock band and we re planning our live show to sync audio and video. We ve been using one Sony Vaio laptop to play some pre recorded samples through a external sound card via the Cubase software (which accepts video also through its built in quick time). The band plays together in “human sync” with this pre recorded material (the drummer receives audio signal to guide him and the band to the songs tempo).

So now we bought camera and a strong desktop PC to create some high definition videos to play in sync with each song played live. This means its not a random video projection, but a 100% synced one.

Now we need to build a structure that when we hit play at each concerts song, the video starts and ends perfectly in sync. I d like some help to answer some questions regarding this kind of set up:

1 – My laptop (as 99% of them all) doesn’t t have a strong 1gb or 3 gb video card. Should I get a second laptop, buy an external video card (or install one inside) and link both PCs, keeping one to the music another to video? Isn t it right to affirm that any video editor would never use a lptop rather than a strong desktop computer to work on HD films and softwares? As a matter of only playing HD films, does a laptop handles reliable video playback of HD movies?

2 – Which video card to go for and what kind of hardware and cables do I need it to sync both (my sound card has midi in and outputs)? Does a external video card works nice? What kind of connection to laptop do they need? Usb, firewire, lan?


3 – Which video/VJ software should I try? What are the most reliable setups to receive data from other PC and keep in synced out of bugs (considering that the laptop does the job)? What kind of data/time code is better to send from the audio pc to the video one (midi, time codes, etc)?


4 - once set up I d send it to a HD projector. Should I use a HDMI cable between them?

5 - after this time/sync information leaves my soundcard, what kind of input does the other machine (pc or the external video card) should have to receive the incoming signal and connect to the video software?


I really appreciate some help, information links, suggestions, elder topics, etc

Thanks.

[osaeris]

Hace you considered putting the backing tracks and video on BluRay disc or DVD? I have successfully created backdrops for a dance show where the music was coming from the DVD so was perfectly in sync with the visuals.

Could be a little more straightforward than locking computer playback with your audio track.

[ess765]

Hace you considered putting the backing tracks and video on BluRay disc or DVD? .[/QUOTE]


Thanks, but it would not work for me. I need to do it inside a DAW such as Cubase cause I send each backdrop track separated to the mixer, and also I send the click(songs tempo) to the drummer. That s why sending only a stereo audio signal wouldn t work for me. I use a sound card with 8 outputs.

[PCProject]

First I would give serious thought to using full HD as being a good idea. Primarily as the audience are unlikely to notice the difference between that and XGA (1024*768).
This would lower the overheads and bandwidth requirements on the video machine.
It also gets past HDMI and HDCP issues. HDMI is a domestic standard and not meant for use in the way you imagine.
There is software that allows smpte/timecode sync'ing to audio and with a licence that is available on a daily use basis, QLab but it is MAC platform app.
You cant replace laptop GFX cards as you would in a desktop machine.