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Synchronizing media to multiple TVs

post #1 of 13
Thread Starter 
My Setup:

I have 1 main CRT projector (in my theatre) and about 10 flat screens. I want to send the same video to all screens (synchronized) which i intended on doing with source+wires (either vga or hdmi).

Is there a way to do this with media players like the WD TV + server? From what I have read so far, i don't see how as it seems each unit works separately.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

martyrX
post #2 of 13
Google "HDMI Distribution Amplifier" and you'll get lots of choices. Knoll and Atlona seem to be two vendors with products to do this.

Then just do HDMI over Cat6. There are lots of different ways of doing that. Google "HDMI over Cat6"
post #3 of 13
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gibbo View Post

Google "HDMI Distribution Amplifier" and you'll get lots of choices. Knoll and Atlona seem to be two vendors with products to do this.

Then just do HDMI over Cat6. There are lots of different ways of doing that. Google "HDMI over Cat6"

That's the way I intended to do it at first.

What I want to know is if a media server + WD TV (or the like) is an option. If it is possible to synchronize, the price would be about the same for a much more flexible system.
post #4 of 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by martyrX View Post

That's the way I intended to do it at first.

What I want to know is if a media server + WD TV (or the like) is an option. If it is possible to synchronize, the price would be about the same for a much more flexible system.

What do you mean by "synchronize"? You should be able to use any device to an amplifier.
post #5 of 13
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kei Clark View Post

What do you mean by "synchronize"? You should be able to use any device to an amplifier.

This application is actually an orthodontist's office. Patients wait in the movie theatre for their appointment and continue watching when they are in the treatment area.

I did this once before and used a 1X6 amp to 5 LCD screens + CRT monitor via RGB/HV. It works quite well, never fails. That was about 5 years ago. Now I see there are some new devices on the market and I want to make the setup to be a little fancier.

I was thinking of using mulitple WD TV devices...one for each TV. Then each TV could play whatever files are on the server (some other movie, a orthodontic education video, etc) OR whatever is currently playing on the CRT monitor.

Why do I need more than a server, router, and many WD TVs for this?
post #6 of 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by martyrX View Post

This application is actually an orthodontist's office. Patients wait in the movie theatre for their appointment and continue watching when they are in the treatment area.

I did this once before and used a 1X6 amp to 5 LCD screens + CRT monitor via RGB/HV. It works quite well, never fails. That was about 5 years ago. Now I see there are some new devices on the market and I want to make the setup to be a little fancier.

I was thinking of using mulitple WD TV devices...one for each TV. Then each TV could play whatever files are on the server (some other movie, a orthodontic education video, etc) OR whatever is currently playing on the CRT monitor.

Why do I need more than a server, router, and many WD TVs for this?

Personally, I've never tried to play more than a few streams off the NAS myself, and find some limitations on one PC if it is being accessed by even one other device, and this maybe a trial by fire on your router if you're going to have several media players accessing the drive at the same time.

It seems simpler just to pre-load hard drives on a media player and place one at each location right at the TV so that you don't have to worry about maintaining a server or worry about networking.....or distributing the video.
post #7 of 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by martyrX View Post

This application is actually an orthodontist's office. Patients wait in the movie theatre for their appointment and continue watching when they are in the treatment area.

I did this once before and used a 1X6 amp to 5 LCD screens + CRT monitor via RGB/HV. It works quite well, never fails. That was about 5 years ago. Now I see there are some new devices on the market and I want to make the setup to be a little fancier.

I was thinking of using mulitple WD TV devices...one for each TV. Then each TV could play whatever files are on the server (some other movie, a orthodontic education video, etc) OR whatever is currently playing on the CRT monitor.

Why do I need more than a server, router, and many WD TVs for this?

The easiest way is to do it just like before, only digitally with an HDMI distribution amp. This is what we do for our clients and it just works. You take the one feed and send it out to multiple screens.
As long as you don't try to have monitors with different resoltions there should not be an issue.
Of course when you get a client that buys some of the equipment before hand it is always trouble. Especially if they try to mix things up.
post #8 of 13
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kei Clark View Post

Personally, I've never tried to play more than a few streams off the NAS myself, and find some limitations on one PC if it is being accessed by even one other device, and this maybe a trial by fire on your router if you're going to have several media players accessing the drive at the same time.

Good to know. A proper server SHOULD be able to handle it, but it could be a limitation of the WD device.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kei Clark View Post

It seems simpler just to pre-load hard drives on a media player and place one at each location right at the TV so that you don't have to worry about maintaining a server or worry about networking.....or distributing the video.

Which brings back the problem of synchronization - some of the screens need to be showing the same movie at the same time. I don't think loading separate HDs will allow for that.
post #9 of 13
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronwt View Post

The easiest way is to do it just like before, only digitally with an HDMI distribution amp. This is what we do for our clients and it just works. You take the one feed and send it out to multiple screens.
As long as you don't try to have monitors with different resoltions there should not be an issue.
Of course when you get a client that buys some of the equipment before hand it is always trouble. Especially if they try to mix things up.

All the monitors will run the same resolution (720p probably, maybe 1080p).

How do you handle long runs? Say, 100ft from machine room to amp, followed by a 50 ft run to the screen?

Thanks!
post #10 of 13
Thread Starter 
so no one knows how to do this - > distribute a/v via ethernet from a central server with the option to synchronize displays.
post #11 of 13
I would be interested an answer to the same thing.
For our office we would like to connect one projector or one camcorder to a single TV and using some sort of media server software/hardware stream it out to all the TVs, all the TVs are very new and support internet / streaming services. Could someone help.
there are total of 6 TVs, source will always be a projector or a camcorder, however would like to to stream it to all the TVs.
post #12 of 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by martyrX View Post


All the monitors will run the same resolution (720p probably, maybe 1080p).


How do you handle long runs? Say, 100ft from machine room to amp, followed by a 50 ft run to the screen?


Thanks!

If I understand this correctly it should not be a problem. If you want to "uniquely" control the playback on each monitor then setup a server and rip the files to a server and setup a share. Then setup 10 WD devices (one for each monitor) to access that share. You will need to run cat6 to each WD and HDMI out from each WD to the monitor. If you have to make long runs use a HDMI to Cat6 device from WD to monitor.

Now if you want to setup certain monitor to always play the same content at the same time, make a slight change. Identify monitor groups and purchase that number of WD devices. Then run cat6 to WD devices and HDMI out to a HDMI splitter amplifiers. From the splitter run cat6 to monitor (assuming a long run) with an Cat6 HDMI adapter on the end to connect to the monitor.

One last option would be to get an HDMI cat6 to HDMI Matrix switch. For this you will also create groups and buy the same number of WD devices. Except this time run cat6 to WD and HDMI out on WD to matrix switch. Then run cat6 from Matrix switch to all the monitors. With a matrix switch you can have all monitor display a single inpute (one WD box) or you can have any number of the boxes display the WD content. The limitation is the number of WD boxes. My only concern with this approach is that Matrix switches can sometimes be finicky. But you buy all the exact same monitors and go with a rock solid Matrix switch this option would give you the most flexibility.

You also may want to get a fancy remote system to uniquely control all the boxes and/or switches.
post #13 of 13
this is easy and no need for hdmi amplifiers and switches. You can actually do this with upnp capable devices if they support sync you can do it running 10 wdtv boxes here is one link

http://syncstarter.org/hdsync/ is how to do it using wdtv boxes. Most singage devices also have this built in.
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