88 • November 2012 • Lighting&Sound America VIDEO MATTERS DMX-Controlled Media Servers, Pixel by Pixel By: Richard Cadena There’s a radio show called The Tech Guy, where the host, Leo Laporte, talks about the latest technology like computers, smartphones, tablets, and other devices. A couple of weeks ago, he went to a Madonna concert in Denver, and talked about it on his next show. What impressed him the most? Was it the music? Nope. The singing? Uh-uh. It was the video production. To people outside of the live event production industry, even technologi- cally savvy people like Laporte, mod- ern-day live event production seems like magic. When they talk about shows they’ve seen, they tend to use words normally associated with a David Copperfield or Penn & Teller show. It’s a real testament to how far video production has come, much of which can be attributed to computers, graphics software, and LED displays. And one of the major catalysts for state-of-the-art live event production is the DMX-controlled media server. The concept of controlling media servers with DMX is relatively new. The first stand-alone media server run by a lighting console was probably High End Systems’ Catalyst, and it debuted around 2000 as a system that included a video projector, an orbital mirror head, and a DMX-controlled media server. In 2001, the media server part took on a life of its own as the Catalyst. Until then, a media server was a computer that fed video files to a manually controlled video switcher that, in turn, sent content to video dis- plays. This was before the conver- gence of lighting and video in live event production. The DMX-controlled media server spawned a cottage industry, which was spurred along by the proliferation of LEDs, LED video displays, and video projection. Today, there are a handful of media servers with a proven track record, and more are gaining recognition every year. The baseline specs for today’s standard media server seem to be DMX control, edge-blending, warping, pixel-mapping, crossfading, and masking. Beyond that, every media server offers different numbers of lay- ers it can deal with, supported video formats, control protocols, effects, number of outputs, resolutions, and more. Most run on Windows, while the Mbox EXtreme and Catalyst run on OSX, and the RMS, Robe’s media server, runs on Linux. If you are in the market for a media server, or if you have a project and are trying to decide which one to use, the choices can be daunting. There are so many specs to compare that it could take days just to sort through the data. Complicating the decision is the fact that PRG now has a Mac-based ver- sion of the Mbox media server, called Mbox Studio, at a stunning price point ($1,000 US retail); Avolites Media got into the media server market with its line of Ai media servers, controllers, and software; and d3 recently began selling a dongle-ized version of its visualizer/pixel mapping/media serv- er/control system. And let’s not forget originals like Catalyst, Hippotizer, and Pandoras Box, which have been around since the early days of DMX- controlled media servers. Ultimately, only a road test will tell you what you which media server is right for your project. But if you have lit- tle or no experience with them, or if you’re curious about what other media servers have to offer that yours doesn’t, then you’ve flipped to the right page. Catalyst The original stand-alone product that introduced the concept of DMX control of media servers opened the door for lighting programmers and operators to pre-program and play back visual media. It was the template for the structure of a media server software using layers, masking, crossfading, scaling, and other effects to deliver video to a display surface, all under the control of DMX. It came with a library of video and still content, allowed you to warp and blend projec- tors, and redefined lighting and video integration in live event production. Copyright Lighting&Sound America November 2012 http://www.lightingandsoundamerica.com/LSA.html
Transcript
88 • November 2012 • Lighting&Sound America
VIDEO MATTERS
DMX-Controlled MediaServers, Pixel by PixelBy: Richard Cadena
There’s a radio show called The TechGuy, where the host, Leo Laporte,talks about the latest technology likecomputers, smartphones, tablets, andother devices. A couple of weeks ago,he went to a Madonna concert inDenver, and talked about it on his nextshow. What impressed him the most?Was it the music? Nope. The singing?Uh-uh. It was the video production.
To people outside of the live eventproduction industry, even technologi-cally savvy people like Laporte, mod-ern-day live event production seemslike magic. When they talk aboutshows they’ve seen, they tend to usewords normally associated with aDavid Copperfield or Penn & Tellershow. It’s a real testament to how farvideo production has come, much ofwhich can be attributed to computers,graphics software, and LED displays.And one of the major catalysts forstate-of-the-art live event production isthe DMX-controlled media server.
The concept of controlling mediaservers with DMX is relatively new. Thefirst stand-alone media server run by alighting console was probably HighEnd Systems’ Catalyst, and it debutedaround 2000 as a system that includeda video projector, an orbital mirrorhead, and a DMX-controlled mediaserver. In 2001, the media server parttook on a life of its own as theCatalyst. Until then, a media serverwas a computer that fed video files toa manually controlled video switcherthat, in turn, sent content to video dis-
plays. This was before the conver-gence of lighting and video in liveevent production.
The DMX-controlled media serverspawned a cottage industry, whichwas spurred along by the proliferationof LEDs, LED video displays, andvideo projection. Today, there are ahandful of media servers with a proventrack record, and more are gainingrecognition every year.
The baseline specs for today’sstandard media server seem to beDMX control, edge-blending, warping,pixel-mapping, crossfading, andmasking. Beyond that, every mediaserver offers different numbers of lay-ers it can deal with, supported videoformats, control protocols, effects,number of outputs, resolutions, andmore. Most run on Windows, while theMbox EXtreme and Catalyst run onOSX, and the RMS, Robe’s mediaserver, runs on Linux.
If you are in the market for a mediaserver, or if you have a project and aretrying to decide which one to use, thechoices can be daunting. There are somany specs to compare that it couldtake days just to sort through the data.Complicating the decision is the factthat PRG now has a Mac-based ver-sion of the Mbox media server, calledMbox Studio, at a stunning price point($1,000 US retail); Avolites Media gotinto the media server market with itsline of Ai media servers, controllers,and software; and d3 recently beganselling a dongle-ized version of its
visualizer/pixel mapping/media serv-er/control system. And let’s not forgetoriginals like Catalyst, Hippotizer, andPandoras Box, which have beenaround since the early days of DMX-controlled media servers.
Ultimately, only a road test will tellyou what you which media server isright for your project. But if you have lit-tle or no experience with them, or ifyou’re curious about what other mediaservers have to offer that yours doesn’t,then you’ve flipped to the right page.
CatalystThe original stand-alone product thatintroduced the concept of DMX controlof media servers opened the door forlighting programmers and operators topre-program and play back visualmedia. It was the template for thestructure of a media server softwareusing layers, masking, crossfading,scaling, and other effects to delivervideo to a display surface, all underthe control of DMX. It came with alibrary of video and still content,allowed you to warp and blend projec-tors, and redefined lighting and videointegration in live event production.
Copyright Lighting&Sound America November 2012 http://www.lightingandsoundamerica.com/LSA.html
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The current version is distributed byPro Systems Group, and it has up to32 layers, support for 4,096 x 2,304resolution (RED camera output), textgenerator, multiple live video inputs,pixel-mapping, curved screen support,and support for Art-Net, MIDI, MIDIshow control, MIDI time code, SMPTE,OSC, and more.
Green Hippo HippotizerHippotizer belongs in the category of“one of the first to market.” It cameout shortly after Catalyst and hasmaintained a good market share eversince. The current software version,V3.2, features crossfades betweenmedia on the same layer (as opposedto crossfading between layers), sup-port for MA-Net2, next clip preview,the ability to create play back presetswithout external control, Mackie con-trol protocol with iPhone or iPadLemur and OSC control, and more.The Hippotizer range includes top-of-the-line HD as well as theGrasshopper, HippoPortamus, andHippoCritter Rackmount. Each systemhas various numbers of outputs, reso-lutions, layers, and features.
coolux Pandoras Boxcoolux was early to the media serverparty with the Pandoras Box, currentlyin Version 5.3. One of the keys to thesuccess of the system is the Widget
Designer, a highly configurable interac-tive interface. The latest version ofWidget Designer has a built-in webserver that allows you to create inter-faces and control an unlimited numberof devices with any HTML-browsingdevice like a computer, tablet, orsmartphone. Pandoras Box Server Prosupports an unlimited number of lay-ers of both graphics and video, hasparticle generators and effects, andhas up to 2TB of hard drive storage oran optional solid-state drive with up to960GB of storage. coolux is known forexhibiting interactive displays, projec-tion mapping, and extreme warping atindustry trade shows.
d3 Designerd3 Designer is an integrated visualproduction suite of software that has avisualizer, timeline-based sequencer,video playback engine, pixel-mapper,projection simulator, and more. d3 issimultaneously an industry buzzwordand the industry’s best kept secretbecause, until recently, it was a propri-etary product that United Visual Artistsused to produce big shows like U2,Madonna, the Queen’s DiamondJubilee, and many more. Now it’s aproduct that can be purchased in theform of a dongle and software to berun on either your own PC or a 2U or4U rack-mount computer. In someways, it’s like other products, and inother ways it’s like no other. But thepackage is a complete solution withincredible accuracy.
Avolites Media Sapphire InfinityThe Avolites Media line of mediaservers are probably the longestexisting media servers that you only
recently heard about. That’s becauseAvolites bought the intellectual prop-erty of Addict Show Control Systems,formed Avolites Media, and went intopartnership with Immersive Ltd. toproduce a line of media servers andrelated products. Like other mediaservers, it uses layers to build looksand effects to modify and create con-tent. Unlike some, it allows you tobuild or import 3-D models to simu-late the show environment, has atimeline, and allows you to map videoonto moving scenery. It uses theSalvation node-based engine, whichis a virtual patch of everything in thesystem, including media, effects, out-puts, inputs, and more. The node-based display allows you to quicklysee signal routing. Avolites Mediarecently jazzed up the line with theSapphire Media Console. It connectsdirectly to Ai Infinity media servers,and it has two touch screens, fourassignable touch preview monitors,15 motorized faders, T-bar handlesfor manual switching, and more.Infinity servers were recently usedduring the Olympic Opening andClosing Ceremonies, among otherhigh-profile shows.
ArKaos MediaMaster ProIn 1996, Belgium-based ArKaos startedmaking what was perhaps the firstsoftware for video jockeys (VJs) thatmade it easy to produce animatedgraphics for nightclubs and discothe-ques. The company’s products haveevolved throughout the years, and now
90 • November 2012 • Lighting&Sound America
VIDEO MATTERS
www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • November 2012 • 91
its top-of-the-line MediaMaster Pro isa full-featured media server with videomapping, MSEX support, geometrycorrection, audio mixing, audio visuali-zation, video loops, and more.MediaMaster Express is the entry-levelversion of the media server software.On the hardware side, they offer theStage and A30 media servers. ArKaosalso developed a proprietary protocolcalled Kling-Net, which allows a mediaserver to stream video to LED fixturesand displays using Ethernet. It simpli-fies setup and configuration, and sev-eral third-party manufacturers, likeElation and Chauvet, offer LED fixturesand panels with Kling-Net input.
RMS (Robe Media Server) Robe is known for its luminaires, butthe company’s experience with digitallighting produced the Robe mediaserver. It features four layers, morethan 60,000 video clips and graphicimages, and effects like warping, posi-tioning, color mixing, digital iris, digitalframing shutters, and adjustable play-back speed. It supports MPG1,MPG2, JPG, TGA, PNG, GIF, PCX,PNM, XPM, and LBM.
MA Lighting VPUMA Lighting has had a media serversolution for several years. The VPU isavailable in two versions, the plus andthe basic. Both offer two outputs, butthe resolutions differ: The plus outputs1,080P while the basic outputs 720P.Both come with library of 17GB, pixel-
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VIDEO MATTERS
mapping capability, live video output,audio playback, and 32 layers.
High End Systems AxonThe Axon began as the on-boardmedia server in the DL2 digital lumi-naire and continues as the stand-alonemedia server that served up the con-tent at the 2008 Olympic Opening andClosing Ceremonies in Beijing. Amongother features, the Axon offers theCollage Generator, which is the abilityto combine multiple units to create anarray of up to 8-by-16 media serverswith resolution of up to 2,560-by-1,600each. The content management appli-cation allows you to remotely config-ure and update the media in the sys-tem, including Axon media servers andDL.2 and DL.3 digital luminaires. Otherfeatures include curved surface sup-port, control of 36 object parametersand 52 global parameters, and a con-
tent library with more than 14,000lighting-optimized files.
Martin ProfessionalMaxediaThree versions of Maxedia allow youto choose among the broadcast, pro,and compact versions, depending onthe number of outputs, resolution, andnumber of layers that you need.Maxedia is designed for easy touch-screen control and visual access tomedia, including video and graphicspreview. It works as a stand-alonemedia server, or it can be controlledvia DMX or Art-Net. Maxedia 4 soft-ware supports H.264/MPEG-4 AVC,MOV and AVI HD codecs. It featurespixel mapping, networking across mul-tiple media servers, master/slave
capability, effects, fixture library, sup-port for plug-ins like particle genera-tors, text, ribbons, and spikes.
PRG MboxMbox has a long track record servingmedia at major events. Mbox EXtremeis the hardware package and Directorsoftware is the application that it inter-faces with, allowing you to remotelyconfigure and control the media serverwith a PC. Mbox Studio is the newestaddition to the line. It’s a Mac-basedmedia server that runs Mbox Designersoftware with most of the power of thefull Mbox. It has fewer parameters butthe same playback, effects, and transi-tions. Although it’s designed primarilyfor playback of SD content, it can alsorun HD content. It has eight playbacklayers, pixel mapping, and a democontent library that can be down-loaded. The same computer can alsorun Mbox Director.
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