Stake Conference Video w/ Hymn Text Overlay

[WesGrimes-p40]

Okay, so in reviewing this thread it looks like there are two basic ways to get the hymnal words onto the projected image.

One, keep everything in the TV signal world and place a computer generated text image on the signal. This requires a PC to TV converter for the text....the MagicView EX solution

Two, keep everything in the PC signal world and convert the TV signal to computer to be overlayed. This requires a TV to PC converter for the camera signal.....the POP 1280S solution

Anoter issue is that in our Stake Center, we have a computer input up front (rgb computer monitor connection), but not a TV input connection. So it seems to me that generating a PC output would work best for us.

Right now if we want to show video in the chapel we use a video player and projector sitting on the pulpit....even though we have a built-in overhead projector, because we can not input a signal to the overhead projector from the chapel....but we can from the library!!! So if we go with the 1280S solution, that would solve this problem too....when we are going to show a video we just use the converter and plug it into the PC connection on the wall...........right??

Am I getting this right?? Any thoughts about advantages / disadvantages??

Thx for all the help,

[big2thumbs-p40]

I use 3 camcorders that I control RF remotely (PTZF) and a video mixer I picked up off ebay. I made the camera controller and modified the camcorders. I use a laptop to generate text and graphics. Then I can overlay titles and hymns on video.
I prefer to use scanned hymns and show a bar at a time so that people can read their music parts. My gripe with hymn text only is there is no music to read.
The video mixer is a bit noisy so I'm thinking of designing my own 4 input digital video mixer controlled via usb with graphic capabilities. Any suggestions on features? It would be nice to do native RGB but I'm stuck with composite.

[tleish-p40]

I've had a few private messages asking me for more details on the power point part of this process so I thought I'd share more info here.

At our first stake conference I had the words to the Hymns at the bottom of the screen just like General Conference. The problem was, some people couldn't read them because when they stood up to sing their view of the bottom of the TV or Screen was blocked. So, from then on we put them at the top and the director underneath in the view.

When setting up a computer or laptop with the MagicView EX and PowerPoint, be sure to use the following settings:

1) Set the desktop background to black
2) Disable any screen savers, hibernate, or monitor shut down settings
3) Use Dual Monitor settings and display the slide show on the MagicView EX as a 2nd monitor using PowerPoint's Presenter View (see: http://michaelhyatt.blogs.com/workingsm ... s_pre.html)

If you get the device you can send me a private message with your email address and I can send you a power point slide that we used. It had a solid black background, white text, and dark gray shadow on the text. The unit automatically makes the black background transparent. It was simple to setup and use.

-Thomas

[T-Mac-p40]

So if you're using a SlingBox at the Stake Center and a laptop at the other building, does this GrandMagic View EX remain at the Stake Center and plug into the SlingBox somehow, or does it go with the laptop and go to the remote building? If it goes with the laptop (since that's where the Powerpoint application is going to be, can the hymn overlay then be seen at the Stake Center and the other overflow TV's located in the Stake Center as well as in the remote building?

[rmrichesjr]

...

FYI - If your dealing with video, composite is about the Absolute worst signal. then s-video, then component-video, then RGB, Then HDMI/DVI There is a debate about Coax, but I'd probably classify it as the second worst for signal. If you ever have the choice go with something other than composite.

Assuming, of course, that you're comparing matching sync rates and resolutions, isn't component video the same thing as RGB? If by those terms, you mean separate analog red, blue, and green signals (with sync either separate or piggybacking on green), wouldn't they be two names for the same thing?

By "Coax", do you mean modulated RF? If so, the best it could be is a little worse than composite. It can't be any better than composite, because the input to the modulator and the output from the demodulator are effectively a composite signal.

As a type of physical cable, coax can carry any of a large number of signal types.

By the way, for anyone preparing to do text overlay, if you can find an old Amiga computer still running and not in a museum display case, model 2000 or higher, I understand they were very good at things like text overlay on video.

[WesGrimes-p40]

You are basically putting the mixed image up onto the building system. In our set up, as I'm assuming most others as well, we plug mixed output signal into the camera input in the back of the Chapel. Thus, whatever would normally see the camera input signal would now see the mixed (overlay) signal.....so yeah, you should see it at a remote site and in over-flow rooms, assuming you pull those signals in such a way as to show a camera view if a camera were connected to the input plug in the back of the Chapel.

[WesGrimes-p40]

We use a really ugly green desktop color.....on the second monitor, then set that same color on the MagicView as the overlay color. That way, when your power-point is not running, the camera image is passed straight through. I do this because you can then start and stop the slide show in Powerpoint and the people don't know it.....so you can make changes, edits, etc. in PP and restart without anyone seeing the switch.

We are also putting a background behind the words of the Hymn because, unlike Gen Conf, sometimes the bottom of our image is not dark.......so to control that area, we put a dark color in.

[russellhltn]

.....on the second monitor

Nice! Some laptops can be set to use the VGA connector on the back as a second monitor, so I can see that working quite well. No need for a bulky dual monitor desktop. You just need a extra LCD screen for the laptop. A 15" would be perfect - and cheap.

[WesGrimes-p40]

Nice! Some laptops can be set to use the VGA connector on the back as a second monitor, so I can see that working quite well. No need for a bulky dual monitor desktop. You just need a extra LCD screen for the laptop. A 15" would be perfect - and cheap.

Right, the overlay box has a nice connector that goes into the VGA plug on the laptop, and lets it pass through for the second monitor. I got a cheap (about $50) second monitor to run.....that way I know that whatever is on the second monitor is what is being broadcast.....works great.

Wes

[tcox]

We just purchased a webcast communicator and would like to display the hymn text on screen for our overflow and remote locations. Do the options listed in this thread work with the webcast communicator? Are they other options we should consider?

Thanks