Feature Reviews > Stage Monitor Output
6/17/2009 7:49:41 PM
I have tested this on my workstation at home. The third output is a GeForce4 MX4000. Once I had a monitor connected to all three outputs, and had the desktop extended across all three displays, there was no negative impact to SSP.
I would like to add that setting it to page by page would be a better choice than verse at a time, as some of our songs have really long verses. This would make the font really small, unless we spread the verse over multiple verses.
just my .02$
6/18/2009 1:14:06 PM
Yes. Page by page is a must.
6/18/2009 3:24:18 PM
I agree the Text should remain the same just no pretty Backgrounds, Colors, or Movies.
I would personally like to see shadow be rendered on the Stage monitor so I could use this as a constant output for Chroma Key overlay on our DVD for at home use.
I would personally like to see shadow be rendered on the Stage monitor so I could use this as a constant output for Chroma Key overlay on our DVD for at home use.
7/7/2009 1:12:38 PM
I also agree with the page by page idea. I like the lyrics taking up the whole screen but on long verses the text is illegible from the stage (too small). The page by page options so that the same lyric content is on both screens would help. Other than that our team loves the display. It is much easier to read and follow.
7/8/2009 5:33:57 AM
Me2 on Page by Page. This made me think of one other suggestion (wish) that may/may not be difficult to implement.
What IF we could control the font size (or just "size") on the choir monitor. The constant problem with choir monitor for us is "focal length" - when I try to make the words "big" for the congregation, it's too big for the back choir screen and vice versa. I would think most churches have the same problem and being able to hang their choir monitor projector at the right place or "affording" the right lens may not be feasible.
7/8/2009 11:02:57 AM
We've been using this feature a couple of weeks and it's working out great for the worship lyrics. However, on slideshows it's not so great. We do SSP slideshows for the sermons and the "simplification" of a slide often makes it unreadable. For example, we're currently using a "scroll" image behind some black text. On the stage monitor, the text gets changed to white and enlarged bigger than the scroll it's overlayed on.
I'd like to request that SSP slideshows be displayed on the stage monitor "as-is", without simplification, and that backgrounds be included. Slides typically are created to look a certain way, and our pastor wants to see them that way. The way its doing the lyrics are great.
Also, our pastor has requested the ability to turn off the stage monitor completely for certain items. Right now there is no way to do that. Can a "Show on Stage Monitor" option be added to the display properties or to the item's context menu? Maybe it would be a three-way selection: "Show in original form", "Show in simplified form", "Don't Show", then we could choose on an item-by-item basis.
I'd like to request that SSP slideshows be displayed on the stage monitor "as-is", without simplification, and that backgrounds be included. Slides typically are created to look a certain way, and our pastor wants to see them that way. The way its doing the lyrics are great.
Also, our pastor has requested the ability to turn off the stage monitor completely for certain items. Right now there is no way to do that. Can a "Show on Stage Monitor" option be added to the display properties or to the item's context menu? Maybe it would be a three-way selection: "Show in original form", "Show in simplified form", "Don't Show", then we could choose on an item-by-item basis.
7/8/2009 12:08:17 PM
Posted By AslanLyle on 07/08/2009 11:02 AM
Also, our pastor has requested the ability to turn off the stage monitor completely for certain items.
You could always just unplug the cable from your computer. Also, our pastor has requested the ability to turn off the stage monitor completely for certain items.
Or you could get a A/B video switch Plug your computers into A and the stage monitor into the output of the switch and then switch the switch to B when you want that monitor blank.
Or better yet, get a old laptop to plug into input B and run CLOCK full screen on the laptop.
7/8/2009 12:30:59 PM
If you saw the complexity of the wiring we already have behind our computer, and the inaccessible location of the stage monitor, and the amount of training that is reasonable to expect from our projectionists, and how many people we already have in the production booth without much room for more, etc. etc. etc., then you would understand why I would very, very, very much prefer to avoid any of the above options!
;-)
;-)
7/20/2009 9:05:53 AM
I would like to suggest making a change to the stage monitor output. For our singers, it would be easier to read the stage screen if the words were justified top and left. This way the first line of every slide is always in the same spot, and it is easier to read down the slide instead of having an hour glass look of text on the screen. (Longer lines at the top, short lines in the middle, more long lines at the bottom). My singers were saying it would be easier if they knew exactly where the next slide was going to be displaying the first line. This is a great feature and addition to SongShow but I think this change would enhance the option even more.
7/20/2009 4:35:49 PM
I like all of these ideas in this thread. The way our congregation projection screens are now configured and the length we've had to put the choir projector from the back screen makes the letters way too big for us to use (also, for some reason, SSP "seems" to enlarge the letters on the back screen using the Stage Monitor feature which further exacerbates the problem). Anyway, we really like this feature and if software could do some of this "correction" work for us on the projector, it would be wonderful - #1 Wish for us! :)
7/24/2009 6:22:17 PM
I'd love it to be a exact copy of the main output, formatting wise etc, but with a user selectable background colour. Shadows & effects would still apply.
8/20/2009 8:58:47 AM
Another suggestion might be to allow some content to be displayed only on the stage monitor. This would allow for technical direction to be displayed to only the stage. ie. An Easter production where you want only the choir to see certain lyrics or stage direction
2/25/2010 8:29:59 AM
If you wanted that, then all you have to do is get a splitter for the video output.
2/25/2010 8:30:42 AM
Posted By Lucas Daly on 24 Jul 2009 06:22 PM
I'd love it to be a exact copy of the main output, formatting wise etc, but with a user selectable background colour. Shadows & effects would still apply.
If you wanted that, then all you have to do is get a splitter for the video output.
2/25/2010 8:50:11 AM
Posted By Norville on 25 Feb 2010 08:30 AM
Posted By Lucas Daly on 24 Jul 2009 06:22 PM
I'd love it to be a exact copy of the main output, formatting wise etc, but with a user selectable background colour. Shadows & effects would still apply.
If you wanted that, then all you have to do is get a splitter for the video output.
Not quite. He still wants a motion or image on the main screen and just a solid color on the choir monitor.
2/25/2010 8:54:49 AM
Posted By Joel Osborn on 25 Feb 2010 08:50 AM
Posted By Norville on 25 Feb 2010 08:30 AM
Posted By Lucas Daly on 24 Jul 2009 06:22 PM
I'd love it to be a exact copy of the main output, formatting wise etc, but with a user selectable background colour. Shadows & effects would still apply.
If you wanted that, then all you have to do is get a splitter for the video output.
Not quite. He still wants a motion or image on the main screen and just a solid color on the choir monitor.
Ah. I see.
I'm not sure, but did they make any changes in the Stage Monitor configuration in the new December verson?
2/25/2010 2:03:46 PM
Posted By Norville on 25 Feb 2010 08:54 AM
Posted By Joel Osborn on 25 Feb 2010 08:50 AM
Posted By Norville on 25 Feb 2010 08:30 AM
Posted By Lucas Daly on 24 Jul 2009 06:22 PM
I'd love it to be a exact copy of the main output, formatting wise etc, but with a user selectable background colour. Shadows & effects would still apply.
If you wanted that, then all you have to do is get a splitter for the video output.
Not quite. He still wants a motion or image on the main screen and just a solid color on the choir monitor.
Ah. I see.
I'm not sure, but did they make any changes in the Stage Monitor configuration in the new December verson?
According to the release notes, no, there have been on changes releating to the Stage Monitor configurations in the Latest December Release.
2/25/2010 2:07:43 PM
Posted By Lucas Daly on 25 Feb 2010 02:03 PM
According to the release notes, no, there have been on changes releating to the Stage Monitor configurations in the Latest December Release.
Would have been nice if there was.
They should really look into it.
The use of multiple projectors has become more and more popular these days.
2/25/2010 3:45:57 PM
Posted By Norville on 25 Feb 2010 02:07 PM
Posted By Lucas Daly on 25 Feb 2010 02:03 PM
According to the release notes, no, there have been on changes releating to the Stage Monitor configurations in the Latest December Release.
Would have been nice if there was.They should really look into it.
The use of multiple projectors has become more and more popular these days.
Ah, but these are 2 seperate and distinct functions. One is a confidence monitor, the other is a full blown secondary output.
I find that I would prefer to use 2 computers.
http://www.ssplash.com/Blog/tabid/62/EntryID/220/Default.aspx
2/25/2010 4:26:12 PM
Obviously, there are times and reasons to use two computers/operators for items requiring "multi-tasking. However, for great ideas for stage display/back screens, take a look at ProPresenter 4's Stage Display capabilities ( http://propresenter.com - obviously a SSP competitor made primarily for MACs). There are several elements on the stage display - Actual Time, Elapsed Time, Current Verse, Next Verse, 3 Countdown Timers, and Notes section to write a note that "flashes" to alert the Stage to read the message - these only show on the back screen. They are fully customizable, movable, and of course you can "show" any or all of these.
SSP has a start on some of these Stage Display capabilities already but the Windows 7 software updates were priority for the current beta release if you remember. Perhaps we'll see more in the next upgrade!
SSP has a start on some of these Stage Display capabilities already but the Windows 7 software updates were priority for the current beta release if you remember. Perhaps we'll see more in the next upgrade!
2/26/2010 2:16:58 PM
Actually, a number of those features have already been implemented for the next edition! We even showed them off at Infuse earlier this month.
2/26/2010 2:20:15 PM
Cool...as always, it's just a matter of time and priorities before you guys give us the features we need! Thanks...
2/26/2010 4:41:47 PM
It's only a few steps away from my dream/ nightmare.
3/2/2010 8:44:13 AM
Having two computers in my opinion seems less effecient.
One computer with serveral Graphics card pushing out several monitors with one person controlling seems much more effecient.
3/2/2010 1:56:37 PM
I fail to see how it's less efficient, except in power usage.
I'm often doing events where I use multiple SSP computers, at times I've used 3!
I like to put all these computers onto a VGA Matrix, and pump out the signal from there, my biggest fear/ worry during events is "what happens if a computer BSOD's or locks up in someway".
If I was running all the screens off 1 computer, while technically possible, if it crashed for whatever reason, we have blank screens. By using multiple computers are a matrix switching solution, I can quickly work around this problem.
Regardless of how fast your beefy computer is, that 1-2minutes of booting time will seem like a ETERNITY while those screens are blank.
I'm often doing events where I use multiple SSP computers, at times I've used 3!
I like to put all these computers onto a VGA Matrix, and pump out the signal from there, my biggest fear/ worry during events is "what happens if a computer BSOD's or locks up in someway".
If I was running all the screens off 1 computer, while technically possible, if it crashed for whatever reason, we have blank screens. By using multiple computers are a matrix switching solution, I can quickly work around this problem.
Regardless of how fast your beefy computer is, that 1-2minutes of booting time will seem like a ETERNITY while those screens are blank.
3/2/2010 3:10:14 PM
Having a redundant system set up is different senerio from this issue.
5/3/2010 2:45:50 PM
Okay, I am newer to the beta version of SSP, and I have read the other comments, but I am just wondering if there is a turn off stage monitor button yet? I would like to use it for somethings, but not for all and I really don't want to restart the program everytime.
5/5/2010 8:15:48 AM
There is a way to turn the stage monitor on and off. But nothing that is a simple button that does it 'on the fly' type of thing during live activity. Turning stage montior on and off usually requires for you to shutdown SSP and restart it... Unless there is some hidden thing that turns it on and off on the fly that I do not know of.
6/28/2010 7:02:03 AM
I have just started using the stage monitor. Our worship leaders do like the fact that they can see more of what is coming than what is on the screen (We typically use several pages per verse). Having used a copy of the main display as the stage monitor for quite sometime, our worship team's main complaint was that we don't show them the next slide quickly enough for them to lead. But, advancing the slide well before the final words on the screen have been sung is (I think) distracting to the congregation. So Our singers have adjusted very well to being able to see the entire verse.
This past week, however, we did have some really long verses that were difficult for the singers to read. I did consider making a copy of the song and breaking up the stanzas: verse1a, verse1b.. Which would still have allowed me to show the leaders about 6 lines of text while the congregation only sees 2. (I didn't do this because I ran out of time).
A feature that would be really nice would be to have a configuration setting that would allow the operator to choose what goes on the monitor: page-by-page or verse-by-verse; plus another setting that allows you to project 0, 1 or 2 lines of the next screen (separated by a line or blank line). Obviously, this feature would only work while running through the verse order; if the operator displayed a verse by choosing it from the buttons in the "Current" window above, the program would not be able to anticipate the next slide to pull text from.
This past week, however, we did have some really long verses that were difficult for the singers to read. I did consider making a copy of the song and breaking up the stanzas: verse1a, verse1b.. Which would still have allowed me to show the leaders about 6 lines of text while the congregation only sees 2. (I didn't do this because I ran out of time).
A feature that would be really nice would be to have a configuration setting that would allow the operator to choose what goes on the monitor: page-by-page or verse-by-verse; plus another setting that allows you to project 0, 1 or 2 lines of the next screen (separated by a line or blank line). Obviously, this feature would only work while running through the verse order; if the operator displayed a verse by choosing it from the buttons in the "Current" window above, the program would not be able to anticipate the next slide to pull text from.
6/28/2010 2:09:53 PM
Mike, we've been using Stage Monitor function since inception and have had to work around the way the font sizing works for Stage Display - the primary concern/issue is that the stage monitor output is based on 640 x 480 screen resolution size and "auto size to fit" - so, if you have a short line length and fewer lines per verse, you'll see bigger font and vice-versa for longer line length and # of lines per verse (See http://www.ssplash.com/Forums/tabid/76/aff/15/aft/16834/afv/topic/afpgj/1/Default.aspx#16903 ). What we've had to do to compensate is to:
1) Ensure "Consistent size (within song)" checkbox is checked in SSP Preferences - this ensures all text is same font size, regardless of verse line length/# of lines.
2) Make sure the verse line length is about the same throughout the song by using normal breaks and "soft" page breaks (Enter and CTRL Enter respectively) - this helps consistency and readability.
3) Make sure no song part (verse, chorus, etc.) is longer than 6 lines (max that WE want to project on the back screen) - of course, we do this by using CTRL Enter for breaks for 2 lines on the Projection Display and create another song part (Verse 1a, Chorus 1a, etc) to make sure we do not go past 6 lines per verse).
I had suggested to have an option to disable "grow to fit" but that didn't "stick", so perhaps your suggestions will generate the right ideas to be implemented. It has actually not been that hard to adapt to this song editing/creating procedure, but would be nice to have an auto feature.
1) Ensure "Consistent size (within song)" checkbox is checked in SSP Preferences - this ensures all text is same font size, regardless of verse line length/# of lines.
2) Make sure the verse line length is about the same throughout the song by using normal breaks and "soft" page breaks (Enter and CTRL Enter respectively) - this helps consistency and readability.
3) Make sure no song part (verse, chorus, etc.) is longer than 6 lines (max that WE want to project on the back screen) - of course, we do this by using CTRL Enter for breaks for 2 lines on the Projection Display and create another song part (Verse 1a, Chorus 1a, etc) to make sure we do not go past 6 lines per verse).
I had suggested to have an option to disable "grow to fit" but that didn't "stick", so perhaps your suggestions will generate the right ideas to be implemented. It has actually not been that hard to adapt to this song editing/creating procedure, but would be nice to have an auto feature.
8/12/2010 3:46:54 PM
The countdown timer display on the stage monitor would be a prayer answered for our staff. Is that a upcoming / planned feature for SSP?
Thank you for sharing!
8/15/2010 10:34:25 AM
I would like to see the ability of the stage monitor to be a clone of the Main (full resolution, video, etc.), but with stage message support. We are trying to go to all video files and ditch our DVDs, but without video support on the stage monitor, we are having to split the main display to both (after the switcher/scaler), losing the stage message feature, which is one of the features that swayed me here vs "other" software.
8/16/2010 10:36:56 AM
Vid_Tech2,
You are currently able to add date, time and countdown timers to the stage monitor display from the 'insert' drop down menu.
At this time, the countdowns are limited to the next hour or half hour but there have been requests for more granularity here. If you go the the wishlist you can add your support for these additions/changes.
8/17/2010 9:23:21 PM
Thnak you George.
8/18/2010 11:11:57 AM
I went ahead and setup an A/B switch so that I can choose whether I display the "stage monitor" output or the "Display output" to our stage monitor. The trouble is making sure the switch is in the right position. I don't know much about electronics, e.g., whether or not the spike caused by the flip of a VGA A/B switch could damage an expensive graphics card, so I decided to keep VGA distribution amplifiers between the computer VGA outputs and the switch. This also works because the second output of each distribution amp goes to my display monitors.
I have attached a link to my wiring diagram.
http://flickr.com/gp/7565177@N06/0580E6
I have attached a link to my wiring diagram.
http://flickr.com/gp/7565177@N06/0580E6
6/12/2012 3:24:05 PM
Hey guys, I know this is an old topic but I'd like to suggest that you make the stage display customizable. I just recently changed churches where we used a different software capable of allowing me to fully customize what is seen on the stage display, where it's location on the screen was and so on. It was fully customizable. Every church is different and every church has different needs. I really think the current stage display feature is better than nothing but I also think that it could greatly be expanded upon. IE: the ability to see what slide is next, notes for current slide, clocks, countdowns, stage message, what service element is coming next. Granted, song show already has some of those features. I just think it could be improved!
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