Feature Preview: Even More Displays
5/31/2013 < Previous Next >
Earlier I discussed that, in the next version of SongShow Plus, the secondary display was getting all of the features that the primary display has. Previously, the secondary display was available only with limited functionality. In SongShow Plus version 8.0, it's even better than I had stated before. SongShow Plus 8.0 won't have just two displays, it will support up to four displays! Each of these displays can be used independently. If you have the hard for it, one display, of course, will be the primary display. Another display can be used to run a slide show in the background as digital signage. The third display can be used to control environmental projection lighting. The forth can be used as the stage confidence display.Independent Default Slide Properties
Each of these displays gets it's own set of default slide properties. This way, you can have one display set to full screen, while another display may be set to use only lower thirds. This can be useful if you are using SongShow Plus along with a DeckLink card for text-over live-video (such as with a GoFishMedia ProKey system). Each display can have its own layout, background, and text settings. This is also useful if you have a mix of display aspect ratios (my church, for example, uses two 4:3 projectors and one 16:9 projector).
Stage Display
I mentioned the stage display earlier. The stage display was introduced in the May 2009 Edition of SongShow Plus. To configure the stage display, you designated one of the displays as the stage monitor in the Display Settings panel. You then used the User Preferences window to configure the stage display. Now, all of the stage display settings are found in the Preferences window. From there, you can specify which display is the source, and which display is the target. So long as you have two more displays enabled, you can use the stage display in this way.
You can now also send content to the stage display independent of the source display. When you do this, you temporarily break the link between the source display and the stage display. The link is automatically re-established when you present the next media item to the source display.
Displays Windows Wherever You Want Them
Your displays aren't limited to physical devices. You can place multiple display windows within the same display device. This is useful if you are using something like the Matrix Triple-Head-to-Go device which let's you send independent video signals to three display devices through a single video output. With SongShow Plus 8.0, you have more control over where a display window is positioned. You can even designate the precise pixel location for the window. This can also be used to set up a digital signage arrangement where a single display devices is showing content from two or more sources.
Having access to four displays expands the uses you have for your projection system. It is a powerful enhancement.
(BE284)
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8/11/2013 2:54:36 PM
sounds like a great step in a powerful direction.
8/27/2013 1:46:18 PM
This sounds great! I hope I am interpreting this correctly.
One of the things that I did not like about the stage display was that it was always limited and I could not change it on the fly. I liked the fact that, for songs, it used just two colors and showed the entire verse, even though I used page-by-page on the main display and a verse could have multiple pages; but I disliked that I could not, for example, show videos on the stage monitor or show the pastor exactly what the congregation was seeing during the message. I used a VGA A/B switch to get around this; if I am reading this right, it sounds like I won't be needing that switch any more. It also sounds like I can reconfigure my displays, in software, on the fly without a restart.
One of the things that I did not like about the stage display was that it was always limited and I could not change it on the fly. I liked the fact that, for songs, it used just two colors and showed the entire verse, even though I used page-by-page on the main display and a verse could have multiple pages; but I disliked that I could not, for example, show videos on the stage monitor or show the pastor exactly what the congregation was seeing during the message. I used a VGA A/B switch to get around this; if I am reading this right, it sounds like I won't be needing that switch any more. It also sounds like I can reconfigure my displays, in software, on the fly without a restart.
8/27/2013 2:25:08 PM
I have verses with over 12 lines, so verse by verse display would not work for us.
Although, I guess if I really wanted to use the feature, we could reconfigure the song parts to make it work.
Although, I guess if I really wanted to use the feature, we could reconfigure the song parts to make it work.
8/27/2013 3:05:28 PM
Recent versions have allowed you to create your own verses.
Because of the Stage monitor (and some songs with really long verses) we have a few songs where "Verse 1" has been replaced with "Verse 1a" and "Verse 1b."
Because of the Stage monitor (and some songs with really long verses) we have a few songs where "Verse 1" has been replaced with "Verse 1a" and "Verse 1b."
8/28/2013 10:39:38 AM
We used to do things like that before I discovered Page at a time.
I still occasionally will bring up an old hymn and wonder why it has 8 verses. When I look at them,there are 4, split out over the 8 verse parts that were available before custom part naming came to be.
I still occasionally will bring up an old hymn and wonder why it has 8 verses. When I look at them,there are 4, split out over the 8 verse parts that were available before custom part naming came to be.
8/29/2013 6:24:15 PM
Michael,
Unfortunately, you do have a slight misunderstanding. The stage display in 8.0 will not show a copy of the video that is playing on the primary display. (Adding this capability is high on the to-do list, however). What is possible is to temporarily break the link between the primary display and the stage display to send separate content to the stage display. This could be used, for example, to present lyrics to a choir that is performing a special and for which the congregation, itself, does not need to see the lyrics.
Unfortunately, you do have a slight misunderstanding. The stage display in 8.0 will not show a copy of the video that is playing on the primary display. (Adding this capability is high on the to-do list, however). What is possible is to temporarily break the link between the primary display and the stage display to send separate content to the stage display. This could be used, for example, to present lyrics to a choir that is performing a special and for which the congregation, itself, does not need to see the lyrics.
3/11/2014 11:09:42 AM
Can the primary and secondary program advance be linked?
There's a user over on ChurchMedia.net that is looking to fire two different videos on two different projectors, but at exactly the same time. Sync 2 Videos - 2 Screens . So far the only suggestions is a particular piece of Mac software.
There's a user over on ChurchMedia.net that is looking to fire two different videos on two different projectors, but at exactly the same time. Sync 2 Videos - 2 Screens . So far the only suggestions is a particular piece of Mac software.
3/17/2014 3:14:05 PM
Is there more info documented anywhere on how the multiple display capability will be controlled? Joel's question about simultaneously changing two displays at the same time is one good example of the kind of info needed. Related to that- if one screen was backdrop or video lighting you might want it to be changed at the same time as any background video in the primary screen....
Please more info on this??
thanks,
k
Please more info on this??
thanks,
k
3/18/2014 4:08:04 PM
In version 8.0 you can link a display to it's stage output display. In version 8.1 there will be an additional link available for the environmental projection display.
3/18/2014 9:47:03 PM
Hi Doug,
Man Im sorry, but I dont understand. Lets say I want to have three screens in a row, with three different video segments which all run side by side. Can I change all three video output at the same time by the same SSP "cue" or trigger?
Man Im sorry, but I dont understand. Lets say I want to have three screens in a row, with three different video segments which all run side by side. Can I change all three video output at the same time by the same SSP "cue" or trigger?
3/20/2014 5:24:50 PM
If you have three screens for which you always want the outputs to be synchronized, then you can use a TripleHead2Go to treat them as a single display. You can put multiple video objects on a single slide in SongShow Plus.