Shared Screens

[sneesam]

Hi,

This might be a really simple problem for some people but I am sick of looking for answers and not getting any support at school. I want to display videos on a number of TV screens around the school without having to have a computer/netbook/laptop plugged into the back of them.

I was hoping to use the school wifi to share what was on my computer screen around the school.

I have been looking at using WMC and the using an extender but not sure if that is going to work (authentication issues???????). Anyway if there is some way of doing this on the cheap it would be great.

Please help?

[DJ-Jonesy]

Xibo is a free digital signage package, very easy to set up and use. You will still need to connect a pc to the screen but you could look at something like Novatech Nboxes or Acer Revo's to attach to the back and make use of the inbuilt wireless on them too.

[budgester]

It's not a simple problem at all.

And pumping out video over wifi, is going to be bandwidth intensive.

How many screens are you thinking about ?

Do you want control over the screens or are they just going to screen a video on a rolling loop ?

You are going to need something to decode the video on each screen.

Do you have the screens already ?

I think this is likely to be a fair sized budget eater.

[budgester]

Or maybe something like this....

Amazon.com: Channel Plus 3025 All-in-One Multiroom Video Distribution System with Dual Input Modulator: Electronics

But you'd have to run cables and have the right screens.

[budgester]

For the complexities try reading up on

Designing a Multi Room Video Distribution System For Your DVR

[sneesam]

I was thinking about using windows media centre and then using an extender- maybe even an xbox 360. We want 4 screens each that will display a looped video.

Thanks for the advice though budgester!

[MatthewL]

There are video senders which you can use if all in one building, just connecting it all in over the network.

[Danp]

What about one of these on each? That's what we do

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...A246UO6SGGEFX8

[Chris_]

You could use a VGA over cat5 distribution amplifier if you can get cat5 run to from all the screens back to the computer running the video.

One of these for the computer: 4 way VGA over cat5 DA TP-104HD - Transmitters and Receivers - Kramer Electronics
One of these by each screen: Cat5 to VGA reciever PT-120 - Transmitters and Receivers - Kramer Electronics

[mdench]

are these screens in the same place or in various locations around the school?

edit : ignore that just re read the post.

Personally would use xibo and then small pcs attached to the back on the screens. Compared to your potential xbox 360 media extender idea..

1 - Central management you dont have to visit each screen to change what it is displaying like you would have to with the xbox's all done by a web GUI

2 - Queue's using xibo you can have just the one video on a loop or add extra media to the queue to play videos and then maybe display some images or powerpoints for notifications.

[levell3r]

+1 xibo.

Its great for signage. I installed it into a folder on our webserver (but u can bang it onto any machine that will be on at the same times as the screens are needed).

We've got a WIFI laptop with a broken screen bolted to the back of a LCD TV in our foyeur, and it works wonders.



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