Quad display in a shop?

[darkan9el]

Hi all, a friend has a tattoo shop and in that shop they want 4 displays; one in each room, these displays will be used to display something like slideshows to show off their work and also to display what they do. I've read up a bit of quad displays and keep seeing a reference to "stacking" I'm not sure how it would affect this setup but it seems significant. These will most likely be running on Windows 7, I think Windows 8 will just add problems although I think W8 runs faster than W7 the use of W8 will just create an unnecessary problem.

 

We have a few options re the setup,

1. Run all four monitors from one PC tower, with 3 monitors being used for slide-show displays and the fourth being used to view admin work and internet access.
   
2. Run 3 monitors from one PC and keep the admin system and display completely separate by running on a separate system. This would probably be the preferred method and would give him the option to add another monitor to the slideshow system.
   

 

For the three/four slideshow monitors, can the same software be used on each screen i.e. create desktops independent, separate from each other? I must add I use mac mainly and I can do such a thing on the mac but I wasn't sure its possible on Windows 7 I know Quicktime will let you run mutliple videos in there own screen instead of loading a second video into the first screen effectively stopping the first video and playing the second video

 

Does anyone have any experience of quad cards and software being used to run three/four instances of itself on desktops or workspaces as I heard them called.

 

TIA

[anthonyd]

Do they want different slideshow on each screen or the same on each screen?

[plexer]

U170 USB Desktop Virtualization Access Device | NComputing

 

The U170 could be used for the remote displays in digital signage mode.

 

Ben

[darkan9el]

Hi, yes they want to have different slideshows on each screen

[darkan9el]

U170 USB Desktop Virtualization Access Device | NComputing

 

The U170 could be used for the remote displays in digital signage mode.

 

Ben

 

This may be an option, but it might fall down on resolution, I think they might be looking at full HD but will comfirm this as I am just guessing based on a few things they have said, but this certainly looks interesting and will read up an bit more.

[teejay]

3 x Raspberry Pi running Xibo client with Xibo server running on the W7 box is a possibility.

[SYNACK]

Just put a couple of GPUs on a motherboard, that will give you four displays easy then it is up to what software you use as to if you need extra software to make it run four slideshows in tandum. If it is videos that makes it even easier as VLC will run four instances at once.

[darkan9el]

3 x Raspberry Pi running Xibo client with Xibo server running on the W7 box is a possibility.

 

My Dads a bit of a Raspberry Pi nut, he loves it but I'd have to have a play around with that before I felt confident enough to put that idea forward but its definitely logged for future potential.

[darkan9el]

Just put a couple of GPUs on a motherboard, that will give you four displays easy then it is up to what software you use as to if you need extra software to make it run four slideshows in tandum. If it is videos that makes it even easier as VLC will run four instances at once.

 

I use VLC all the time and I didn't know it did that. Is there a setting somewhere to enable that feature?

[unixman_again]

Dunno about windows, but on Linux you can run as many VLCs as you want. The project is very easy if you run a multi-headed Linux box, and use gwenview or similar to run the slideshows. The main problem would be getting the VGA to travel the distance. Over 10m you'll probably need repeaters.

[darkan9el]

The rooms are tight together nothing over 7 metres I would estimate, the display cabling is already installed although I'd have to ask what type of cable it is.

[plexer]

That would have been a nice piece of information to know as it would affect suggestions of equipment.

 

Ben

[Arthur]

Dunno about windows, but on Linux you can run as many VLCs as you want.

It's the same on Windows. The default is to allow unlimited instances of VLC.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Ju6Sges.png

 

It should be quite easy to make VLC to play videos on a specific monitors too...

 

"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --playlist-autostart --loop --fullscreen --no-qt-fs-controller --no-osd --no-audio --volume=0 --playlist-tree c:\Screen1\ --directx-device="\\.\DISPLAY2"
"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --playlist-autostart --loop --fullscreen --no-qt-fs-controller --no-osd --no-audio --volume=0 --playlist-tree c:\Screen2\ --directx-device="\\.\DISPLAY3"
"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --playlist-autostart --loop --fullscreen --no-qt-fs-controller --no-osd --no-audio --volume=0 --playlist-tree c:\Screen3\ --directx-device="\\.\DISPLAY4"

[darkan9el]

awesome feedback people, learning a lot about multi display options and I'm liking the VLC route.

[ICTDirect_Dave]

VLC is a great tool for this.

 

If you want to make life easier too, then I've got a number of quad port graphics cards for next to nothing

[plexer]

Monitors AnyWhere | Monitors AnyWhere, Digital Signage Company, LCD Signage Display, VGA Extenders, Electronic Sign Software, Multi Monitor, Digital Signage Business is also an interesting piece of software it's basically a management interface for windows extended desktop and is simple but works well.

 

You basically connect a displaylink or smsc device such as the HP T200 or Startech VGA or HDMI over IP box to the network and it appears like another monitor on your host.

 

Ben

[catch21]

I inherited a DS solution running VGA about 20m over cat5e. Rubbish solution for today but it works.