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[Fred Fontaine]

This is going in a small conference room (40'x60') in the local firehouse to be used for training and as an emergency operations center.
They want to be able to switch any source to any monitor.
I know I need a matrix switcher but having the computer as a source has me baffled.
I am thinking I will use all s-video outs into an ocean matrix OMX 4x4yc matrix switcher, s-video out of that into the two 35" lcd screens and 1 projector.
I will take s-video out of the computer video card as well as a vga cable straight to the vga in on the projector. I will tell them that for the best computer screen picture to switch the projector to the vga input.
Does that make sense? Doesn't seem to slick but it's what I've come up with.
Is s video necessary? If I go composite I can get a cheaper matrix switcher. (Kramer VS-6Eii).
Any thoughts, ideas? Nothing has been purchased yet and of course budget is tight.

Thanks in advance.
Fred

[Don Boone]

That's about how I would do it. I wouldn't bother with the S-video, not that much better than comp video. And if you need to send VGA to the LCDs, DA the VGA and run it direct to them.
XGA converted to S-video ain't too great.

BTW be sure to check that the LCDs will handle computer. Some  consumer units can't handle the signal.

Don

[Clayton Luckie]

I'm guessing that the budget is too tight for any kind of switcher/scaler.  I have found that lay-users of such a system sometimes have a hard time understanding the matrix switcher in conjunction with switching modes on the projector.  Having a scaler could take away the need to switch projector modes.  But if you don't have the money, you don't have the money.

How long is the cable run from switcher to projector?  

I would agree that it isn't worth it to use S-Video over composite.  

cl

[Fred Fontaine]

Longest run is about 30'.
Thanks

[Brad Weber]

Or you could run VGA from the computer to all three displays via a small VGA DA and then simply switch all the displays from their video (or S-Video) inputs to their VGA inputs as needed.

You noted that "They want to be able to switch any source to any monitor."  Does this mean they want to have any source on all the displays or that they want to be able to show three different sources on the three different display simultaneously?  That is a big difference and in my experience often needs to be clarified.

[Fred Fontaine]

Brad Weber wrote on Tue, 19 December 2006 16:46

Or you could run VGA from the computer to all three displays via a small VGA DA and then simply switch all the displays from their video (or S-Video) inputs to their VGA inputs as needed. You noted that "They want to be able to switch any source to any monitor."  Does this mean they want to have any source on all the displays or that they want to be able to show three different sources on the three different display simultaneously?  That is a big difference and in my experience often needs to be clarified.

They want to be able to put any source to any monitor or to all three or any combination thereof.
I have been told that the vga ins on new lcd tv's may or may not work with the computer output, -that true in your experience?
I have thought about doing the switching at the tv's, but that would require a lot more cabling, and perhaps a bit more complicated for the end users. It would provide for a better picture quality though as I could use the component outs from the dvd player through a distribution amp.
Another rub in that option is the ir remote would change both tv's unless it was aimed very carefully.

Thanks in advance
Fred Fontaine

[Brad Weber]

The units that Don mentioned sometimes not even having computer inputs are more the consumer LCD TV type displays, but it is something you want to confirm.  If the unit has a VGA input then I'm not sure why the LCD VGA inputs wouldn't work with most computer outputs.  After all, isn't an LCD display what most people now use for computer monitor?  Just usually smaller than 35".

One common issue is that most people run their computers or laptops as a 4:3 video format such as XGA and most LCD panels are 16:9 format native screens, so you either end up with a black bar on both sides of the image or you have the LCD display stretch the image to fit the full screen, which works to varying degrees depending on the display and the video image content.  Perhaps that is what was being referenced, but you will have that same problem with any standard video sources anyways, including if you use an S-Video output for the computers.  Or it may be that it was DVI inputs being referenced, although most LCD displays have both VGA and DVI inputs.  

I had assumed that with the signal routing and multiple displays that there was some type of integrated control system that would already be controlling the displays, but it sounds like that is not the situation.  That might affect which solution works best.

Before going the all S-Video or composite video route I would suggest that you mock it up.  Using the S-Video or composite video output from a computer video card, routing it and then displaying it on an LCD display may result in an image that is not as good as really desired.