Dual monitor set-up with 3rd monitor for video reference.

[seangp]

I'd be interested to hear how other people have achieved this. I'm looking to install a 3rd video monitor in a vocal room for voice artist referencing. What is the best way to output video footage on both the monitors in the control room as well as the vocal room - at the same time?

I currently have a dual screen set up in the control room on a Mac G5 with Protools LE 6.x. Thanks in advance.

[skiltrip]

First, split the VGA signal you want to send to the vocal booth, be it monitor1 or monitor2... with one of these...
CDW Product Overview: StarTech.com 2-to-1 VGA Video Splitter
(That model works very well by the way. I've used them professionally for General Electric and Columbia University).

then put it the second out thru a scan converter to convert the VGA signal to composite video (RCA).. like this guy...
CDW Product Overview: GrandTec Ultimate 2000 EX - scan converter
(though they make better ones - powered is always better quality then unpowered units).

i'm sure there are some units that might actually do both stages.

in any case, run that RCA Composite video out to a TV monitor in the Vocal Room and there you have it. In the event you want both your control room monitors displayed in the vocal room, get two of these little setups.

[justwanderedin]

*bump*

I would be interested in this as well...
The way I do it right now is this:

I have the movie window in DP, and "mirror" this movie out through the firewire port ( an option that DP gives).
There it goes through an old and cheap formac box and into a tv.
Problem is, it has 7 frames latency, which is annoying...

Maybe the people in the "post production forum" now more?

[justwanderedin]

Ahhhh, skiltrip replied while I was typing.

That's a cool suggestion. The problem with that setup for me would be that it mirrors the whole screen - where I usually also have the mixer window etc...

Personally, I am looking for a solution to just send out the movie file - like described in my first reply, but *without* the latency.

[seangp]

Thanks for the advice. Great help!

[danomatic]

You could also use a Canopus ADVC 110 or a comparable product to output the video over firewire. A box like this translated that to a composite tv signal which you can then split and wire to both your studio as the vocal booth. That way you can use both the dual screen for PT, and have a tv screen for the video. You should also make a 'Quicktime Firewire offset' setting in ProTools to compensate for the latency. Don't know the value right now, but that should be in one of the manuals.