Video output?

[stephenwolf]

Is there a way to work with video files instead of audio files? Say I make a video of a person singing a song and want to sync the lights to that.

[Wayne J]

Are you just after the song, or do want to play the video while the lights are going?
If you are just after the song, record the song with the software of your soundcard of your PC. (giving you have that)

[stephenwolf]

I want the video to play as part of the show.

here is a link to a video of someone that is using video as a main part of his show:
http://www.lightsondisplay.com/2k6.html

I wouldn't be using it as much as that, but it gives you an idea of what I am talking about.

[tconley]

nice display.... Where are you in sherman oaks I might drive by i am in san dimas

[stephenwolf]

I am not in sherman oaks, I am in Ventura. (about an hour north)
And I don't have a display up, I just got roped into this addiction a few weeks ago. :-) Next year though...

I just posted that video of the sherman oaks display as an example of displays that use video as a component, because I am interested to see if Vixen can do this.
Maybe trigger media player to play? Don't know what the timing would be like though...

[petefats]

this is a really cool idea and i think it can be done with alot less effort then you would expect at first, assuming that the pc that runs vixen, also runs the video.

i'm assuming that one can make vixen scripted sequences that can start a batch file. if this isn't the case, i'd guess that it could be added by KC without much trouble.

so, if that assumption is met, you next have to sequence it all together. rather then trying to do it all at once in vixen, it would be easier to get the entire video synced to the music in another program. flash, video editor, toaster. once finished, then import the audio from the video into vixen to add the lights.

so now we have to make it all actually work. vixen would need a sequence that would first fire off a batch file that starts mplayer. right after that, it fires the rest of the sequences, with the video ending at the same time as the last sequence. there is no real 'timing' that would ensure both vixen and mplayer would stay in sync, but given a modern computer and the fact that you restart them once every show, it should be close enough for the kind of girls i date.

[stephenwolf]

Yah, I thought about all that, but still the audio and video would be separate, and therefore out of sync. It would be fine if someone was just putting up patterns and "Merry Christmas" because that wouldn't have to be totally in sync; but if I wanted to have a video of someone actually singing the song, and there was no way to 100% sync them every time, then I would be less likely to trust it.
I agree that with a modern computer there is a very good chance that they would be fine, but this is windows we are talking about here, there is no way to be completely confident that it will perform the same every time. :-)

It would be totally cool if vixen would do the video playback, just like it does the audio playback now, that way the video and audio can stay together, and it could be perfectly timed to the lights.

If it would be too much work, let me know, I just wanted to see if you guys thought it could be done. :-)