Video Wall setup

[Brad Crotchett]

Thanks for the responses.  As for the Mac option, I am really trying to
avoid getting more proprietary, though I know Mac's are way advanced
graphically and more than capable of what I am trying to achieve.  

Here is the situation, we provide engineering services for ISP's.  There
are two engineers, myself and one other, who happens to fancy windows
more than Linux.  We can do what we want with this wall (it ends up
about 10' X 4'), but basically it needs to be as flexible as possible. 
The intent is to have all of our monitoring up on the wall (I hope to
use Nagios for this unless someone has a better suggestion), as well as
a little multimedia and a Dish network feed.  My co-worker is a
multi-media nut and convinced that Windows is the way to go to achieve
the best result.  I am not a Linux newbie, but the servers I work on
don't run X and I never mess with anything multimedia.  I want to make
sure that we can play most formats of video, and ideally can full-screen
the video player across all 6 screens from either a saved video or the
Dish feed.  Right now with windows we can play all formats of video, but
cannot stretch it across more than one screen.

My windows-friendly co-worker is on vacation for 10 days, so I have free
reign to do what I want, but I need to make sure that when he gets back
the wall is better than when he left in order to keep Linux on it.  
If anyone would want to come out and help set it up, I could probably
convince my boss to kick in for lunch, dinner, or a beer or two.  Might
be a fun little learner-workshop if multiple people want to come out. 
Otherwise I will probably be posting quite often over the next week or
two :).

Thanks again,

Brad

-----Forwarded Message-----

From: Seth Dimbert <s.dimbert at fhmr.com>
To: Brad Crotchett <brad at ispn.net>
Subject: Re: Video Wall setup

On 3/7/03 5:38 PM, "Brad Crotchett" <brad at ispn.net> wrote:

> Hmmmm....now that's a good thought.  Would it need to be OSX?

No. As a matter of fact, I'm not certain it would work in OSX... At least
not as certain as I am that it would work in 7.5.3 - 9.2. The tricky part
will be finding and installing enough video cards; could get pricey.

All Macs since OS 7.5.3 have been able to push more than one monitor, and
you can "place" them wherever you want in relation to one another, enabling
users to move windows from one screen to another... Playing a full-screen
video in such a case would fill your video wall.

Macs have been able to do this since oh... 1991 or so. ;)

-SD