Video switchers, media servers and LED processing

Yes. Send the model you need, if you know it, and the dates. You can also ask for an operator to work with your existing equipment or production team. For a complete system, tell us who is supplying the screens, cameras and content. The quote identifies the equipment, preparation, delivery and crew included; hiring an operator does not automatically include a media server or content creation.

Not for every presentation. A laptop may be enough for slides and a few videos on one screen, with compatible processing between the computer and the LED wall. A media server becomes useful when content must be mapped across several surfaces or run in a programmed sequence. A switcher selects and mixes live sources; an LED processor configures the signal for the panels. Some devices combine functions, so we choose the system around the show.

LED screen rental and installation →

Ask for the content template before the final export. It should identify the pixel dimensions and the part of the image shown on each surface. A wide LED wall is not necessarily a 16:9 screen, and a 4K file alone does not tell us how it should fit. Confirm the codec, frame rate and audio with the playback operator. Send the original files, fonts and linked media used in presentations, plus a short list showing each file’s playback order and current version. If you send a download link, check that the assigned team can access it. Label replacements clearly so an earlier version is not mistaken for the final one. Editing and content creation are separate unless quoted.

Usually, yes. Tell us the model, video connector and presentation software, and whether the presentation has sound. We also need to know where the laptop will sit, because the cable route affects the connection. Bring the actual computer and power supply for the test. Protected streaming content can behave differently from a local video file, so flag it in advance. We check the intended source and signal path before the event.

Yes, when the system has the outputs and processing required for each destination. A distributor can repeat one feed; independent content needs separately routed or generated feeds. LED, projectors and monitors may also need different output resolutions or image layouts. Send a simple drawing that says what each display should show, including any presenter monitors or overflow rooms. We check routing, scaling and timing rather than assuming every output is identical. Where images must join across displays, synchronization needs a specific test. The Pluspetrol booth at AOG 2025 is a documented multi-surface LED setup implemented jointly by GLMedia and Eventos Globales.

See the Pluspetrol video setup →

Combining transparent LED, projection and lighting

Plan a test with the camera department before the shoot. Send the camera model, recording frame rate, shutter speed or angle, and whether a shared genlock reference is available. Moiré and scanning bands are different problems: lens, focus and distance affect the first; timing and shutter settings affect the second. On compatible Brompton Tessera systems, ShutterSync adjusts LED refresh timing for the camera exposure and requires genlock; it does not replace a camera test. We review the actual panels, processor, content and intended shots together. Not every event needs that configuration, and a high refresh specification alone does not guarantee a clean recorded image.

Backup is defined in the quote. Keeping a copy of the files is different from having a second computer ready to take over. That computer needs the current show files, the media they use and the software required to run them. If a presentation or video changes after the test, tell the operator so the backup can be updated too. We agree which parts of the signal path need backup, who makes the change and what the audience should see while the show resumes. Equipment, preparation, operation and test time must be identified in the proposal; a spare computer alone does not cover the whole video system.

Tell the assigned technician which screen or source is affected and whether the problem is constant or intermittent. Leave the connections and settings as they are unless the operator asks you to change something. In an equipment-only rental, use the support contact agreed at handover. On-site assistance and replacement equipment depend on the service booked; confirm those arrangements before collecting the equipment.

Yes. Tell us whether you need someone to run an existing show or to prepare and program it as well. Send the dates, location, server model and Designer version, plus the rehearsal schedule. We check the job and operator availability before quoting. Server rental, programming days, show operation and content creation are separate items; let us know which ones your team already covers.

Send the project together with its media, the software version used to save it, a screen layout and the output map. Include the cue list or running order, and explain who calls the cues. Flag any external control, live inputs or licensed plugins. A video of the previous show helps us understand the intended result, but it does not replace the project files. Allow preparation time to check missing media, outputs and playback on the system that will be used.

Playback covers preparing and running the content: loading files, arranging cues and sending each image to its destination. Video engineering covers the wider signal path, including cameras, switchers, routing, processing, monitoring and synchronization. On a simple presentation, one person may handle both. With several live sources or separate screen feeds, we define the roles before quoting so the playback operator is not also expected to solve every camera and signal issue during the show.

No. Timecode identifies a point in a sequence and can be used to trigger or follow playback. Genlock aligns video timing between compatible devices. Receiving timecode does not by itself mean that the video outputs are synchronized. If your production specifies house sync, cameras or several servers, send the signal diagram and required frame rate so the video team can check the configuration and plan a test.

Yes, subject to compatibility and availability. Send the panel and receiving-card models, cabinet count and pixel dimensions, current controller and the signal you plan to connect. A receiving card is the board inside the cabinet that receives image data and drives the modules through the panel electronics. The connector alone does not establish compatibility. We also need to know whether your technician will configure the wall or whether you need that work quoted. La Birra Bar in Doral is a documented GLMedia sale using a VX1000 and a media player; that setup is specific to that installation.

See the La Birra Bar installation

Not necessarily. Processing is sized around the actual pixel canvas and signal format, not square footage alone. Two walls with the same physical size can have different pixel counts because of their pixel pitch. We check total capacity, maximum width and height, load per output, input format and the cabling layout; dividing pixels evenly by the number of ports is not enough. Mapping then assigns each cabinet to its position in the image and follows its cable order. If several processors are needed, image distribution and synchronization must also be planned. Backup is a separate requirement from additional capacity. Send the cabinet resolution, a layout drawing and the intended frame rate so we can check the system before quoting.

Start with the controller and receiving cards, not the software name. VMP is used with the COEX ecosystem; NovaLCT remains relevant to other NovaStar control systems and maintenance tasks. They are not interchangeable for every job. Check the supported hardware, firmware and configuration files for the specific system before making changes. Send the model labels and current software version with your request. Keep the working configuration backed up; installing different software is not, by itself, a fix for an image problem.

Not simply by having a spare in a case. A replacement controller must work with the installed panels, signal format and cabling, and have the correct configuration ready. A backup input, a second controller and redundant panel connections address different failures. Whether changeover is manual or automatic depends on the hardware and setup; the test must also check whether the picture is interrupted. Do not assume a spare means an invisible changeover. Tell us which part must keep running so we can quote the equipment and testing needed. Controller backup does not automatically cover power loss, a failed panel or missing playback content.

It can be part of that workflow when the server output and the installed processor input support the required resolution, frame rate and signal format. Disguise runs the content and sends video; the Colorlight control system then distributes image data to compatible receiving cards in the wall. That distinction between playback and LED control also applies to workflows using NovaStar or Brompton Tessera. An upstream switcher or scaler, including an appropriate RGBlink model, may handle sources and image sizing; it does not by itself replace the LED controller. Check each device’s role and the complete signal path. Changing the server is different from changing the sender or receiving cards, and matching connectors alone do not establish compatibility.

No. Video frame rate describes how many picture frames are supplied each second. LED refresh describes how the panel drives and refreshes its LEDs; it is not a count of new video pictures. A high refresh specification does not mean the wall can accept any high-frame-rate signal or will look clean at every camera shutter setting. The source, processor, receiving cards and panels must support the chosen format. For slow-motion filming, send the recording frame rate and shutter settings as well as the video feed format.

Delay can build up in the camera, format converters, switcher, processor and display. That is why a processor's latency figure is not the delay of the complete system. For live image magnification (IMAG), tell us whether the audience can see the performer and the screen at the same time. We review the signal path and plan a test with the equipment selected for the show. Low-latency modes can involve capacity or source requirements, so they need checking before use. Adding audio delay does not remove the delay in the picture.

The hardware and task determine that choice. LEDSETTING covers screen and cabinet configuration; iSet includes layout, processor control and monitoring; ColorAdept provides control and image tools for supported systems. These are not three interchangeable downloads. Check the processor, receiving cards, firmware and operating system against the relevant release notes. Colorlight currently labels LEDVISION as discontinued, but that does not mean an older working installation needs an immediate update. Keep its software version and configuration files available. LEDUpgrade handles supported firmware updates; installing it is not a general remedy for a blank screen. For an event using someone else’s wall, agree with its supplier who may change those settings.

A cabinet file describes how its receiving card drives that particular panel. The screen map is a different part of the setup: it places cabinets in the image and follows their cable order. A file from a panel with the same pixel pitch is not automatically suitable. Before making changes, the responsible technician should identify the hardware and preserve the working parameters, mapping and calibration data where the system allows. If only part of the wall is black or displaced, note which cabinets are affected and what changed beforehand. That pattern helps separate a source or mapping issue from a connection or panel fault; it does not establish the diagnosis on its own. Avoid resetting or overwriting the system just to try a different file.

Yes, with the sources connected and tested before they are needed. The operator checks the next source on preview, then sends it to program—the feed the audience sees—on the agreed cue. That requires the right switcher mode, monitoring and compatible input formats; a spare connector alone is not enough. We also check audio, presentation mode and computer notifications. A direct laptop connection may be enough for a simple presentation, but it leaves fewer options for preparing the next source while the current one stays on screen. Send the running order and tell us who calls the changes, including any last-minute laptops.

Start with the cable route, not the straight-line distance between the equipment. We need to know the source, destination, resolution and frame rate, plus any venue patch points. Depending on that route, the system may use SDI, suitable HDMI extension or fiber. A converter changes the signal interface; a distributor repeats a feed; a matrix routes sources to selected destinations. Those jobs can be combined in one device, but they are not the same. We check the complete path, including adapters, receiver units and their power supplies. If the design uses IP video, the network and its available bandwidth also need review; an available network socket does not prove it is ready for production video.

The image may have too few usable tonal levels somewhere in the chain. Start with the original file: compression or a low-bit-depth export can already contain visible steps. Then check the playback output, processing and panels at the intended brightness. Input bit depth and the panel’s advertised grayscale figure describe different parts of that chain; one large number does not guarantee smooth gradients. Dimming can also affect the tonal detail a particular LED system reproduces. This kind of banding follows the image’s gradients and needs a different diagnosis from moving scan bars seen only on camera. Send an original clip and describe whether the steps are visible to the eye, in the recording or both. That helps plan a useful comparison test before changing settings.

LED and video integration at Extra!

Only after checking the proposed system with the venue’s IT team. Internet access and a local network for AV-over-IP serve different purposes; a working wall socket does not establish that it can carry your camera or playback feeds. We need the equipment and protocol, source and destination count, video formats and connection locations. The network review then covers available bandwidth, switch configuration and, where the system uses it, multicast traffic. Agree on who supplies and configures the switches and who can resolve a network problem during the event. Some jobs are simpler with a separate production network or SDI and fiber links. Network design, equipment and support must be defined for the project before the connection is confirmed.

Two drawings help: one showing the screens on stage, and another showing where each screen sits in the video signal sent to the processor. For each surface, include its pixel width and height, position in that signal and orientation. Label the processor inputs and agree on the signal resolution and frame rate. The physical layout and processor map may look different. In Resolume Arena, Input Selection chooses the content area; Output Transformation places it in the outgoing signal. Send the dated map to both the content designer and operator, then check it with an identification pattern during setup.

Confirm the playback requirements before converting the whole delivery. DXV is useful for layered playback in Resolume, but a 10-bit workflow needs a different codec and a compatible signal chain. Send a short sample with the gradients, logos and transparency used in the final piece. If an overlay needs a transparent background, that transparency must exist in the source; selecting an alpha export option cannot create it. Keep the original master and agree on the final format with the operator. Test the files with the actual composition and outputs, including audio cues, before replacing the approved show files.

First tell the video operator whether the processor detects an input signal. A working preview does not prove that the correct physical output is active. During setup, check that the computer detects the display, that Resolume is assigned to it rather than a virtual output, and that the processor accepts the selected format. Test a known signal through the same cable path. If a USB dock is involved, identify its technology: Resolume documents problems with DisplayLink docks. Avoid changing several settings at once. During a live show, follow the operator’s agreed recovery procedure instead of unplugging equipment or resetting the LED configuration.

They cover different connections. Spout on Windows and Syphon on macOS share video between compatible applications on the same computer. NDI can carry video between computers over a network. Before choosing a connection, identify the sending and receiving applications, their versions, resolution, frame rate and whether transparency is needed. For NDI, agree on the network path with the venue’s IT team and test the full feed, not just whether its name appears in the source list. For a live camera shown beside the presenter, also check the visible delay. The choice of connection does not replace that test.