Extract audio & image from a PC --> 4 TVs + amp + speakers

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Extract audio & image from a PC --> 4 TVs + amp + speakers

lauraparis

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#274526 27-Aug-2020 10:35

Hello,

I'll open soon a small fitness center in France, and here is my installation:

- 2 x 75'' LED TVs at left of the room with 2 x Martin speaker and 1 Martin sub.

- 2 x 75'' LED TVs at right of the room with 2 x Martin speaker and 1 Martin sub.

With the amps and mixer, the configuration is this:

Only videoclips will be played on the 4 TVs. The TV will always play the same thing at same moment. The synchronisation must be perfect between the 4 TVs, and of course, with the audio. The DSP Martin DX0.5 will allow, I think, to manage the delay between the sound and the image, I'll tune it once and for all.

All will be controled by my PC, with Windows 10.

My problem is that I don't know at all how to do with my PC.

- my mothercard is a "Gigabyte B360 HD3"

- my graphic card is "Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Windforce OC 6Gb"

What I want to do is splitting my PC monitor in two: on the left part of the monitor, I want to see my normal desktop (to check my e-mail, control my .mp4 playlist, etc.), and on the right part, I want to see the videos, exactly what my clients will see. Of course, I never want that my clients see the mouse pointer, texts, etc., I don't want that they see what I'm doing: only videos for hours and hours.

Splitting my PC monitor like that is possible?

Am I right about these connexions?

- PC monitor plugged to the Graphic Card DisplayPort.

- HDMI Bluestream splitter plugged to the Graphic Card HDMI port.

- Focusrite plugged to the Motherboard green sound Realtek output?

The resolution of my videoclips will be all different, sometimes 1080p, sometimes 720p, maybe 4K. Is it possible with my playlist that all is automatic and that the image size automatically adapt to my 75'' TVs?

Thanks so much for the help, I'm really lost in that last step of my project! :)

Laura

gbwelly

1238 posts

Uber Geek

#2550569 27-Aug-2020 11:12

Your plan looks like it will do everything you want, the TVs will be like a second screen. The only thing is if you move the mouse off your personal screen it will appear on the TVs. The video player (e.g. MPC-HT) could be set to full screen mode and it will scale up all the videos to fit the TV screens automatically as it works it's way through the playlist.

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gbwelly

1238 posts

Uber Geek

#2550574 27-Aug-2020 11:20

Further thoughts: If you do anything on your personal screen that makes a sound it will be broadcast to the clients -think opening a web page with an auto play video, USB device insertion sound, new email arriving sound.

I think you may be stuck with 2 separate machines -your personal use will leak onto the TVs/Speakers in a multitude of ways.

lauraparis

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2555296 2-Sep-2020 00:09

Perfect, thanks a lot! :)

lauraparis

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2606905 19-Nov-2020 13:27

Hello,

I still have an issue about sound extraction.

What is the best solution to extract sound (ampli will treat the delay with image) with the best sound quality possible:

A) Directly from the computer with a Focusrite (USB) ?

B) From the audio output of the Bluestream HDBaseT splitter (in that case, 2 options: digital coaxial OR analog L/R) ?

Some shops told me that A) was better than B), and other than B) was better than A)...

Thanks a lot! :)

Laura

ArcticSilver

728 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2607006 19-Nov-2020 15:37

lauraparis:

Hello,

I still have an issue about sound extraction.

What is the best solution to extract sound (ampli will treat the delay with image) with the best sound quality possible:

A) Directly from the computer with a Focusrite (USB) ?

B) From the audio output of the Bluestream HDBaseT splitter (in that case, 2 options: digital coaxial OR analog L/R) ?

Some shops told me that A) was better than B), and other than B) was better than A)...

Thanks a lot! :)

Laura

I would highly recommend option A, for a few reasons:

The computer will default to using audio from the HDMI and can change this back to the HDMI automatically if the cable is re-plugged. This means you don't need to worry about the default audio output being set incorrectly or changing on you. I have a client with this setup exactly for this reason.
If your computer fails you can plug in a laptop/another device with HDMI and it will just work, no need to run a separate audio cable.

You will need another device to make this work as your output from the Bluestream is unbalanced and you'll most likely need to adapt this to balanced XLR for the mixer. You should be able to get a box to do this reasonably cheaply locally as it is a common problem in studio's.

Also as it's been said above, I would highly recommend a dedicated computer for this task as you'll face lots of issues trying to split a regular desktop. There are plenty of desktop options that are reasonably cheap that would fit this task well. I would pair this with a display off the HDMI out on the Bluestream so you can see what everyone else is seeing.

lauraparis

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2607728 20-Nov-2020 18:04

Thanks a lot for your answer, but most of the shops suggested the blustream. Here are the answers I received:

SPLITTER :

- I would take the analogue feed from the matrix, as the quality will be more than good enough than any other method and it will work irrespective of the input source - as in the future it may be that you add more inputs to the matrix.

- I certainly wouldn't use the Focusrite in this setup. Either use the onboard computer audio output, which is already there. Or use the audio output from the Blustream product. Adding a external USB to analog device is just another product to go wrong for no obvious reason. It is also a product which could be added later if you so desired.

- The best way to extract audio would be from the Bluestream HDBaseT splitter and then send that audio through the Mixer which i am investigating the best way to achieve this, if you take the audio directly from the PC it will introduce lag and the audio will not match the video.

- If splitting out the audio at the HSP14CS, the audio will be perfectly in sync with the HDBaseT video output at the HEX70CS-RX receivers. Obviously, we cannot adjust for any processing that happens after the audio signal is split out.
The latency of HDBaseT is approximately 10 micro-seconds (not milliseconds) so will be in sync at that point.

- I had a quick chat with Blustream and they advise that there is only a 10 micro-second delay on the HDBaseT transmission which in practice is undetectable, but bear in mind that all digital receiving products will have a small delay of their own. The best option is to break the audio out at the last possible moment, in this case taking the audio feed from the HSP14CS is the best option. Digital audio tends to be higher quality but could introduce lag in the receiving digital audio processor, if this happens then the analogue connection may be preferable as this is an immediate connection.

- About AV sync, The Martin Audio DX0.5 processor indeed offers an input delay so that is the best sync correction option. The HDBT link will not generate any significant delay but the HDMI input processing on TVs/Monitors are likely to create some. With this in mind, it is very important that you install the 4 same TVs if possible.
Adding a good quality sound card is always nice but in all honesty it might be a useless investment if your video source files are heavily compressed (which is often the case if you get your files from Youtube or similar services). In my experience, you can get very decent results with the embedded HDMI audio extracted on the Blustream HDBT splitter. Using the analog input is the easiest solution if the cabling to the processor remains shorter than 1,5m.

And Blustream answered that:

The video being in sync no problem (HDBT is a live stream so what goes in comes out) however, we cannot account for post processing of the video signal by screens after the splitter. The same does for the audio, it will be in sync when it leave the pc (as will the video) however will again cannot assume that the two units after the PC will not add delay.
This could be limited by extraction from the HSP, however any equipment thereafter can introduce a delay."

ArcticSilver

728 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2607780 20-Nov-2020 18:19

lauraparis:

Thanks a lot for your answer, but most of the shops suggested the blustream. Here are the answers I received:

Sorry it seems I said option 1 when it was actually option 2. To be clear I was intending for you to use the Bluestream.

lauraparis

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2607782 20-Nov-2020 18:20

Perfect, now it's clear... So, I think the decision is done...

Thanks again :)