Stream via Airplay

[ozomada]

Hello,

I want to wirelessly stream video cues to a beamer. I.e the beamer
will be in places where running cables is not idea. Has anyone
experimented by using Qlab to stream via apples airplay ? Seems like
the perfect marriage to me.....

Cheerio

Adam

[Andy Leviss]

I don't believe that's possible without relying on hacks, but that
aside, latency will kill you in any environment that requires accurate
and/or repeatable cuing.

-Andy

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy Leviss
ETCP Certified Entertainment Electrician #1251

DucksEchoSound.com
Home of the Perfect Pickle Mini Chain Hoist Controller
and the MR-6 MIDI Remote, 2011 Live Design Product of the Year

[dan howarth]

On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 10:17 PM, Andy Leviss <an...@ducksecho.com> wrote:

On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 11:43 PM, ozomada <ozo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I want to wirelessly stream video cues to a beamer.  I.e the beamer
> will be in places where running cables is not idea.  Has anyone
> experimented by using Qlab to stream via apples airplay ?  Seems like
> the perfect marriage to me.....

I don't believe that's possible without relying on hacks, but that
aside, latency will kill you in any environment that requires accurate
and/or repeatable cuing.

adam- i believe andy is right-on here with both replies .. airplay is (so far?) an iOS thing, 

so there certainly would be some configuration involved .. and the sheer latency itself will 

definitely slow things down to the point of frustration if you need any sort of precision whatsoever .. 

that said -- if the projector is going to be a lazy cue, ie no precision involved -- this latency is probably ok. 

i will suggest that the "easiest" alternative might be to park a qlab-enabled machine physically next 

to the projector, wherever that is, and then configure some network connectivity to this machine 

for remote control. other thoughts ?? 

which brings to mind --- could someone who knows please remind me --- what is the fluff with wifi & qlab ???? 

i recall lots of warnings that qlab doesn't play happy when wifi is enabled ......... can someone please weigh in. 

(did i make this up) thanks. 

[Keith Smith]

On 21 Feb 2012, at 05:53, dan howarth wrote:

> which brings to mind --- could someone who knows please remind me --- what is the fluff with wifi & qlab ????
> i recall lots of warnings that qlab doesn't play happy when wifi is enabled ......... can someone please weigh in.
> (did i make this up) thanks.

I haven't noticed a problem with QLab itself, but the reason I don't use WiFi is that these days a big room of several hundred people is also likely to contain several hundred WiFi transmitters (i.e. modern smart phones).

I would feel constantly at risk of problems due to jamming effects and even if my device could sustain a good connection to my wireless router, latency due to signal congestion would also be a concern.

If you ever want to see an example of "When WiFi Attacks" in a live show, go check out the video of Apple's launch of the iPhone 4 and Facetime. It's one of the few times you see Jobs flounder on stage. That was a small room and it had something like 500 "hotspots" in it.

I always use Ethernet, for peace of mind, if nothing else.

Regards,
Keith.

[Christopher Ashworth]

On Feb 21, 2012, at 12:53 AM, dan howarth wrote:
> what is the fluff with wifi & qlab ????
> i recall lots of warnings that qlab doesn't play happy when wifi is enabled

Not true; QLab does not care if wifi is enabled.

As a general rule, though, it is often smart to disable a network connection on a show machine unless you are using it for the show.

Also, networking can affect a computer independently of QLab. A couple of times we have tracked down problems where a poorly configured network would cause the kernel on a show machine to choke for very short periods of time, during which the machine would freeze up and audio would glitch. This wasn't specific to QLab in any way (all software on the machine is affected if the kernel has problems), but it did mean QLab's output was influenced by a bad network.

-C

[Chris Eschweiler]

Good point, Keith. In fact, it's probably a good time to remind folks that while bluetooth keyboards and mice are so wonderfully free and unencumbered, the time their batteries to die will coincide with that critical point in the show where a well-timed cue is essential.

If you're using a Mac Mini with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, have a plan should your batteries die. Either preflight four spare AA batteries before every performance, or stage spares within reach, or swap out the bluetooth peripherals for wired versions.

Being a professional is about having a plan when things go all pear-shaped.

That is all. >Click<

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[dan howarth]

On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 8:35 AM, Chris Eschweiler <dontrepl...@comcast.net> wrote:

Being a professional is about having a plan when things go all pear-shaped

 

ah this is great, thanks chris. good morning pear-shaped world.  

 

On Feb 21, 2012, at 2:53 AM, Keith Smith wrote:

> I haven't noticed a problem with QLab itself, but the reason I don't use WiFi is that these days a big room of several hundred people is also likely to contain several hundred WiFi transmitters (i.e. modern smart phones).

indeed it was when we got the 2.4ghz HME coms that we noticed incredible popping interference in the headsets --- as the house filled up each night and all those phones did phone things. we're ordering an RF scanner to keep an eye on situations like this, microphones, aliens, etc. but with the wifi .. mostly it will be an ooh-ahh fireworks show that i can't do much about ... we've considered using the pre-show announcement to request that "all devices be turned OFF" ie not just silenced, etc. thoughts ?? kinda like boarding an airplane. 

and especial thanks to chris ashworth for setting it straight. i've wondered about this wifi & qlab thing for a few months now -- ie it would be really great if i could do X but that would need wifi to talk to that, can't do it ? etc etc etc. 

thanks everyone. ok back to the pear-shaped thing. 

[Riley Casey]

Interesting that you have had noise in your HME wifi band coms that you have traced to the increase in wifi sources as the house fills up with phones, errr audience members.  We haven't noticed that on the HMEs systems as either a noise problem or a range / connectivity issue.  What I have seen is problems making the Yamaha Stage Mix app on the iPad maintain connection while connecting to a Yamaha console with a MacBook remains solid in the face of several hundred and even several thousand people / smart phones.  I must assume that there is a great deal to do with the implementation of the WiFi connected device as much as there is in just the RF density.

E. R. Casey

Entertainment Sound Production

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Silver Spring MD 20910

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