What I need for Propresenter with 3 external monitors?

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Comment by Paul Brown on March 24, 2010 at 12:51pm

Erico:

If you are going with ProPresenter with the Advanced Module, check out our website at www.awakeimages.com for some great triple-wide content. I know the people using ProVideoPlayer can import the panos straight in and use them natively, I'm not entirely sure how ProPresenter imports them, but the format will match up.

Comment by Erico Rovayo on December 29, 2009 at 10:15pm

thanks alot bro, i'll speak to our youth pastor & decide what to purchase. Thanks for the site for the cables too! I'll update with pictures,videos,etc. of how it all comes along. Really appreciate you taking the time to make TH2G clearer for me. God Bless

Comment by stephen proctor on December 29, 2009 at 7:58pm

hey Eric-
Here's what your options are.
preface: in this, i won't count your main laptop LCD display as a "screen", only secondary displays that you are using to display visuals.

MATROX OPTIONS:
re: DualHead2Go - if you only need to use 2-screens (a dual-wide setup), and you don't plan on doing 3x-Wide in the future, then you can get by with buying a Matrox DualHead2Go.

re: TH2Go Digital Edition - if you have the extra $$$, then i would go with the Matrox TripleHead2Go DIGITAL edition. When you install the PowerDesk software and power the TH2GO via USB on your Mac, it allows you to do advanced configuration, letting each "screen" output 16x9 if you wish, and you can switch to 2wide (making it act like a DualHead2Go).

re: TH2Go DP edition - There is the new display port (DP) edition, but it has some design flaws. The adapters can be very expensive and hard to find (i.e., display port to VGA, especially...) ... also note, the display ports on the DP edition are not "mini-display" like your MacBook Pro has. Also, the way some of the popular adapters are made, they don't physically fit side by side on the back of the DP edition (hence, the design flaw).... the only thing the DP edition does for you is let you output super-high-resolutions (up in the 3000s of pixels).... and there's really no reason (today, at least) to go that high. 2400x600 should suffice.

re: TH2Go analog edition - you can't do advanced configurations or switch to DualHead mode (i'm 99% sure).... it still works great, but i'd still go Digital Edition.

CABLES/ADAPTERS:
I always carry an arsenal of adapters around, and make sure you carry backups b/c they will break/fail one day. for the MacBook Pro, make sure you have mini-display to VGA and mini-display to DVI adapters. You can go either way... i usually go DVI, but on some computers, it gets flaky and doesn't allow for a triplewide... it's weird sometimes.
assuming you go with the Digital Edition TH2Go, then you will need a short VGA and short DVI cable (but these both come with the Matrox TH2Go).
The TH2Go will output DVI, so if you need to convert to VGA, you will need 3 DVI to VGA converters.
then the necessary cabling to each projector.
I buy all of my adapters and cables from Monoprice.com - i don't suggest the white Apple adapters b/c they break more easily (some have failed on my recently causing major stress during the events)...

PROPRESENTER:
You don't have to have the advanced module in Pro to use the TH2Go. Pro can output any resolution, even triplewide (2400x600). however, it will stretch your backgrounds/videos out (unless you keep the aspect ratio intact).
The Advanced Module allows you to choose which "screen" gets text and which gets backgrounds/visuals... you can combine, mix & match, tile or stretch... etc.
this site, in case you haven't seen it, tells all:

http://www.renewedvision.com/pp3.php?page=advanced

CONTENT:
the last but main thing you need to focus on is content...some is made in TripleWide native (like IgniterBacks Plus). depending on the "look" of the content, you may want to tile it... and then there are some videos that "look" ok stretched... it just depends on your creative eye.

i hope this answers all. I can't think of anything else you may need but i'm also awakening from my Christmas slumber and may not be thinking clearly yet. :)