A Theatrical Challenge - slightly O/T
 

I've been asked to help out our local theatre group, who want to be able to
see their musical director (who will be behind them on stage) waving his
stick, on a couple of flat screen monitors rigged in the audience area. The
monitors can't be more than 22 inch.

The source signal will be from a camcorder - which I guess will have only
composite out to TV.

The theatre people tell me that we will need to cable the monitors via BNC
cable (2 x 50m runs) and we will also need some sort of distribution amp to
take the camcorder output and split it, then drive it down the 50m runs.
Would anyone care to comment on this? Is it the right/cheapest way to go?

Also, we don't have the monitors, so we will have to buy or rent. As
renting appears to be very expensive we thought we might buy and then sell
on after the show - so something with a decent re-sale value would be nice.
It occurred to me that a TV/PC monitor (if such a thing exists) would be a
better reseller, as it can be used for either purpose, as long as it has a
composite in (or something else that we could drive from the camcorder
output). Is there such a thing and if so would anyone care to recommend?
Budget is restricted (amateur group) to around 175 GBPounds tops.

All comments gratefully received.

Thanks

Chas

A Theatrical Challenge - slightly O/T
 

"Chas Gill" wrote in message
...
I've been asked to help out our local theatre group, who want to be able
to see their musical director (who will be behind them on stage) waving
his stick, on a couple of flat screen monitors rigged in the audience
area. The monitors can't be more than 22 inch.

The source signal will be from a camcorder - which I guess will have only
composite out to TV.

The theatre people tell me that we will need to cable the monitors via BNC
cable (2 x 50m runs) and we will also need some sort of distribution amp
to take the camcorder output and split it, then drive it down the 50m
runs. Would anyone care to comment on this? Is it the right/cheapest way
to go?

Also, we don't have the monitors, so we will have to buy or rent. As
renting appears to be very expensive we thought we might buy and then sell
on after the show - so something with a decent re-sale value would be
nice. It occurred to me that a TV/PC monitor (if such a thing exists)
would be a better reseller, as it can be used for either purpose, as long
as it has a composite in (or something else that we could drive from the
camcorder output). Is there such a thing and if so would anyone care to
recommend? Budget is restricted (amateur group) to around 175 GBPounds
tops.

All comments gratefully received.


You appear to have overlooked the obvious source for the monitors
vis. LCD TV sets. Even if the sets only have SCART sockets
SCART to Phono female adapters can be bought at pound shops
and a Phono male to BNC barrel from Maplins.
You can do without the composite distribution amp if you wish,
SCART sockets on TVs have outputs as well as inputs (on separate pins)
so you can daisy-chain the two sets together. Termination
impedence will be correct as there is only one device per interface.

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

A Theatrical Challenge - slightly O/T
 

"Chas Gill" wrote in message
...
I've been asked to help out our local theatre group, who want to be able
to see their musical director (who will be behind them on stage) waving
his stick, on a couple of flat screen monitors rigged in the audience
area. The monitors can't be more than 22 inch.

The source signal will be from a camcorder - which I guess will have only
composite out to TV.

The theatre people tell me that we will need to cable the monitors via BNC
cable (2 x 50m runs) and we will also need some sort of distribution amp
to take the camcorder output and split it, then drive it down the 50m
runs. Would anyone care to comment on this? Is it the right/cheapest way
to go?

Also, we don't have the monitors, so we will have to buy or rent. As
renting appears to be very expensive we thought we might buy and then sell
on after the show - so something with a decent re-sale value would be
nice. It occurred to me that a TV/PC monitor (if such a thing exists)
would be a better reseller, as it can be used for either purpose, as long
as it has a composite in (or something else that we could drive from the
camcorder output). Is there such a thing and if so would anyone care to
recommend? Budget is restricted (amateur group) to around 175 GBPounds
tops.
Why not use a couple of flat screen sets borrowed from bedrooms and
kitchens? Mind you, you could buy a couple of cheapo LCDs for peanuts.
Loop thro the scart from one set to the other.
If it's a camcorder it will probably have a little black thing on a wire
which converts the output to UHF ch 36. In that case do it at RF using a
one-in two out 'booster' (£10?)

Bill

A Theatrical Challenge - slightly O/T
 

In message , Bill Wright
wrote

"Chas Gill" wrote in message
...
I've been asked to help out our local theatre group, who want to be able
to see their musical director (who will be behind them on stage) waving
his stick, on a couple of flat screen monitors rigged in the audience
area. The monitors can't be more than 22 inch.

The source signal will be from a camcorder - which I guess will have only
composite out to TV.

The theatre people tell me that we will need to cable the monitors via BNC
cable (2 x 50m runs) and we will also need some sort of distribution amp
to take the camcorder output and split it, then drive it down the 50m
runs. Would anyone care to comment on this? Is it the right/cheapest way
to go?

Also, we don't have the monitors, so we will have to buy or rent. As
renting appears to be very expensive we thought we might buy and then sell
on after the show - so something with a decent re-sale value would be
nice. It occurred to me that a TV/PC monitor (if such a thing exists)
would be a better reseller, as it can be used for either purpose, as long
as it has a composite in (or something else that we could drive from the
camcorder output). Is there such a thing and if so would anyone care to
recommend? Budget is restricted (amateur group) to around 175 GBPounds
tops.
Why not use a couple of flat screen sets borrowed from bedrooms and
kitchens? Mind you, you could buy a couple of cheapo LCDs for peanuts.
Loop thro the scart from one set to the other.
If it's a camcorder it will probably have a little black thing on a wire
which converts the output to UHF ch 36. In that case do it at RF using a
one-in two out 'booster' (£10?)


What's wrong with a couple of mirrors at the edge of the stage or
getting the musical director to stand in front of the cast?

--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

A Theatrical Challenge - slightly O/T
 

"Alan" wrote in message
...
In message , Bill Wright
wrote

"Chas Gill" wrote in message
.. .
I've been asked to help out our local theatre group, who want to be able
to see their musical director (who will be behind them on stage) waving
his stick, on a couple of flat screen monitors rigged in the audience
area. The monitors can't be more than 22 inch.

The source signal will be from a camcorder - which I guess will have
only
composite out to TV.

The theatre people tell me that we will need to cable the monitors via
BNC
cable (2 x 50m runs) and we will also need some sort of distribution amp
to take the camcorder output and split it, then drive it down the 50m
runs. Would anyone care to comment on this? Is it the right/cheapest
way
to go?

Also, we don't have the monitors, so we will have to buy or rent. As
renting appears to be very expensive we thought we might buy and then
sell
on after the show - so something with a decent re-sale value would be
nice. It occurred to me that a TV/PC monitor (if such a thing exists)
would be a better reseller, as it can be used for either purpose, as
long
as it has a composite in (or something else that we could drive from the
camcorder output). Is there such a thing and if so would anyone care to
recommend? Budget is restricted (amateur group) to around 175 GBPounds
tops.
Why not use a couple of flat screen sets borrowed from bedrooms and
kitchens? Mind you, you could buy a couple of cheapo LCDs for peanuts.
Loop thro the scart from one set to the other.
If it's a camcorder it will probably have a little black thing on a wire
which converts the output to UHF ch 36. In that case do it at RF using a
one-in two out 'booster' (£10?)


What's wrong with a couple of mirrors at the edge of the stage or getting
the musical director to stand in front of the cast?

--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

The band are on a raised rostrum (around 2.5 metres high) at the back of the
stage - facing the audience. That's the way the stage is set. The MD
stands in front of them on the same rostrum, facing the band, i.e. his back
to the audience. The cast needs to be able to see the MD conducting - he
conducts singers as well as band members. They can't do that out of the
corners of their eyes. The visual feedback needs to be in more-or-less
direct line of sight when they perform to the audience.

A Theatrical Challenge - slightly O/T
 

"Graham." wrote in message
...


"Chas Gill" wrote in message
...
I've been asked to help out our local theatre group, who want to be able
to see their musical director (who will be behind them on stage) waving
his stick, on a couple of flat screen monitors rigged in the audience
area. The monitors can't be more than 22 inch.

The source signal will be from a camcorder - which I guess will have only
composite out to TV.

The theatre people tell me that we will need to cable the monitors via
BNC cable (2 x 50m runs) and we will also need some sort of distribution
amp to take the camcorder output and split it, then drive it down the 50m
runs. Would anyone care to comment on this? Is it the right/cheapest way
to go?

Also, we don't have the monitors, so we will have to buy or rent. As
renting appears to be very expensive we thought we might buy and then
sell on after the show - so something with a decent re-sale value would
be nice. It occurred to me that a TV/PC monitor (if such a thing exists)
would be a better reseller, as it can be used for either purpose, as long
as it has a composite in (or something else that we could drive from the
camcorder output). Is there such a thing and if so would anyone care to
recommend? Budget is restricted (amateur group) to around 175 GBPounds
tops.

All comments gratefully received.


You appear to have overlooked the obvious source for the monitors
vis. LCD TV sets. Even if the sets only have SCART sockets
SCART to Phono female adapters can be bought at pound shops
and a Phono male to BNC barrel from Maplins.
You can do without the composite distribution amp if you wish,
SCART sockets on TVs have outputs as well as inputs (on separate pins)
so you can daisy-chain the two sets together. Termination
impedence will be correct as there is only one device per interface.

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

LCD TV sets are probably the way we will go, but I was wondering if there
was a cheapo dual input device that we could more easily sell on afterwards
as either a telly or a PC monitor. If there were I would probably buy one
of them myself. I have had a look around and can't find such a beast,
however. I thought someone on here might be better informed.

A Theatrical Challenge - slightly O/T
 

In article ,
Chas Gill wrote:
I've been asked to help out our local theatre group, who want to be able to
see their musical director (who will be behind them on stage) waving his
stick, on a couple of flat screen monitors rigged in the audience area. The
monitors can't be more than 22 inch.
[snip]
Budget is restricted (amateur group) to around 175 GBPounds tops.

One problem with the LCD monitor idea is that in that price range the
TFT panel probably won't have a particularly good field of view
off-axis.

Also are they really going to be bright enough to be visible with stage
lighting as well? Whenever I've been on stage I can hardly see anything
in the audience area because I'm blinded by the lights.

A Theatrical Challenge - slightly O/T
 

"Jim" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Chas Gill wrote:
I've been asked to help out our local theatre group, who want to be able
to
see their musical director (who will be behind them on stage) waving his
stick, on a couple of flat screen monitors rigged in the audience area.
The
monitors can't be more than 22 inch.
[snip]
Budget is restricted (amateur group) to around 175 GBPounds tops.

One problem with the LCD monitor idea is that in that price range the
TFT panel probably won't have a particularly good field of view
off-axis.

Also are they really going to be bright enough to be visible with stage
lighting as well? Whenever I've been on stage I can hardly see anything
in the audience area because I'm blinded by the lights.

D'you know I think you're right! I don't think the off-axis issue will be
too problematic - as long as it's a TV and not a computer monitor - but
light in the eyes of the performers will almost certainly be a problem.
Having said that I've seen TVs used in the professional theatre for exactly
the function I want. Might they have been plasma (brighter than LCD) or
even CRT?

A Theatrical Challenge - slightly O/T
 

In message , Chas Gill
wrote

"Alan" wrote in message
...

What's wrong with a couple of mirrors at the edge of the stage or
getting the musical director to stand in front of the cast?


The band are on a raised rostrum (around 2.5 metres high) at the back
of the stage - facing the audience. That's the way the stage is set.
The MD stands in front of them on the same rostrum, facing the band,
i.e. his back to the audience. The cast needs to be able to see the MD
conducting - he conducts singers as well as band members. They can't
do that out of the corners of their eyes. The visual feedback needs to
be in more-or-less direct line of sight when they perform to the audience.

The singers will see a delayed version of what the MD is doing , by
perhaps 2 video frames, and end up with 'lip sync' timing problems with
respect to what the band is doing :)


Cheap option: £15 web camera into a computer/laptop and a couple of
computer monitors. Probably equipment your cast already have in their
computer junk piles as often they have little second hand value.
--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

A Theatrical Challenge - slightly O/T
 

In article ,
Chas Gill wrote:
LCD TV sets are probably the way we will go, but I was wondering if
there was a cheapo dual input device that we could more easily sell on
afterwards as either a telly or a PC monitor. If there were I would
probably buy one of them myself. I have had a look around and can't
find such a beast, however. I thought someone on here might be better
informed.

They do exist - I bought a 22" widescreen one from CPC about a year ago.
Has a VGA input as well as a SCART. Analogue tuner, though.
But of course to use from a camcorder you'll need a broadcast type input
like a SCART rather than VGA - unless you intend feeding it all via a
computer.

Not sure about the idea of selling on afterwards - as soon as it's out of
the box it will loose a lot, unless you can find people who actually want
one before hand and come to some arrangement.

--
*If I throw a stick, will you leave?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.