[Kdenlive-devel] possibly impossible feature request - multichannel preview

[robcanning]

Dan Dennedy wrote:
> Hi
>
> On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 2:32 AM, robcanning <robcanning at eircom.net> wrote:
>   
>> hello,
>>
>>  i am currently working on a multichannel video installation using
>>  kdenlive and four different projectors playing four synchronized films
>>
>>  what would be great would be one of two things:
>>  while editing, to have each of my four timeline tracks assigned to a
>>  independent time line monitors
>>  this maybe tricky to implement and low on the development priorities i
>>  guess?
>>     
>
> In my opinion, the NLE is the wrong tool for the job. You would be
> better served using MLT's miracle, which is a multi-unit video playout
> server. It was the reason for MLT's development in the first place. Of
> course, it can load a kdenlive project and play it out real time as
> long as you do not overload it with effects. However,  SDL and X11 are
> not ideal candidates for video output, and miracle is intended to be
> used with SDI boards. However, you might be able to get multiple SDI
> outputs working as a poor man's solution.
(did you mean multiple SDI outputs as a poor mans solution or something 
else?
multiple sdis seem kinda rich mans solution no?)

hi,

thanks for the reply - i have been looking at SDI cards and it seems 
like these are not cheap things!
i thought there might be an easy solution for this but it seems not.  
I'm quite happy to forget about monitoring the 4 outputs during the 
composition of the piece and just focus on frame accurate synched 
playback of the final rendered files.
i was looking at ivysync http://montevideo.dyne.org/wiki/IvySync which 
says it can sync upto 4 mpeg2 files out  IvyTV <http://ivtv.sf.net> 
supported hardware decoders
this might be a good solution - i also looked at videowhale which is 
intended for video walls but a hack could be done by rendering the four 
videos onto a 2x2 grid.... messy though.
i think maybe ivysync maybe a good solution but if anyone can think of a 
better way i'm all ears :)
many thanks

rob c
>  (I have not tried it in a
> while). And there are some crude miracle clients available for free.
> However, you are quickly approaching something rather high end and
> specialized, and you will have difficulty finding a capable and cheap
> FOSS solution.
>
>