5 ms·

This massive Google Earth display in Paris includes 48 screens

45 points by thatdrew 15y ago

bengl3rt 15y ago
Two thoughts. 1) What is the advantage of 48 small screens over a single, huge, bright downfiring 4K projector? Probably costs about the same... 2) How do I get into working on things like this? I would love to have a lab space where there was enough hardware and know-how around to just prototype and play with this sort of thing.
- Gring 15y ago
  1) Resolution is much higher this way (11520x8640 instead of 4000x2000) 2) Go for a doctorate in multimedia studies and tell your prof you need 50 screens. Or - try a company that rents multimedia equipment. If you work there, they've always got lots of spare equipment laying around and interested in people that love to find new usages for them. If you're in Switzerland, try http://www.habegger.ch/en/ http://www.habegger.ch/en/
  - jonhendry 15y ago
    They could use 12 4K projectors for 12000x8000.
    - cpher 15y ago
      Just speculating, but maybe it's really hard to align projectors at a specific throw distance to make a visually "seamless" image. Plus, aren't 4k projectors really expensive?
      - Gring 15y ago
        That problem has actually already been solved for at least 5 years. There are multiple solutions that do all the necessary calculations, among them: - PC Solution by Matrox http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/graphics_cards/m_series/powerdesk/edge_overlap/ http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/graphics_cards/m_... - Hardware Solution by RGB Spectrum http://www.rgb.com/products/EdgeBlendUnit/ http://www.rgb.com/products/EdgeBlendUnit/
  - inportb 15y ago
    It appears that they don't actually need that much resolution. You could only really appreciate the image from above, and then you're too far away to see the finest details.
- sp332 15y ago
  Possibly, it's easier to send several 720p (or some lower resolution) signals over multiple cables, than to try to find some interconnect that can handle a 4k signal. Also, if part of the setup is damaged, it's much cheaper to replace a little screen than a 4k projector or a massive projector screen.
- ChuckMcM 15y ago
  1) It's cheaper to do 48 screens. You get more pixels to play with, and you can maintain it more easily. 2) This 'sort of thing' is often under the category of high tech 'art'. Folks who have both an artistic and technical eye can, after doing a few pieces, get commissions to do this sort of thing. Of course some Googler probably just told their manager, "Hey how about we create an 8 x 6 display of displays!" The original 'Google Earth Vomit Booth" was in Building 43 which surrounded you with screens so you could zoom around in "3D". Very successful and entertaining to the tourists, and pretty cheap. 8 machines + displays is really only about $8K these days. One of the things you can do to prototype things is find an inventory liquidation/auction center and check their auctions. Saw one with 150 19" LCD screens that went for $50. You could certainly demo something with that. (same place www.auctionbdi.com sells PC's by the pallet load) you probably need a few pallets to create enough working machines.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
zitterbewegung 15y ago
If you want to setup something like this yourself check this out. http://www.sagecommons.org/ http://www.sagecommons.org/
- drewda 15y ago
  Or have a look at this Google project: http://code.google.com/p/liquid-galaxy/ http://code.google.com/p/liquid-galaxy/

45 points by thatdrew 15y ago

Two thoughts. 1) What is the advantage of 48 small screens over a single, huge, bright downfiring 4K projector? Probably costs about the same... 2) How do I get into working on things like this? I would love to have a lab space where there was enough hardware and know-how around to just prototype and play with this sort of thing.

Gring 15y ago
1) Resolution is much higher this way (11520x8640 instead of 4000x2000) 2) Go for a doctorate in multimedia studies and tell your prof you need 50 screens. Or - try a company that rents multimedia equipment. If you work there, they've always got lots of spare equipment laying around and interested in people that love to find new usages for them. If you're in Switzerland, try http://www.habegger.ch/en/ http://www.habegger.ch/en/
- jonhendry 15y ago
  They could use 12 4K projectors for 12000x8000.
  - cpher 15y ago
    Just speculating, but maybe it's really hard to align projectors at a specific throw distance to make a visually "seamless" image. Plus, aren't 4k projectors really expensive?
    - Gring 15y ago
      That problem has actually already been solved for at least 5 years. There are multiple solutions that do all the necessary calculations, among them: - PC Solution by Matrox http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/graphics_cards/m_series/powerdesk/edge_overlap/ http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/graphics_cards/m_... - Hardware Solution by RGB Spectrum http://www.rgb.com/products/EdgeBlendUnit/ http://www.rgb.com/products/EdgeBlendUnit/
- inportb 15y ago
  It appears that they don't actually need that much resolution. You could only really appreciate the image from above, and then you're too far away to see the finest details.
sp332 15y ago
Possibly, it's easier to send several 720p (or some lower resolution) signals over multiple cables, than to try to find some interconnect that can handle a 4k signal. Also, if part of the setup is damaged, it's much cheaper to replace a little screen than a 4k projector or a massive projector screen.
ChuckMcM 15y ago
1) It's cheaper to do 48 screens. You get more pixels to play with, and you can maintain it more easily. 2) This 'sort of thing' is often under the category of high tech 'art'. Folks who have both an artistic and technical eye can, after doing a few pieces, get commissions to do this sort of thing. Of course some Googler probably just told their manager, "Hey how about we create an 8 x 6 display of displays!" The original 'Google Earth Vomit Booth" was in Building 43 which surrounded you with screens so you could zoom around in "3D". Very successful and entertaining to the tourists, and pretty cheap. 8 machines + displays is really only about $8K these days. One of the things you can do to prototype things is find an inventory liquidation/auction center and check their auctions. Saw one with 150 19" LCD screens that went for $50. You could certainly demo something with that. (same place www.auctionbdi.com sells PC's by the pallet load) you probably need a few pallets to create enough working machines.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]

zitterbewegung 15y ago

If you want to setup something like this yourself check this out. http://www.sagecommons.org/ http://www.sagecommons.org/

drewda 15y ago
Or have a look at this Google project: http://code.google.com/p/liquid-galaxy/ http://code.google.com/p/liquid-galaxy/