Multimedia for Worship

Setting up a Dual-Monitor Projection System

Part II - Projector Wiring Setups

If your church has decided to install a digital projection system, and you'd like to save a considerable amount of money by doing the installation yourself, you might be wondering how to set up the system. There are many possible ways to wire a system, and each has some benefits and some problems.

This page is a primer on a number of possible setups, with illustrations and a brief discussion of the merits of each.

The "complete" option may look complicated, but you can purchase ALL the equipment shown here, including the PC, a very good projector (XGA resolution, 2500+ lumen), the cables, monitors, and conversion boxes, for well under $10,000. And the wiring is not very complicated. You don't need to pay a contractor $35,000 to do the work for you. And if you decide you'd rather that it be installed professionally, this at least should help you evaluate their proposal more intelligently.


Let's start with a very simple system.

This system is the most basic possible projector setup. The PC has one video card, there's one monitor, one projector, and a VCR (all these examples will include a VCR). The projector handles all the source switching.

Benefits:

  • Simple setup
  • Low costs

    Problems:

  • Switching requires the projector remote
  • No flexibility
  • Congregation sees everything you do with the screen and mouse
  • You can't see the projection screen unless the congregation can also - no way to hide your setup or troubleshooting actions


    Let's add a video card to this simple system.

    This system is a bit more flexible than before, while fixing a significant problem - the lack of off-screen control.

    Benefits:

  • Still very simple to set up
  • Still low costs
  • Congregation does not see everything you do with the screen and mouse

    Problems:

  • Switching requires the projector remote
  • No flexibility
  • You STILL can't see the projection screen unless the congregation can also see it


    So far, both systems are rather inflexible. You can't add extra video sources, and they require switching everything with the projector. And still, there's that problem with not being able to see what's happening on the projection screen before the congregation does. So let's add a second monitor in the A/V room.

    This system is getting to be useful, but still has some issues.

    Benefits:

  • You can now mute/blank the projector but still see what's being sent from the computer
  • Still fairly inexpensive; an brand-new extra monitor is only a hundred dollars now.

    Problems:

  • Increasing wiring complexity
  • Switching requires the projector remote
  • No flexibility for using different input sources
  • You need to be able to see the screen from the A/V room to know for sure what's going to the screen


    Things are getting better, but there are some improvements we can make. Let's get the "loop back" from the projector, and use THAT to drive the second monitor.

    Now, we can see what the projector is showing from the A/V room - this is not significantly different than before, but it's a building block for the next steps.


    There's still the issue of no input source flexibility. Let's run an additional RGB cable to the projector, in case we want to be able to add a notebook computer (for those unusual events when someone brings their own Powerpoint slide show).

    Benefits:

  • Another input source

    Problems:

  • Lots of cables to the projector
  • The projector is still responsible for source switching


    Let's expand the capabilities a bit. Many churches want to display the projection screen somewhere else - such as an alcove with a broken view of the main screen, or perhaps the nursery or lobby. Let's capture that RGB loopback and use it to drive a couple television monitors.

    Benefits:

  • Mirrored video screen display to remote locations
  • Mirrored video can be displayed in the A/V room for a final check on what's being displayed
  • Extra input sources

    Problems:

  • Lots of cables to the projector
  • The projector is still responsible for source switching


    There's one big step we can take to make a very flexible, but easily controllable system. We'll add a video source switch in the A/V room.

    The switch box is a computer RGB (monitor) switch, available for under $50. To make it simple, we'll first convert the video signal to an RGB (computer-style) video source. Now we have a single switch for all sources, in the A/V room, and plenty of extra inputs.

    Benefits:

  • Input flexibility
  • Source switching in the A/V room
  • Only one supply cable to the projector
  • Long video runs to and from the projector use a noise-resistant RGB cable

    Problems:

  • Wiring and boxes are getting complicated


    Let's wrap up all the concepts above into one very complete, very flexible system.

    This system has got it all, with few operational problems.

    Benefits:

  • One pair of cables to and from the projector handle all the projector signals.
  • No projector remote required for source switching.
  • Multiple inputs
  • Mirrored video to remote locations
  • Two monitors help avoid congregational distraction
  • Long video runs to and from the projector use a noise-resistant RGB cable

    Problems:

  • Complex system
  • Lots of boxes

    To wrap it all up, the ideal design for your church lies somewhere on this page, perhaps in between some of these options. Hopefully these will get you thinking about the best way to design your system.

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    Other Info

    Why Dual Monitors?

  • Separate control from display
  • Less congregation distraction
  • Easy to set up
  • Eliminate line-of-sight issues

    Checklist

  • Windows 98SE or XP
  • Second video card (not AGP!)
  • Updated Drivers (definitely)
  • Updated BIOS (maybe)

    Additional Info

    Some other pages on setting up for dual monitors
    Microsoft MSDN
    Matrox
    Using Powerpoint in Church
    Using Powerpoint in Church (2)
    CyberWalker
    EliteGuild
    Tulsa Computer Society