2 simultaneous services...one message

[Pawleysdon]

Need some tech help please. We are beginning a new worship service that will offer another worship music style. We want to have the same message at both services so we will need to send the message via video to the other venue. We know that the start time for the message will most likely be different for the two services. Is there a way to Record the message in the main service and then play it back when it is time in the second service? It seems to me there is some kind of DVR solution here. I am sure there are other churches doing this. Any help? Specific equipment needed?

[bpalermini]

Yes, we do this every Sunday. We have a HD video setup using Panasonic cameras, a 360 Systems 1200HD DVR and a fiber connection between the two rooms which are across the street from each other.

We use HD-SDI connections from the cameras to a ForeA video switch. We have three remote controlled cameras and one manned camera. The manned camera is our main (95%) camera for the teaching. We convert the HD-SDI output from the video switch to video adn audio signals that travel over the fiber and then convert it back to RGB and balanced audio at the receiving end.

We can originate from either room and send video to either room. We record an earlier service to DVD as a backup but have only used it once in two years.

The big question for you is how far apart are the two rooms? If you can pull copper or fiber between them this is much easier to do than if you can't.

[Paris MkVI]

We had a Toshiba DVR/DVD recorder we re-purposed for this sort of thing. For us, the two auditoriums are right next to each other. So we feed straight across and record on the hard drive. We delay the second auditorium service start about 5 minutes.

We have live worship in each room. Crew in the booth can see the live feed from the other auditorium. As soon as the pastor completes the prayer before the message begins, we begin recording. Once the delayed auditorium catches up to message time, we simply "chase play" the recording from the beginning. Nothing fancy and it works well.

[churchtech007]

Originally Posted by Paris MkVI

We had a Toshiba DVR/DVD recorder we re-purposed for this sort of thing.

What the model number? How reliable is it? Do you run a backup somehow?

Thanks!

[Paris MkVI]

It's a Toshiba RD-XS52 HDD/DVD Recorder w/ 160GB Hard Disc Drive. It's about four or five years old now, and is long since discontinued. It has worked quite reliably for us, especially considering it is a piece of consumer gear. It is only used a few times a year, so we're not exactly wearing it out.

Consumer hardware is something I try to avoid in our installations unless it fits well for a very particular purpose. DVD players are an example, since even the well-optioned units are inexpensive.

I imagine we will get a few more years out of the Toshiba. But when a transition to HD happens, it will come out of the signal path.

[churchtech007]

Originally Posted by Paris MkVI

It's a Toshiba RD-XS52 HDD/DVD Recorder w/ 160GB Hard Disc Drive. It's about four or five years old now, and is long since discontinued. It has worked quite reliably for us, especially considering it is a piece of consumer gear. It is only used a few times a year, so we're not exactly wearing it out.

Consumer hardware is something I try to avoid in our installations unless it fits well for a very particular purpose. DVD players are an example, since even the well-optioned units are inexpensive.

I imagine we will get a few more years out of the Toshiba. But when a transition to HD happens, it will come out of the signal path.

Thank you sir!
We do a venue but we only do it second hour so we just use a dvd from first service. However, for Easter they want to do both hours so I'm looking at a cheap way to accomplish this for one weekend a year, without being totally "live".
Thanks for the advice!

[MustangNazMedia]

How does the fiber connection work?

Is it a stand alone box on both ends like the video baluns?

[bpalermini]

We use a Multidyne HD-1500-FTX-50-ST. It takes in a HD-SDI video and two analog audio channels and transmits them via a fiber out put to a receiver on the other end. Yes, kind of like fiber video baluns.

[TJ Krusinski]

A Grass Valley Turbo would be your best bet. When you pull the cables, run RS422 (for full transport control) or 2 wire for GPI so the remote location can trigger the video to play. The originating venue would hit record and cue the clip wherever it need's to be then the remote venue would hit their play button and take the source. You also could remote desktop into the Turbo and have full control at the remote location, not quite as robust but it'd work.