TV's for Youth Center - Override with countdown

[crossroadsmedia]

Hi all,

Big project coming up - we're remodeling are old church for a youth center.

There will be at least 14-15 tv's throughout the building - each with it's own input (either digital signage with DVD player or video games like a HDMI input for a PS3 or XBOX).

However, with a switch/button/whatever we would like all the TV's to shut down and start playing a 3 minute countdown (via a main DVD player) - letting all the students know that it's time for service.

How realistic is this goal - and cost-effective?

Here's my initial thoughts:
Send an inferred signal using a universal remote with macros to all the tv's to change the input source to a coax input (the main DVD player split). However, the students would be able to change the input back to the video games. And a little message on each screen would say that you're switching to a different source. So this, I suppose would be plan B. But I'd love to come up with a solution that is more professional.

Any ideas? Thanks for all of your guys' work for furthering the kingdom!

THANKS!!

ALSO: I did my best to put this in a correct category, but if it isn't: admin please move it to wherever you wish. Thanks.

[cmchamp]

You may need to investigate hospitality (hotel/motel/conference room) type hardware in order to accomplish this.

[Brad Weber]

I've done something similar for corporate digital signage using a distribution system that distributes audio, video and serial control. With the serial control then as long as you have a serial control source such as a program or script file giving a serial output or some form of control system with a serial output then you can send those control commands to the displays. Some displays may allow the same basic control but using network control and software on a networked computer.

Your options may also be very display dependent. Some professional/commercial displays may allow scheduled functions, some may support identifying one input to have priority and if it senses a signal there to switch to that input and some may allow you to remotely disable and enable to local input selection or other controls. Consumer displays may have more limited serial or network control capability, if any.

[tdangelo]

A Slingbox Pro at each TV may work. At the given time you can log (via IP) into each Slingbox, change the TV's input or channel.

This is not what the Slingbox was originally intended for. The intention was that you can controll the TV __AND__ view content remotely via the internet from the TV or DVR.

[Brad Weber]

Originally Posted by tdangelo

A Slingbox Pro at each TV may work. At the given time you can log (via IP) into each Slingbox, change the TV's input or channel.

This is also where some of the display control specifics may matter. For example, if you have to step through inputs rather than being able to direct access a specific input then that makes remote control more difficult, particularly if you have no way of knowing what input is currently selected. And on some devices direct selecting a channel requires careful timing, I struggle with getting our cable box to reliably accept channel 'XYZ' from the remote and not take just two of the digits or even go to some seemingly almost random channel.

These issues are also compounded when dealing with multiple models and manufacturers as you may have different situations and/or commands for each manufacturer or even model and thus not only have to be able to send multiple commands but to also be sure they get routed to only the related displays. That's one major reason why many large digital signage applications use the same displays, or at least ones that accept the same commands, throughout the system.

[Esoteric]

Originally Posted by Brad Weber

This is also where some of the display control specifics may matter. For example, if you have to step through inputs rather than being able to direct access a specific input then that makes remote control more difficult, particularly if you have no way of knowing what input is currently selected. And on some devices direct selecting a channel requires careful timing, I struggle with getting our cable box to reliably accept channel 'XYZ' from the remote and not take just two of the digits or even go to some seemingly almost random channel.

These issues are also compounded when dealing with multiple models and manufacturers as you may have different situations and/or commands for each manufacturer or even model and thus not only have to be able to send multiple commands but to also be sure they get routed to only the related displays. That's one major reason why many large digital signage applications use the same displays, or at least ones that accept the same commands, throughout the system.

You also have the problem of having to start switching displays at 10 minutes till in order to get through them all before 3:00.

Yeah, we have done something similar with commercial displays but I have no idea how I would do it with the consumer level displays I have worked with.

Mike

[cw4u]

Maybe I'm missing something here but couldn't you just

1) Send a serial control signal to switch inputs to your designated digital signage feed,
2) Tell your signage server to play that countdown based on a scheduled function,
3) And then send out another serial signal to shut down your TVs after the video completes?

If you want to prevent them from changing inputs, you could always encase the displays and just have your rs232 switch back to the game consoles or dvd players on power up.

[Brad Weber]

Originally Posted by cw4u

Maybe I'm missing something here but couldn't you just

1) Send a serial control signal to switch inputs to your designated digital signage feed,
2) Tell your signage server to play that countdown based on a scheduled function,
3) And then send out another serial signal to shut down your TVs after the video completes?

If you want to prevent them from changing inputs, you could always encase the displays and just have your rs232 switch back to the game consoles or dvd players on power up.

That's somewhat what I've done in the past, however those applications used a) a control system to handle the scheduling and generate the serial commands, b) a distribution system that supported serial control as well as audio and video and c) commercial displays with direct input access via serial control. In some cases we had to use a control system and distribution system that could send different commands to different displays. All of that is definitely possible but not necessarily as a DIY system using products from online retailers and/or big consumer electronics stores, which may be a consideration.