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High Resolution Engineering (HRE) Invests In disguise vx 4+ Media Servers For Rental Inventory

disguise vx4+ and spyder x80
disguise vx4+ and spyder x80

Phoenix-based High Resolution Engineering (HRE) has added disguise vx 4+ media servers to its equipment rental inventory. The purchase marks the first disguise acquisitions by HRE, which also offers rentals of the Christie Spyder X80 video processor and Lightware and Dexon routers.

HRE is the premier specialized provider of high-end video processing, screen switching, video signal management, media servers and control technologies and services to the live events industry. The company provides customized rental packages as well as system design and on-site show support to engineer, program, switch and play back content for large screen and multiscreen presentations and events.

The disguise vx 4+ media server is the new industry standard for powering the world’s biggest and most technically demanding live and virtual productions. It can handle more than twice as many video layers as its predecessor while keeping video latency to a minimum. The integration of a new PCIe 4.0 motherboard and CPU, GPU and RAID storage ensures that vx 4+ video playback and compositing performance is unrivaled.

“disguise vx 4+ is the most reliable and best media server solution for the rental market,” declares HRE’s Drew Taylor. “We had some media server and playback solutions but were looking for a four-output server because customers in the live corporate event market typically need four 4K outputs. All of our flagship rental gear has high bandwidth, high resolution capabilities.”

Taylor notes that the vx 4+ is a hardware-based solution – a key factor in its selection. “We rent to production companies and AV providers and also partner with video vendors to offer high-end solutions for their bigger shows,” he explains. “When you have a hardware-based solution you know what you’re getting, it’s standardized. But every software-based system is different. disguise media servers are well known, and the company supports their equipment 100 percent, end to end. We wanted to buy into disguise’s latest and greatest and most powerful system, and that’s the vx 4+.”

HRE already rented a vx 4+ media server to a local corporate event featuring a 175 x 15-foot video screen. “We provided screen switching and media server equipment packages, media server programming and operation for the show, and prepro content services in our shop to ensure the proper formatting of files and playback and guarantee peace of mind once on site,” says Taylor.

“disguise vx 4+ really complements the processors and routers in our rental inventory, enabling us to provide powerful system solutions for clients,” he adds. “Our Spyder X80 video processor has the most 4K I/Os of any screen switcher on the market and is a perfect pairing for disguise. The vx 4+ has HDMI 2.0 VFC cards, and our Lightware 4K@60 HDMI 2.0 routers are available in sizes up to 48 x 48 for the biggest capacity offered today. And our Dexon DIMAX1616 Pro 4K60 HDMI 2.0 seamless switching matrix router with built-in multiviewer is another great solution to pair with disguise.

“Anyway you look at it, disguise vx 4+ is a perfect fit!”

About High Resolution Engineering

High Resolution Engineering provides customized rental packages as well as system design, media content pre-production planning and expert onsite show support services to engineer, program, switch and play back content for large screen and multiscreen presentations and events.

HRE supports clients on their live productions at corporate events, trade shows, entertainment and festivals, product launches, concerts and exhibitions. For more information, visit www.highresolution.tv.

Spyder X80 delivers 115 million pixels of content at AmFest

Spyder X80 delivers 115 million pixels of content
Spyder X80 delivers 115 million pixels of content

Spyder X80 delivers 115 million pixels of content at AmFest

The Phoenix Convention Center held a four-day event featuring politicians, cable news hosts, and musical guests. Presented to a live audience of approximately 8,000, a broadcast audience as well as online, the event was a complex production – which also included massive LED displays that enveloped the stage. Produced by MOSAIC ProEvents with screen switching and management designed and managed by High Resolution Engineering and Jess Darin, two linked Christie® Spyder X80 processors were selected to manage feeds and drive content to the LED displays.

MOSAIC ProEvents was engaged to produce the event, and to create something massive with considerable “wow factor”. Six months prior to the December 2021 event, High Resolution Engineering and Jess Darin, freelance high-res video engineer, were brought on-board to manage the video and screen feeds.

The stage set-up included LED screens on the sides and back of the stage and hung from trusses above. LED was also wrapped around the room; in total, the LED was approximately 115 million pixels. The production also included backstage monitoring, multi-viewers for talent, and green room feeds. To manage the inputs and outputs for the event, High Resolution Engineering selected two linked Christie Spyder X80 processors, capable of managing a combined 160 million pixels, with a total of 48 inputs and 32 outputs and 4K support on every channel.

Drew Taylor, Owner and Video Engineer, High Resolution Engineering, noted the scale of the event: “The LED enveloped the stage, went out into the audience and wrapped around the room – all the way to the back, and also on the ceiling. That’s what drove the need for the Spyder X80s – with that huge amount of LED, we just had massive overall resolution, and pixels, to manage.”

Adds Taylor, “Beyond the LED screens, there were a lot of displays that we provided feeds to. The downstage monitors that the presenters look at, there’s video feeds to go to the web for streaming, backstage monitoring and multi-viewers for talent before they go on stage, as well as greenroom monitors.”

Due to the scale of the event production, two Christie Spyder X80 processors were linked to create a parallel system. Forty-six of the 48 available inputs were used, as well as 30 of the available 32 outputs. “We had millions of pixels to manage, with 17 4K LED processors out of the Spyder X80s. We linked the Spyder X80s to run in parallel and overall, we were driving just under 115 million pixels,” says Taylor.

High Resolution Engineering has been working with Christie Spyder multi-windowing processors for over 15 years and counts them as an integral part of their fleet of products. “We’ve stuck with the Spyder because it continues to be the number one processor as far as horsepower and the amount of cutting- edge technology built in,” says Taylor.

The size and scale of the event was the biggest challenge, but High Resolution Engineering and Darin spent considerable time planning and in pre-production with the client to ensure everything would work as anticipated. “Anytime we use linked systems to drive that much content, it’s a lot to manage. That’s why I trust the Spyder X80 – it does a great job,” says Darin, “The Spyder X80 was the obvious choice for this event. It’s my preferred box, and I just love the flexibility and horsepower that it has. It was absolutely what was needed to be used for this environment.”

The event was a tremendous success for all parties involved, so much so that, “There’s talk of creating a bigger event next time!” says Taylor.

Cvent 2018

PHOENIX – (October 30, 2018) – When the general session of Cvent CONNECT 2018, the world’s premier event technology conference, was held in the Palazzo Ballroom of The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, the expansive on-stage displays were driven by a Christie® Spyder X80 multiscreen windowing processor.

High Resolution Engineering in Phoenix partnered with AV Concepts in Tempe, Arizona to provide screen switching solutions and signal management for the conference where meeting and event professionals came together to strengthen the industry and advance their careers through innovation.

AV Concepts marked its fifth year furnishing AV services for the general session and the Cvent CONNECT trade show. High Resolution Engineering has long maintained a rental inventory of Christie products; the company recently added two Spyder X80s fully loaded with 24 inputs and 16 outputs.

The general session stage featured a wall-to-wall, 200 x 18-foot curved screen using a seven-projector blend of 4K content. The screen was composed of sliding panels, some of which opened to reveal a hologram screen. Full-screen graphics were shown for the conference opening with speaker support from IMAG bookending the curved screen. A wide-screen delay screen was elevated in the middle of the house. ​

Initially, AV Concepts had specified two Spyder X20s running in parallel. “The screens required more outputs than were available from an X20 so they considered running a pair of X20s in parallel,” notes Drew Taylor, partner, High Resolution Engineering. “I suggested simplifying the system using one X80 to handle the sheer number of I/Os (inputs/outputs).”

The Christie Spyder X80 offered myriad advantages beyond I/O capacity, Taylor adds. “The X80 is a workhorse for anyone doing a 4K show – it does everything natively in 4K, and also preserves 10 bit and 12 bit video content quality. It’s also great for shows that mix and match formats because of its flexibility in incorporating multiple signals at different formats. At Cvent CONNECT in addition to handling projectors and live cameras, the X80 was able to bring in 4,000-pixel widescreen PowerPoint files on a single input channel and utilize those files on a single layer.”

Another plus was the X80’s multi-viewer feature. It allowed High Resolution Engineering’s Spyder engineer to supply four fully customized multi-viewers for himself and others to confidently monitor and manage the show.

“Although major upgrades have been made from the X20, the Spyder X80 software, “Spyder Studio” has maintained the programming workflow and look and feel so it’s very easy for X20 operators to get into the new system and learn it very quickly,” Taylor adds.

“This was our first time working with the X80, and we were very impressed by its capacity and how well it handled everything,” reports Hatim Sorkati, Business Development Director for AV Concepts. “The X80 gave us flexibility to switch the screens as the display configurations demanded. And it easily connected to AV Concepts’ Liquid Scenic media server to input content. The multi-viewer feature allowed us to get a quick overview of program and preview content. It was a big help for our stage and content managers.”

“The X80 exceeded expectations,” says Taylor. “It worked as designed to ensure that everything ran smooth and seamless.”

About AV Concepts

With over 30 years in the AV and Staging industry, AV Concepts is the premier nationwide provider of audio, visual and technological solutions and a company that is consistently recognized as an industry leader in quality, service, and innovation. For more information, please visit the AV Concepts website at www.avconcepts.com.

About High Resolution Engineering

High Resolution Engineering is the premier specialized provider of high-end video processing, screen switching, video signal management and control technologies and services to the live events industry. Visit www.highresolution.tv

About Christie®

Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc. is a global visual and audio technologies company and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio, Inc., Japan, (JP:6925). Consistently setting the standards by being the first to market some of the world’s most advanced projectors and complete system displays, Christie is recognized as one of the most innovative visual technology companies in the world. From retail displays to Hollywood, mission critical command centers to classrooms and training simulators, Christie display solutions and projectors capture the attention of audiences around the world with dynamic and stunning images. Visit www.christiedigital.com.​​