South Gym Video Display Plan

Goals

• Provide video display capability for presentations, lyrics, announcements, and event content

Current State

• Projector: Ceiling-mounted projector, currently in place
• Screen: Motorized projection screen with dry contact control (raise/lower)
• Video path: AMX/SVSi encoder-decoder pair provides the video feed to the projector. The SVSi path has been tested and confirmed functional at 1080p – already in use for digital signage and live feed distribution around the facility

Resolution

The video system will run at 1080p for both the near-term projector setup and the long-term LED display(s).

Near-Term Plan

Integrate the existing projector and motorized screen into the AMX control system:

• AMX controls the SVSi video routing (already in place)
• AMX controls the motorized screen via dry contact relay (raise/lower). The screen uses limit switches and stops automatically at full raise/lower positions. Control is open-loop – AMX sends raise/lower and assumes it worked; there is no position feedback. No interlock between screen and projector is needed (AMX does not wait for the screen to fully lower before activating the projector). The relay module depends on the wiring approach: AMX REL8 (several available) if low-voltage wire is run to the screen, or Global Caché IP2CC-P PoE contact closure if Ethernet is run instead – the choice is tied to the relay wiring path (still an open question). Dry contacts carry only low-voltage signaling current, so any AMX relay handles the screen’s contact rating. On system-off, the screen raises immediately with no sequencing dependency on projector cool-down.
• Projector power on/off via AMX RS-232 through the SVSi decoder at the projector location. Raw serial commands are stored in the decoder and triggered by AMX via sendser (N1000/N2000 API reference) – no AMX driver module required. No separate control cable run to the rack is needed. There is no mechanism to detect a failed power-off command via sendser, so projector power-off acknowledgment is not handled.
• A “Presentation” AMX preset will combine a dimmed lighting scene with projector/screen activation. Exact dimming levels are TBD based on projector brightness vs. ambient light.

Why keep the projector for now? The projector and SVSi path are already installed and functional. Integrating them into AMX control requires no new hardware purchases – just programming. This provides a working video system immediately while the LED display decision is evaluated without time pressure.

SVSi Video Distribution

The SVSi system uses dedicated VLAN 25 on the M4250 switch with IGMP multicast for publish/subscribe stream routing. All local encoders and decoders are on the same switch. Video may occasionally be routed into or out of the room via this VLAN (e.g., auditorium overflow). End-to-end latency is 10 ms unscaled or approximately 17 ms with scaling at 60 fps (see equipment reference).

SVSi card models and locations:

• Cage cards (-C variants, in the AMX cage): 2x NMX-DEC-N1222A-C decoder (LED wall feeds to VX4S units), 2x NMX-ENC-N1122A-C encoder (rack PC and ClickShare), 1x AMX N4321 audio transceiver (audio-only streams from around the building)
• Standalone units: NMX-ENC-N1115-WP wall-plate encoder (back wall, PoE) and NMX-DEC-N1222A decoder (ceiling at projector, PoE – near-term only)
• Frame: 6-slot NMX-ACC-N9206 housing the cage cards, with 1 slot spare

EDID and stream switching: The default SVSi encoder EDID should negotiate 1080p with any modern source device. If issues arise, values from a 1080p EDID emulator can be copied to lock the encoder to a single resolution – verify during commissioning. When AMX switches the SVSi stream subscription on a decoder, the transition is a quick cut (similar to changing a TV channel). For Option B, each decoder receives a separate switching command from AMX with no timing dependency; a brief tear is possible during simultaneous switches but is not a concern.

Overflow feed: An auditorium overflow feed is available via the ross-01 encoder, already on the SVSi network (VLAN 25). This is a rare use case. Switching to or from the overflow feed behaves like any other SVSi stream subscription change – a brief glitch is possible but not a concern.

Loss-of-signal detection: Encoders use AMX HostPlay to display “no device connected to $ENCODER_NAME” when no source is detected (matching the existing facility pattern). Decoders display a similar message if their subscribed stream is not found on the network. VX4S input loss detection is not needed – any upstream issue will be caught by the encoder or decoder messages.

Long-Term Plan

Replace the projector and screen with LED display(s). Two options under consideration:

Option A: Single Large LED Wall

One larger LED wall as the primary display.

Pros:

• Single focal point – clean sight lines
• High brightness, visible in full gym lighting
• No ambient light concerns (unlike projector)
• No motorized screen to maintain

Cons:

• Higher cost for a single large display
• Fixed position – placement needs to work for all use cases
• If it fails, there’s no backup display

Option B: Two Smaller LED Panels

Two smaller LED panels, likely positioned to serve different areas or viewing angles.

Pros:

• Better coverage for a wide room – multiple sight lines
• Redundancy – one can fail without losing all video
• Potentially easier to mount depending on wall structure
• Could display different content simultaneously (e.g., lyrics + event info)

Cons:

• More complex video routing (need to feed two displays)
• Two sets of mounting hardware and cabling
• Content management is more involved if showing different sources

Two NovaStar VX4S video processors are available to be repurposed for the LED wall (see equipment reference). Each VX4S drives one display – using two to drive a single wall can cause sync issues between the processors. Each VX4S receives its feed from an SVSi decoder (HDMI output) directly to the VX4S (HDMI input). The decoder subscribes to any encoder on the SVSi network (VLAN 25) under AMX control.

• Option A (single wall): One VX4S + one SVSi decoder. Second VX4S is a spare.
• Option B (two panels): Both panels are identical in size and pixel pitch. One VX4S + one SVSi decoder per panel. AMX controls each decoder independently – same content (both subscribe to one encoder) or different content (each subscribes to a different encoder). If one panel fails mid-event, there is no automatic AMX fallback to reroute both feeds – the system simply operates with the remaining panel.

VX4S control: The VX4S accepts up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz input (1080p60 confirmed). AMX controls the VX4S via TCP on port 5200 using a hex command protocol – a connection/handshake command is required before other commands are accepted. No AMX module exists; custom implementation is needed (straightforward hex-over-TCP). Protocol PDF available from NovaStar. The only parameter AMX needs to control is brightness (input selection is not needed since only the SVSi decoder is connected, and color/other parameters are not required). All VX4S settings persist across power cycles except brightness, which AMX should restore on every startup. The VX4S can generate test patterns independently of its input, but test patterns would more likely be generated in software (e.g., ProPresenter).

Environmental considerations: The gym environment poses a high ball-impact risk. LED panels must be specced for impact resistance, and a polycarbonate overlay may be needed depending on the manufacturer’s impact rating. Temperature and moisture are not concerns – the space is indoor and climate-controlled, and floor cleaning does not involve pressure washing or hosing.

Near-term staging and transition: The VX4S units stay in storage until an LED wall is installed – they are not racked during the projector phase. Conduit for the LED wall will be run during the initial renovation to avoid retrofitting later. When transitioning from the projector to the LED wall: run Ethernet from the VX4S units to the LED wall position (through the pre-run conduit), remove the ceiling-mounted SVSi decoder at the projector, install one or two SVSi decoder cards in the rack with HDMI out directly to the VX4S inputs, and let AMX routing handle the rest via SVSi stream subscriptions.

The LED display decision does not need to be made now. The near-term projector setup will serve while this is evaluated.

Digital Scoreboard

Once the LED wall is in place, it will also serve as a digital scoreboard for school gym use. This eliminates the need for a separate physical scoreboard and allows the display to switch between scoreboard, lyrics, presentations, and other content via AMX presets.

• What scoreboard software or system will generate the scoreboard graphics?
• What sports need to be supported (basketball, volleyball, badminton, etc.) and what scoring layouts are required?
• What device runs the scoreboard application – a dedicated media player, the ProPresenter machine, or a separate laptop?
• Does the scoreboard need to be operator-controlled from courtside (e.g., a tablet or wireless controller), or from a fixed location?

Equipment

Content Sources

Presenter Inputs

• Wired: AMX NMX-ENC-N1115-WP wall-plate encoder at the back of the room. Provides HDMI, VGA, and DVI-D/DP++ via passive adapter. This is the wired fallback – note that N1115-WP audio is known to be flaky, so use ClickShare or a separate audio path when audio quality matters. No additional floor boxes or other input locations are planned.
• Wireless: Barco ClickShare (CX-20 or similar). Supports Mac and Windows. HDMI output feeds a dedicated SVSi encoder card in the cage. The ClickShare base station needs a network drop and RLNK power.

Primary Content Tools

• ProPresenter is the default content tool, running on the rack PC (Mac mini). The operator needs a monitor for the rack PC – mechanism TBD. ProPresenter is always operator-managed independently; AMX presets do not trigger anything in ProPresenter.
• Arylic LP10 network streamer handles casual audio playback (warmups, youth events) via AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, and Bluetooth. Line out feeds the BLU-100 as an audio input. No standalone video media player is needed – the rack PC handles video for larger events.
• The system is powered off when unattended; no content plays without an operator present.
• There are no plans for IMAG (live camera feed) at this time.

Audio Routing

Audio follows the video path automatically. The SVSi path carries HDMI audio alongside video – audio extraction happens at the decoder side, not the input side. The NMX-DEC-N1222A outputs 8-channel PCM via HDMI and stereo analog (balanced/unbalanced) on Phoenix connectors. The decoder extracts the embedded audio and feeds BLU-100 directly; no separate routing step or operator action is needed.

For Option B (two LED panels), both decoders need audio extraction capability so either feed can be sent to the audio system.

Source Selection and Routing

Only one simultaneous video source is active at a time. AMX presets default to the rack PC as the video source; manual source selection is always available on the touch panel.

External feeds: An auditorium overflow feed is available via ross-01 on the SVSi network (see SVSi Video Distribution). Streaming services (movie days, etc.) are handled by the rack PC with a browser. No cable, satellite, or other external feed is needed.

Resolution handling: Non-standard resolutions are not a concern. Wireless protocols (ClickShare, AirPlay, Miracast) negotiate 1080p. The wall-plate encoder EDID enforces 1080p on wired sources. If a non-standard resolution does get through, the SVSi encoder can scale it (adds approximately 7 ms).

Use-Case Workflows

• Weddings/funerals (family slideshows): Bring a laptop and connect via the N1115-WP wall plate or ClickShare, or bring content on USB and plug into the rack PC.
• School weekday use (teachers): Audio-only via LP10 (AirPlay, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect). Video+audio via ClickShare (native AirPlay/Miracast – supports laptops, iPads, Chromebooks without extra hardware). Wired fallback via N1115-WP wall plate.
• Youth events: Audio via LP10. No live camera feed (IMAG) planned.

Open Questions

Projector & Screen (Near-Term)

• What is the make, model, lumens, native resolution, and remaining lamp life of the existing projector?
• What is the projector’s warm-up and cool-down time? Does it enforce a mandatory cool-down period before power can be cycled again?
• Does the projector have an auto-wake feature that could conflict with AMX power sequencing?
• What is the measured throw distance from the projector lens to the screen, and does the current image fill the screen properly?
• At what height does the bottom edge of the screen sit when lowered? Do audience members at the back have an unobstructed sightline?
• Is there a horizontal offset between projector and screen requiring keystone correction?
• What is the anticipated lux level at the screen surface with the new lighting at full output? Is the projector bright enough for a legible image with house lights on?
• What is the relay wiring path from the rack to the screen motor controller? Two options under consideration: (1) PoE-based contact closure device mounted in the ceiling near the screen, controlled via Ethernet, or (2) low-voltage wire run from a relay in the rack up to the screen. Either way, conduit is needed.

LED Wall (Long-Term)

• What are the minimum and maximum viewing distances from each candidate mounting wall to the nearest and farthest spectators?
• What pixel pitch is required to avoid visible pixel structure at those distances, and does that pitch at the intended physical size produce a native 1080p resolution?
• What physical dimensions (width x height) are under consideration for Option A (single wall)?
• For Option B, what dimensions per panel? Does each individually reach 1080p or will the VX4S scale?
• Is there a minimum screen height requirement for sightline clearance above floor-level obstructions (bleachers, scoreboards, exit signage)?
• What is the wall construction at each candidate mounting location (masonry, steel stud, wood frame)? Has structural capacity been confirmed?
• What is the anticipated total weight of panels plus mounting structure? Does the building require a stamped structural analysis?
• Is there sufficient ceiling clearance above the panel for the mounting frame? Any conflicts with joists, HVAC, catwalks?
• How far is each candidate wall from the new electrical panel? What is the conduit routing path including fire-rated penetrations?
• What is the peak power draw per m² at max brightness, and does the total load fit on a single circuit or require multiple at the display location?
• Are LED panel power supplies internal to the panels or external rack-mounted?
• What signal protocol does the VX4S use to drive the panels (Ethernet, fiber, proprietary)? What is the max cable run length?
• What is the physical cable distance from the rack to each candidate wall? Does it exceed the VX4S transmission limit?
• How many data cables does the VX4S require for the intended panel array? Is there conduit capacity at the wall?
• Does the VX4S receive a single composited 1080p signal or multiple layers?
• What system generates the final 1080p frame (ProPresenter, media player, laptop)?
• For Option B: who decides whether panels show the same or different content? Per-event config on touch panel, or fixed mode?
• Is there a live camera feed requirement (IMAG, scoreboard camera)?
• Are the panels front-serviceable or rear-serviceable? If rear, what clearance is needed behind the array?
• What is the manufacturer’s recommended spare module inventory, and where will spares be stored?
• Does the manufacturer provide on-site warranty service? Expected response time?
• What is the ambient illuminance at the display wall with house lights on? Is panel brightness sufficient for acceptable contrast?
• What is the horizontal viewing angle, and does it serve spectators at extreme lateral positions?
• What is the expected exposure to dust, debris, or humidity from gym activities?

Content Sources & User Connectivity

• How will the operator view/control the rack PC? (Monitor in rack closet, KVM extender to a remote location, VNC/remote desktop, etc.)