integrated method for managing photo displays

[Bud]

I am trying to decide on the best method for managing photo displays in my house.

During planning and construction I wanted to have a couple of displays in the wall to show images / family photos etc. So I have two niches constructed into walls in my family room. One is oriented landscape and the other in a portrait postion. They are 2 inches deep and I have mounted 40 inch Samsung TVs in them for displays so that they are flush with the wall surface. I plan on adding matting and frames around them.

I am looking for a streamlined method of controlling and delivering images for display on the two units. I want the images to be fed off of my NAS. I have separated the images into separate folders (landscape and portrait, with all of the portrait images rotated) and then into subfolders for subject matter. So I want to have something integrated with C4 (ie use through navigators, MyHome, or SR250) to turn on the displays and select the appropriate subfolder for the files and display them in slideshow fashion.

Right now just to test them I have just connected the TVs to the network and can use Samsung SmartHub to navigate to the NAS, select the folder, subfolder and start the slideshow. It works but its is a slow process, not really suitable for automation and requires me to navigate the menus on the portrait display sideways. Hardly elegant.

So my other ideas:

Use two dedicated PCs with Windows Media Center Edition with C4 IR control? This would allow the display to be rotated correctly for the portrait unit via the PCs adapter. Should allow for selection of folders for display etc. Downside would be running two windows machines full time.

Use some dedicated media player ie popcorn hour for each display. Probably would not natively rotate for the portrait display but might have the tightest integration and control and higher reliablilty than Windows MCE. I have a legacy Popcorn Hour A-110 and it does OK for picture display but the interface is generations older than the new ones. Anyone have some experience with image display on the curent units?

Game Console ? PS3 or Xbox

Other software? I don't have any experience with XBMC etc., but would be willing to set it up.

I am not an Apple guy, but if it would work better Mac mini or Apple TV?

Other info: I am not concerned about the connections to the units as I have 2 flexible conduits run to each display and have room in a recess behind them to put in baluns if needed. I have the landscape display connected to my hdmi matrix and have used it with its internal speakers as an accessory TV. I also plan on running the HC800 navigator output and my camera dvr output to that one.

Also it looks like the only way to have this work in Composer is to have separate rooms setup for each display?

Please weigh in on any ideas for setting this up. Thanks in advance.

[pstuart]

Might want to look at the commercial digital display embedded technology, but since you want to have total control and the rotation part of the displays is the big challenge...

Consoles and appleTV and other devices don't allow 9:16 aspect ratios, so your only option is on the PC or Mac side (android might be an option as well).

Another option could be a tablet computer with HDMI out, like an iPad or Android tablet. The tablet could be your input and control.

If you want control from the C4 touchscreen world, beyond just turning on / off the tv you are going to need some sort of IR or IP control over the display source. So that might rule out a tablet solution and bring you back to a pc with IR.

I've seen other embedded commercial solutions where there is just a controller attached to the tv, and via wifi it has a webserver that you upload your content and it just plays the images. However C4 control would be out of the question, beyond just turning the tv on or off...

Good luck, curious what you come up with. How long are you planning on leaving the tv's on and how are you planning on dealing with the heat generated behind the wall? Most tv's are not rated for in-wall mounting. Also most tv's won't last more than 6-9 months of always on and with 8-10 hours of daily use probably won't last 18 months.

[Bud]

Might want to look at the commercial digital display embedded technology, but since you want to have total control and the rotation part of the displays is the big challenge...

Consoles and appleTV and other devices don't allow 9:16 aspect ratios, so your only option is on the PC or Mac side (android might be an option as well).

Another option could be a tablet computer with HDMI out, like an iPad or Android tablet. The tablet could be your input and control.

If you want control from the C4 touchscreen world, beyond just turning on / off the tv you are going to need some sort of IR or IP control over the display source. So that might rule out a tablet solution and bring you back to a pc with IR.

I've seen other embedded commercial solutions where there is just a controller attached to the tv, and via wifi it has a webserver that you upload your content and it just plays the images. However C4 control would be out of the question, beyond just turning the tv on or off...

Good luck, curious what you come up with. How long are you planning on leaving the tv's on and how are you planning on dealing with the heat generated behind the wall? Most tv's are not rated for in-wall mounting. Also most tv's won't last more than 6-9 months of always on and with 8-10 hours of daily use probably won't last 18 months.

Thanks for the reply.

Having the display natively in 9:16 is not really necessary. I would rather just not be fishing through menus on the display with it rotated. So if the box or console was only displaying in 16:9 and I could control it with C4 programming, I would not have to use the display output for the menu to select the folder, etc. Then the images could just display with the slideshow and be prerotated to come up appropriatley. ... Hope that run-on makes some sense.

I have concerns about the heat generation also. I have the displays in the 2" deep niches with 2" of clearance top, bottom and sides. I feel OK about them the way they are but if I add frames and particulaly matting it will be worse. The LEDs do not put off as much heat and I am of the opinion that a good portion of it is dissipated through the screen itself. I don't plan on having them on full time but rather only at times when the room is occupied or parties or such. Therein lies the need for control. I want them off when we leave, go to bed and maybe on motion when noone is in the room etc. So hopefully getting close to normal TV use duty cycle.

[ILoveC4]

With the popcorn hour you can browse photos and what not with the C4 GUI, and have complete control. You just need to make sure you have the proper Extra vegetables driver.

That sounds like a nice touch.

[TexasBill]

This is on the cheap - I do what you are wanting to do at all parties and when I have guests over to the house. I put the pictures on to C4 using the import routine and then tell each Television that it should display the Control 4 app and time out to screen saver in ten seconds - the screen saver shows my pictures ....

Currently our latest trip to Alaska is what displays when we do this - you can say how fast the pictures change and it is super easy to make happen. Simply WATCH > then select the Television name press CONTROL 4 button and let it time out.

Bill

[ILoveC4]

This is on the cheap - I do what you are wanting to do at all parties and when I have guests over to the house. I put the pictures on to C4 using the import routine and then tell each Television that it should display the Control 4 app and time out to screen saver in ten seconds - the screen saver shows my pictures ....

Currently our latest trip to Alaska is what displays when we do this - you can say how fast the pictures change and it is super easy to make happen. Simply WATCH > then select the Television name press CONTROL 4 button and let it time out.

Bill

That won't with with wanting each TV to only display certain images...while the other displays another specific set of images.

[Bud]

With the popcorn hour you can browse photos and what not with the C4 GUI, and have complete control. You just need to make sure you have the proper Extra vegetables driver.

That sounds like a nice touch.

Thanks Dan. Thats what I suspected. I'm glad to hear the driver and control of the photo display works well. I am wondering if for this the Popbox unit would work as well. I still haven't upgraded the Popcorn Hour (on an infinite list as I'm sure you also have after moving in.) I have gathered some 3D hardware now and am now holding out for the A-400. I may need to contact DD for more info on those.

This is on the cheap - I do what you are wanting to do at all parties and when I have guests over to the house. I put the pictures on to C4 using the import routine and then tell each Television that it should display the Control 4 app and time out to screen saver in ten seconds - the screen saver shows my pictures ....

Currently our latest trip to Alaska is what displays when we do this - you can say how fast the pictures change and it is super easy to make happen. Simply WATCH > then select the Television name press CONTROL 4 button and let it time out.

Bill

Bill, as Dan suggested the C4 photo screensaver won't cut it for me as I am trying to direct the two to be able to address multiple different folders. You're right it would be a lot simpler just to have all the TVs do that. I've already embarked down this road.... Thanks for the suggestion though.

[diamonddesign]

If you don't need 3D the Popbox is great!