Domosapiens: Announcing the New Source Pooling Driver

[pbir]

Easily allocate the 'next available source' from a pool of Watch or Listen sources

Powerful allocation schemes allow for exceptions

Several pools possible in a Project

This driver offers a way to share a limited pool of sources among a larger number of rooms.  You no longer need to design complex allocation schemes and the user no longer needs to wonder if a given source (a cable or satellite box, for example, or even an Apple TV or a Roku stick) is available. 

Instead of selecting a specific source under Watch or Listen, the user simply presses the new Experience Button (call it the ‘Pool Request’ button) available with this driver, thus asking the driver to determine the next available source from the pool and to activate it in the requesting room.  You would typically make this new button available under ‘Watch’ or ‘Listen’ in Participating Rooms.  You may install several instances of this driver in your Project, thus creating several Source Pools.

While sources are normally assigned in their specification order (‘A’, then ‘B’, then ‘C’, etc.), the driver allows for exceptions in specific rooms, which makes this process very flexible and customizable.  If the user in a given room requests a pooled source (by pressing this driver’s Experience Button) and all the sources are currently being used, the Button will provide feedback (Red) meaning that no sources are available.  The available feedbacks are:

-          Green: an available source has been assigned and activated

-          Red: no sources are currently available (as per the default sequence or this room’s Sequence Exception)

-          Orange: a source has been assigned, but it is not accessible in the given room (check your Sequence Exception for that room or specify one).

-          White: no source changes are being made (the room is already on a non-shared pool source – see the Property ‘Effect of Multiple Selects’)

Check out the driver at: DriverCentral

[South Africa C4 user]

Wow! This looks extremely powerful.

[Wolf_54321]

Hi! Cool driver - does it work with mini apps instead of the box itself?

[pbir]

10 minutes ago, Wolf_54321 said:

Hi! Cool driver - does it work with mini apps instead of the box itself?

Yes, as long as you have one separate mini app (Netflix, for example) connected to each box.  You could define Netflix Roku 1, Netflix Roku 2 and Netflix Roku 3 as three separate sources and the driver would make all the necessary connections.

[Wolf_54321]

Sold

[cnicholson]

Sounds cool.

My dealer is recommending an EA-1 for every TV (we'll have about 20).  If the primary benefit is to allow OSD, could this driver allow me to create  pool of EA-1s (say three of them) rather than ~20 of them?  This assumes we have video distribution (which is still TBD)?  I suppose the EA-1s would need to be forced into the right "Room" mode when they are allocated out of the pool for use on a specific TV (in the appropriate room).  Would this be straightforward? 

 

Thanks

[Cyknight]

1 minute ago, cnicholson said:

Sounds cool.

My dealer is recommending an EA-1 for every TV (we'll have about 20).  If the primary benefit is to allow OSD, could this driver allow me to create  pool of EA-1s (say three of them) rather than ~20 of them?  This assumes we have video distribution (which is still TBD)?  I suppose the EA-1s would need to be forced into the right "Room" mode when they are allocated out of the pool for use on a specific TV (in the appropriate room).  Would this be straightforward? 

 

Thanks

Ah no....

the 20 EA1'sw for a project is a WHOLE other topic. I suggest you make a new post/thread on this one.

[pbir]

Cyknight is right.  Even if you were to connect one or a few EA-1s to an HDMI matrix (a very big one, if you have 20 TVs), Control4 handles OSD in a different way and this driver wouldn't help you with this specific need (OSD).  If, however, you have video sources (cable, satellite, etc.) connected to a matrix, then this Source Pooling driver could definitely help.