Affordable is always a relative term, but we use a CueServer from Interactive Technologies for most of our more complex show control needs.
http://interactive-online.com/products/cueserver/overview It's in the $1.5k range. But it'll do all kinds of output controls (DMX, RS-232, UDP, contact closures) with a simple web based programming interface. We've used it to power up and down projectors on a schedule or or other media event. If your projectors are network enabled, you could theoretically purchase one of these and then program it to control all your projectors via UDP commands. In other situations we're often playing media from a solid state media player. Most of Roku's Brightsign media players come with RS-232 output. In this situation, where a whole show control unit is overkill we program the projector control into the Brightsign programming. Some tips here: http://support.brightsign.biz/entries/20201927-Do-BrightSign-units-support-sending-and-receiving-bytes-over-a-serial-RS-232-port- And finally, if the content for the program is running off a computer, it's possible to send serial commands to the projector on a computer event, like boot or shutdown. I started to write a computer based projector control system with the intention of making it work for all our computer connected projectors, but only really got it finalized for one situation. However, some of the code might be useful to you: https://github.com/scimusmn/projector-control/ If you're trying to do this sort of serial control from a Mac, then this little page of tips is quite helpful: http://pbxbook.com/other/mac-tty.html bk ps - Oh, and our simplest solution? Get someone on our excellent floor staff to use a remote to power the projector on and off in the morning. Despite all our automation, we still end up doing this from time to time. ---------------------------------------------------- bryan kennedy director, exhibit media science museum of minnesota bkenn...@smm.org 651.221.2522 ---------------------------------------------------- On Fri, Dec 5, 2014 at 11:07 AM, George Scharoun <gschar...@mfa.org> wrote: > I’d be very grateful if anyone could point me in the direction of a > simple-to-use system for controlling projectors/displays/amplifiers by > either IR or RS232. There must be a simple method for sending simple > control signals (I.e. On/off) from a computer or affordable controller > without the need for Crestron or Extron equipment. Product and/or coding > language suggestions are most welcome. > > Thank you, > George > > –– > > GEORGE SCHAROUN > Technical Producer, Gallery Media > Museum of Fine Arts, Boston > gschar...@mfa.org | 617-369-3512 > http://www.mfa.org > > _______________________________________________ > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer > Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l@mcn.edu > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l > > The MCN-L archives can be found at: > http://mcn.edu/pipermail/mcn-l/ >
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