What kind of system is best suited for large scale event production with Presenter?
This will depend on the resolution at which the show will be projected and the amount of video you will want to deliver with Presenter.
For events done at standard projection resolution (1024x768), a high powered laptop will do the job. For shows that project at higher resolution like 720p or 1080i, heftier systems will be required. In addition, if lots of video will be run through Presenter, fast disk drives, dual or quad core CPUs, and lots of system memory are a good investment.
Are you suggesting that Presenter can replace all the video switching and event compositing gear that is used at large events?
In some circumstances, yes - and the savings in A/V equipment and support personnel costs can be substantial. With capable hardware, Event Presenter can deliver all your speaker support content, picture in picture video, and even your full screen video. It can do so all the way up to full HD (1080i) resolution, off of a single system.
720p and 1080i are HD formats. They run at 16:9 aspect ratio. That's not the default aspect ratio of PowerPoint. Does Presenter handle those HD formats?
Yes. Just change your PowerPoint file's Page Setup size to a 16:9 aspect ratio. Size in inches or centimeters does not matter, but we recommend keeping the values close to a normal page size. Then pick an FXTheme that includes Variations and Transitions that are compatible with wide screen display. Presenter comes with a selection of over 30 transitions that are developed specifically for Wide Aspect display, and all video insert scenes include options for displaying both HD (16:9) and letterboxed (4:3) video.
What are some of the large scale event production issues that Presenter does not address?
Only Event Presenter and Master Presenter support live video input and support for multiple projectors. Instant Effects Presenter and S3D Presenter would thus have to be used in conjunction with event compositing hardware if these features are required.
Note: Although Event Presenter accepts and displays live video, it may not be a good solution for speaker image magnification (PIP/IMAG). There may be a slight delay in processing live video, and if so, the result is that video of the speaker will lag slightly behind the audio. This all depends on the capture hardware used, the bandwidth of the live video signal, and the processing power of the system running Event Presenter. We recommend you test your system thoroughly before "going live" with this feature.
What is the best approach to doing kiosk trade show signage with Presenter?
Publishing to FXD and using the 3D FXD Player is the way to approach event applications like kiosks or stand alone signage. The 3D FXD Player is free and requires no licensing. It plays PowerPoint files that are set to autorun just like Presenter. It allows the same integration of media types as Presenter. Publish options allow you to create stand alone FXD files that include all your assets for easy deployment.
Can I deliver an FXD file that plays automatically when a system boots up?
Yes. The 3D FXD Player can be run from the command line. That means you can create a batch file and put it in your computer's Start folder. It will be executed automatically when the computer is booted.