Xlobby and Smart Display by Viewsonic

by **ScAndal** on Wed Mar 02, 2005 12:00 am

I have search the threads on here and I have seen lots of issues with smart displays and video refresh rates.

My goal is to just use it for audio. What are the refresh rates like on just the audio screens? albums covers, etc...?

I plan on building a 4U rackmount case with 4 zone audio.

Thanks,
ScAndal

by **semi_expert** on Wed Mar 02, 2005 9:16 pm

I use an Airpanel 150 with Xlobby for audio. Works great. If the album covers are typical sized jpg I have no issue with refresh. There is a slight delay when hitting mute...stop...etc. But other than that it works great.

by **hjackson** on Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:15 pm

I believe the refresh rate problem is only significant for watching a video. It is not a problem for displaying a screen image. BTW, do you want your audio played through the AirPanel or through your server?

hjackson

by **ScAndal** on Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:36 pm

I want the server to output all audio. I will have bunch of sound cards.

ScAndal

by **ingalls** on Thu Mar 03, 2005 7:50 pm

Hello Scandal!

I bought a 15'' smartdisplay, and it works great for Xlobby.
I did client screens in 640x480 and the smartdisplay is in 1024x768. I had in 1024x768 refresh rate problems because the network transfert was to high for a 100MBps network. In 640x480, it is quite perfect.
But there is some problems with this resolution: the quality of the screen is not as good as 1024x768... You can try 800x600 but for me, it was not fast enough.

Everything is not perfect with the client system: I can't see any webpage in Xlobby, and when I click on a category (cover), there is a small bug in the server who shows me the cleint screen :shock:

(no return about that)

I did the client-server system because I wanted to have the video and TV fonctionnality (in the server) but controlled with the smartdisplay.

If you don't need any vidéo on your computer, You can install directly Xlobby in your smart display computer, the refresh rate will be good (as fast as the smartdisplay), and you willl be able to do anythings (control via usbuirt, internet, music with multiroom) without problems.BUT, with this option, no videos or Television...

by **ScAndal** on Thu Mar 03, 2005 7:52 pm

ingallis,

what model smart display do you have?

Kevin

by **ingalls** on Fri Mar 04, 2005 10:36 am

Airpanel 150 15''

by **edwinbonneau** on Sat Mar 05, 2005 5:12 am

ingalls wrote:
I had in 1024x768 refresh rate problems because the network transfert was to high for a 100MBps network.

correct me if i'm wrong but i thought airpanls only trasitted at 11mbs. i wish my airpanel could run at 100mbs. are you connected with a network other than 802.11b?

by **ingalls** on Sun Mar 13, 2005 5:32 pm

Not wrong.

But my system is: 2Pc's with 100mbps Network.
The 1st PC is xlobbyserver and the second is the client with the SD connected.

by **SteveK** on Mon Mar 14, 2005 6:27 pm

ingalls wrote:Not wrong.

But my system is: 2Pc's with 100mbps Network.
The 1st PC is xlobbyserver and the second is the client with the SD connected.

In other words, you have the smart display connected as a VGA display to the 2nd PC instead of connecting it wirelessly?

by **ingalls** on Mon Mar 14, 2005 6:43 pm

no, it's wireless.

PC1<100Mbps>PC2----wifi------SD

by **BaddaBing** on Mon Mar 14, 2005 10:58 pm

A ViewSonic panel runs at 11 MB in wireless mode. And just fyi, 11mbs is the theoretical peak - typical 11b wireless networks run at 5-6 mbs. Network speed is determined by the slowest link in the chain - which in this case is the 11b wireless connection between the host pc and your wireless device. The fact that its connected to a 100MB - or even a gigabit network - has no impact on the fact that the data can't travel any faster than the slowest connection in the chain. The only time you are getting 100mb throughput is when the panel is in the cradle and has a direct physical connection.

by **hjackson** on Tue Mar 15, 2005 12:13 am

Baddabing is correct. That is why you would not be able to reliably stream a DVD on your Airpanel (DVD needs about 11 - 12 MB) or any 802.11b connection.

hjackson

by **ingalls** on Tue Mar 15, 2005 2:39 pm

You guys didn't understant what I do.

I don't want to stream vidéos or anything like that via the airpanel because it's only a command system.

the smartdisplay is the client, so only images are transmit. They could be in 1024x768 but the transfert was too slow (even if it was on a 100Mb lan without the smartdisplay), so I choose the 640x480.

by **BaddaBing** on Tue Mar 15, 2005 6:55 pm

Hi Ingalls,
Its not that I misunderstand or even disagree - just clarifying some network speed issues. SteveK asked a question regarding the wireless communication speed of an AirPanel SD device, if it was capable of T100 throughput. I simply provided some basic networking facts - that the maximum speed of a network is limited by the slowest device and that the ViewSonic SD panel is limited to 11mbs throughput. If anything I agreed with what you originally stated, that it will work fine for as an audio controller front end - just be aware of bandwidth issues that will limit its future capabilities. Peace, ok?
-baddabing