PVP can output to a multitude of software and hardware components. This section will provide a quick overview of the output types as well as how to get them ready to be seen by PVP.

Note that we recommend that you set up your Show while all hardware/software components are plugged in and turned on, however, this is not required;  it is possible to set up your Show using placeholders (called Custom Screens) and link them up to the actual components at a later time.

System (External Monitors)

PVP can output to any external monitor that your operating system can see. Examples of this are VGA, DVI, and HDMI outputs (often requiring Thunderbolt or USB adapters), but there are other possible configurations that might fall under this heading. In general: If the operating system sees it as an external monitor (that is you can drag a window from your primary monitor to a given component), then it will fit into the “System” description.

Setup for these outputs would be plugging the device into your computer (using any necessary adapters) and making sure that the operating system can see it as an external monitor. If the operating system can’t see it, PVP won’t be able to see it.

Note that USB adapters often require drivers to be installed before they will work;  check with your device manufacturer for more information.

SDI and HD-SDI

SDI (short for Serial Digital Interface) and HD-SDI are broadcast standards for sending digital video signals long distances. SDI and HD-SDI requires additional hardware to bring the signal out of your computer (typically the Blackmagic UltraStudio Mini Monitor) as well as hardware on the receiving end that can interpret the signal.

Note that PVP makes no distinction between SDI and HD-SDI;  therefore in this article, we will use the term “SDI” to refer to both.

Setup of an SDI output requires hardware to convert the signal to SDI (see a full list of supported hardware) as well as the drivers associated with your device (click here for Blackmagic’s support page).

NDI

NDI (short for Network Device Interface) is a protocol created by NewTek that allows media to be sent over the network to other software or hardware devices. NDI is a new technology and adoption is continuing to grow, so continue to check for new hardware and software that supports this exciting new technology.

Setup for NDI is as simple as making sure that the computer running PVP is on the same network as the software/hardware receiving the signal.

Syphon

Syphon is an open source technology that allows programs to share media (videos and still images) with other software on the same computer. Common uses for Syphon would be to bring the output from PVP to a separate piece of software that would map it for environmental projection before being sent to the hardware.

Setup for Syphon would be to run the corresponding software before opening PVP so that PVP can acknowledge the other software’s presence.