Info-Mac

I want to make a video that runs over two full HD LCD screens side by side and to run it from one mac-mini. I haven't used the arraysync or array shaker software before. I would like to know if what I want to do is possible with the software and also how best to set it up - there seem to be potentially two approaches:

1. To create the video as two separate videos (both 1920 x1080) which I can then get to play on the two screens from the mac mini simultaneously (is this possible from one mac mini?) using ArraySync

2. To create one double width video sequence (3840 x 1080) and then use ArrayShaker (in conjunction with ArraySync?) to split it across the two screens.

There would only be one soundtrack.

As I'm starting from scratch which set up would anyone recommend? In many ways the second would be easier for me to be able to edit in FCP as I won't have to consider keeping two sequences in sync and can see the full array in one timeline. However I imagine working with such a big resolution will be much slower to render and process at every stage so maybe option 1 is better although more fiddly - are there other advantages to the first option too?

I don't have the mac yet, I was considering buying the current basic model:

2.5GHz Mac mini
2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
4GB memory
500GB hard drive1
Intel HD Graphics 4000
OS X Mountain Lion


Any thoughts on the two options would be very gratefully received - and also if anyone can confirm that what I want to do is possible with the software.

THANK YOU!!!

You could do both and actually -- and ArrayShaker wouldn't play a role at all. #2 is probably the easiest option. You can plug two displays into current Mac Minis just fine. Run ArraySync and simply select the one video and set it to Spanned mode. It'll play it across the entire area of your two screens.

You'll probably want to export your video using Apple Intermediate Codec and AAC for audio for best playback quality.

Thank you. I've just downloaded and purchased the software (directly through your site) but I'm having trouble activating it. I'm using Mountain Lion 10.8.3. I saw that there was a bug with OS X Lion - wondered if there might be the same issue with Mountain Lion - but I checked the /library/application support folder and there was already a folder named 'ArraySync' there - it doesn't have an 'AuthKey' file inside it though. Please could you help?

Try deleting that folder and then manually creating a new one yourself. Come back and let me know if that works.

I've just tried doing that but still can't activate. Could you advise please?

Are you in the global /Library/Application Support folder or the user specific one located inside your home folder?

Aha! I found the global library folder now and added ArraySync and the activation has worked. Thank you!

Also got everything working as you suggested in your original post in trial mode and it's spanning the two screens perfectly. Thanks again.

Anna_B wrote:Aha! I found the global library folder now and added ArraySync and the activation has worked. Thank you!

Also got everything working as you suggested in your original post in trial mode and it's spanning the two screens perfectly. Thanks again.

Great! Glad that's working out well for you now.