A common requirement that I come across is the ability to use a ScreenPRO II to display a combination of analog, SDI, and DVI sources on screen. Because the ScreenPRO II units do not have scaled DVI inputs, this isn’t the easiest thing to achieve, but there are a few work-arounds if you’re patient.
Method 1: Hard patch 2 fixed DVI inputs as ScreenPRO II backgrounds
This is the easiest method of connecting DVI inputs to a ScreenPRO II destination in an Encore system. Simply connect 2 DVI sources directly into the DVI background inputs of the ScreenPRO II – these could be sources unique to the ScreenPRO II unit, or a D/A split of a source going to other destinations or a router.
Method 2: Create MatrixPRO AUX Destinations
If you have a DVI router in your Encore system, you can set 2 of the router outputs as AUX destinations – configure these destinations as either Input patch or Source patch, and connect the router outputs to the DVI inputs on the ScreenPRO II unit. To control this configuration, you will need to select one of the two AUX destinations you have created and take the desired source to that destination, then choose your ScreenPRO II destination, choose Background A (or B, depending on which ScreenPRO II input your router output is connected to), assign a DVI input as the background source, and hit take.
NOTE: Even though the above method will allow you to switch different DVI sources to the ScreenPRO II background inputs, there are several caveats:
a. You cannot scale a DVI input on the ScreenPRO II – if you have an input that’s larger than the ScreenPRO II’s output resolution, the input will be cropped, and if you have an input at a lower resolution, then the input will be shown with black bars around it.
b. You cannot save the AUX switch and the ScreenPRO II transition in one preset, as you must switch the AUX BEFORE you transition the ScreenPRO II background – so you would need to save 2 presets to achieve this method
Method 3: Use an ImagePRO
If you have the luxury of having access to a spare ImagePRO or ImagePRO HD, you can either use Method 2, but put the ImagePRO in between the router and the ScreenPRO II background input, on freerun, so that the ImagePRO can scale all inputs it receives to fit the ScreenPRO II’s output resolution – or you can connect an ImagePRO to the output from a specific source, convert the source to an analog or SDI signal, and then send it to the ScreenPRO II to be freely manipulated.
None of these methods are particularly user friendly or fully functional – the bottom line is that you can’t get around the lack of DVI scaling with any ease – if you need true DVI scaling functionality on a single-screen destination, you may need to invest in another Encore VP.