DVDplay DVD Synchronizers

NOTICE:

The DVDplay series of synchronizers are no longer stock products. We make these as custom orders only now. The Pioneer DVD players these require have all been discontinued by Pioneer and are now only available on the used market, such as on ebay. However being industrial players, they are still quite reliable.

Dave Jones Design's DVDplay series are devices for playing synchronized loops on multiple video DVD players. These are now only custom made to order, so typically take about two weeks. Sometimes longer. Call for details. Prices are shown at the bottom of this page.

     Download a PDF (Adobe Acrobat) copy of our "DVDplay User Manual" manual. You need Acrobat Reader to view it, which is available free from Adobe's web site.

  We have several tutorials that may help you create DVDs to work with our synchronizers, including one that explains the simplest method of making DVDs so that you don't have to program the synchronizer at all..

• Description
• DVDplay Specifications
• Prices
  • Synchronizers without Black Burst (accurate within 2 frames)
  • Synchronizers with Black Burst (exact to the frame)
  • Special versions
• Typical Connection Diagram
• Information for Dealers and resellers
• Information about international purchases
• Frequently Asked Questions

Description

     Our DVDplay series of intelligent DVD synchronizers are small programmable devices that control multiple Pioneer industrial DVD video players in repeating loops. They support all three of Pioneer's past models, DVD-V7200 (discontinued), DVD-V7300D (sold in Europe and Australia), and the DVD-V7400 (sold in USA). The synchronizers are available in various configurations to control any number of DVD players. They allow multi-image installations to start all of the DVD players at exactly the same time, and stay in sync with each other for the duration of the program. The DVDplay modules can be used to play the multi-channel show in a continuous loop, with the players being re-synchronized at the start of each loop. They can also be hooked up to an external trigger device, like a switch or a sensor, so that the show starts on cue.

     The DVDplay devices do not require an external computer to control the DVDs, they have small powerful computers built into them that control the Pioneer DVD players directly. An IBM PC or compatible is used to program the DVDplays with the starting and ending frame numbers, and any custom configuration information. You can also program individual channels to not synchronize with the rest, to disable them or in case you want to have several free-running loops being played on certain players. Once this information is programmed into the DVDplay, the computer is no longer needed. All information is stored in non-volatile EEPROM memory automatically using the supplied software. This information can be changed at any time by connecting a computer again and running the software. 

     The DVDplay is not a general purpose controller used by a computer to run a scripted or constantly changing show. It simply plays a loop on several DVD players over and over again. It must be disconnected from the players to program it and once it is in use it does not have any connection to a computer.

     The DVDplays all come with standard international power supplies that can be switched between 110 and 220 volts from the back panel, and use standard international IEC power cords. They have 15 pin D-sub connectors for connecting to the Pioneer DVD players, and come with one cable per channel. They also have a reset switch on the front that can be used to re-start all channels of the synchronizer in order to start the show over again manually.

     An optional black burst output can be installed that will guarantee frame accurate synchronization with the Pioneer players. Without a black burst reference being fed to the players, the DVDplays can only guarantee synchronizing within plus or minus one frame. This is fine for most applications, but for those critical applications, the black burst option is available. With the black burst option the DVDplay is frame accurate. The Black-Burst output can also be used in situations where a switcher will route the images from a few players to a large number of monitors and some of the monitors need to have black images. We do not supply the BNC cables you will need to connect the black burst between the synchronizer and the players. You will need one BNC to BNC cable per player.

     Previously an option, now standard on all DVDplay synchronizers, is the "Network" connector that allows multiple DVDplays to be connected in a synchronizer network. This is a special network, exclusive to the DVDplay and LasrPlay synchronizers, that allow multiple boxes to be connected together to simulate a larger synchronizer. All synchronizers to be connected must have this connector. The network connector can also be used as an external trigger. By shorting the center contact to ground, the next cycle of synchronization will not start. When the players are cued up and this connection is released, the cycle will start.

     At this time the DVDplays are only available for Pioneer industrial DVD players. These are the most common and most powerful industrial DVD players available. The DVDplay synchronizers do not work with Philips, Panasonic, or any other brand of DVD player. They also do not work with the Pioneer consumer models. Only the industrial models. The DVDplay synchronizers will work with all commercial DVDs and DVD-R discs that comply with the DVD-Video format.

     The DVDplay series can be ordered with any number of channels. There is no limit to the number of channels, and no change in the response of the DVDplays in large configurations because every channel of a DVDplay has it's own internal high speed computer controlling each DVD player. That means that a 2 channel DVDplay has 2 small computers inside of it to control the 2 DVD players, and a 16 channel DVDplay has 16 computers inside of it. 

     Note: The Pioneer industrial players are now all discontinued and only available on the used market, such as via ebay..

Specifications 

Without Black Burst (accurate within 2 frames)
    The following group of models do not contain the optional black burst generator, and therefore are accurate to within 2 frames:

With Black Burst (accurate exactly to the frame)
 The following versions contain a black burst generator for frame accurate synchronization. (can be set for NTSC or PAL). BNC to BNC cables for connecting the black burst are not supplied and must be purchased locally.

Special Versions
 The following versions are for special purposes

 For accessories and special control cables to control single DVD players, check our Synchronizer Accessories page.