I wanted to add something I said in the video at 8:02. I said you can run a controller off the same Raspberry Pi running the Colorlight card. This is true, but I wouldn't recommend it after some testing I've done. My whole display kept skipping and frames were dropping because the PI couldn't handle talking to both the screen and the controller. Yes it technically does work, but I was getting maybe 3 to 5 FPS with 40 FPS sequences running. I'm going to set up my second PI to run just the Colorlight card and hopefully that will fix it.
That flicker you are seeing on your LED Panels appears to be "Screen Tearing" It happens when the video source resolution is higher than the screen will allow and the video sync gets out of whack every so many frames of video. Try to transcode your video down to 240p to match your actual screen resolution. We have the same issue with our massive 1.5p LED panels and we have to re-encode ALL of our client video's to match our screens. Also look into GSYNC as that may also help with this issue. and then lastly make sure ALL of your powers & rounds are solid. Ohm out all of your grounds and make sure they are good and solid.
I have been on the same adventure as you this year and just built my first p5 panel 6x8 myself. I have spoke to Mynor with one of the companies that supply panel kits. He told me that it is recommended that panels the size of mine or yours should have 2 colorlight cards running them. He says that refresh rate and pixelation will occur on playback. Looks like that is what is happening with yours. I had same issue. BTW this is one of your best videos to date and I like watching your show grow. You have helped me so much in the last 3 years of having my show. Thank you.
Thank you so much, I'm glad the videos are helpful! I heard someone else say the same thing in a RU-vid video that panels the size of mine should have 2 colorlight cards. So I learned that if something says it can support whatever number of items doesn't mean I should use that many items on it 🤣
Thank you for putting out this very detailed video. I just purchased 20 P4 panels and the same card from Aliexpress so I won't get them until January. It is good to know how you have it setup and what I have to look forward to doing when they arrive. I am currently doing a replacement of LED strips with COB lights in my home office and agree the price of Acrylic panels has gone thru the roof. Just one 1/8 x 2' x 4' panel is $45. Ripping it down to 45mm strips and covering with defusing tint should look good though. I will look into what you used for your front panel even though my panel will be a little bit smaller than what you have setup. I just watched your software setup video and it really helped me a lot.
Glad the video was useful! If you use the plastic covering I used in my panel, just make sure to keep it out of direct sunlight if you live in a warm climate. I've had so many problems with it this year stretching and sagging like crazy. The temperatures here in New York have been a lot warmer than normal, so for a week straight every morning I had to cover the screen with a tarp so it didn't stretch, then take it off when it got cooler and darker. I Think I might try and find a replacement for it next year. Any temperatures over 45 - 50F in the direct sun is when it started to stretch, so if you live some place where it will be warmer than that, I'd recommend looking for some other options.
I bought them from a store called Wired Watts. They are from the US and run out of Georgia, so shipping isn't normally that bad. However, I'm sure there are some other places in China where you can buy directly from the sellers and more than likely get a better price, I'm just not exactly sure where.
GREAT VIDEO! Are you aware of any simple software libraries that can run on a BeagbleBone Black and display text on those P5 panels without Xlights software? I would like to build a simple 2x3 P5 matrix that simply displays text using an API. Thanks!
Are you talking about the brackets in the corners of the panel? Or the brackets that hold up the panels? The brackets in the corners of the panel frame are literally just shelving brackets I found at Home Depot 😂. I don't remember what they were called, but I'm sure if you look around in a hardware store you could find something similar. The brackets that hold up the panels I got from Wired Watts. They have different sizes depending on how big your panel is, but you can find them here: www.wiredwatts.com/panel-mounts
I've never heard of painting with light, but I looked it up and it seems pretty cool. I'm afraid though that it may be difficult to replicate those effects in Xlights. There are a few effects that might be able to make those patterns, but I'm not sure if they'll meet your expectations. Your best bet I'd say would be to try the tendril effect in Xlights and see if you can adjust it to your liking. Good luck with your project!
I like the build but I'm just afraid your back cover is not waterproof. Screwing it into that top board leaves a gap that even silicone would have a hard time to seal properly. On the very top board, you may want to replace it with a 1X8 with your sides being 1x6. This will create an overhang of an inch on the front and the back much like you have on the sides. Also, I would put doors on the back instead of a sheet of wood so you can fix any problems as they occur. You can easily build the doors with a rubber seal around the edges (much like a refrigerator door). I would just hate to see that much money, time and effort be ruined. Love your videos! Keep it up!
Thank you for the advice! My dad and I definitely agree that the screen needs to be rebuilt next year. Thankfully, it sits underneath eaves, so no water falls behind it (unless it's raining sideways). We're, also thinking about ways to add a door, because I've had to fix things twice behind the screen. It's so annoying having to unscrew the whole back to get inside. But this was our first year having to waterproof such a big element in our show, so I'd say we did ok for the first time lol!
I have watched nearly every single one of your videos - Great content, long time water, first time commenter. I have to wonder though, 7 panels across, 8 panels down roughly comes to $1,600. I'd say there is probably ~$200 in additional hardware etc. A Full HD TV, even some cheaper 4K TVs, come in at far less money for a comparable size. I am looking right now at a 70" for $800, throw $200 at water proofing it... What is the value of the pixel panel done in this way?
Thank you so much for watching! You're not the first person to ask why I didn't get a TV instead. Honestly, building it this way doesn't provide any more benefits than a TV would, and a TV may even be better since the resolution is way higher. The only thing different with this is you get to build it yourself. I honestly thought it was fun doing it, but with multiple people asking me why I didn't get a TV instead, I kinda regret my decision. If you're looking to do something like this, I'd probably recommend just getting a TV instead, but you live and you learn!
TVs can't get anywhere as bright as these panels. If you are only going to run it at night then a TV might be sufficient, but the difference in brightness is pretty major.
@DocNo27 I came to the conclusion that a tv wouldn't fit in. A high definition display where black isn't black or "off" is just a random screen omiting black light which looks horrible in a light show. It also doesn't suite when low resolution pixels which is the theme of light shows then a random hd screen.
I don't think so. This screen measured from corner to corner is 101 inches, so if you search for 100 inch TVs, most are $2,000+. And even if there was a cheaper TV, where's the fun in that. I wouldn't be able to build my own screen 🤣
very informative , I've been looking into building a large screen led panel system. I particularly liked how you improvised the protective clear pvc screen cover and the wooden chassis build . I did read in the amazon listings that the pvc does shrink or expand depending on temp. I'm wondering if you've had any issues with that so far?
Thank you, glad the video was useful! I did make an update about the screen in either my Halloween or Christmas behind the scenes, but honestly the clear pvc cover did stretch A LOT. It was the worst during Halloween because here in New York, the temps can still be around 60s or 50s. With that and the sun beating on it, it made it stretch a lot. During Christmas it wasn't as bad, but for Halloween what I ended up doing was putting a tarp over it during the day. The worst part about the whole screen was the panels actually stretched in the heat too. The plastic covering that goes around all the pixels and sits on top of each panel actually almost fell off. It stretched and if the clear screen wasn't there to hold it, it probably would've fallen off. When it got colder it somehow stuck itself back on, but I feel like the panels I got were really low quality. So honestly, the clear pvc screen might've been a bad idea and you may want to look into other options if you don't want to see it stretch.
No I wasn't able to :( Some people told me maybe getting another card and using less panels per chain may help, or updating the software, which I've tried before. Later this year I may try to update it again but I'm not sure if that'll help.
