[MPlayer-users] Help using mplayer on a video wall

[Eric Sokolowsky]

I'm trying to use mplayer on a video wall. I have 4 computers each with 1
monitor in a 2x2 grid, plus an extra computer to do the synchronization.
I'm using version MPlayer 1.2-4.8.5 on CentOS 7. Here are the commands I
run:

(master)
mplayer -fixed-vo -loop 0 -really-quiet -fs -osdlevel 0 -udp-ip
192.168.36.255 /hw/data/download/a003221/katrina_rainAccumHD.m2v -vo null
-udp-master -udp-port 65000

(client - upper left)
mplayer -fixed-vo -loop 0 -really-quiet -fs -osdlevel 0 -udp-ip
192.168.36.255 /hw/data/download/a003221/katrina_rainAccumHD.m2v -vf
crop=606:341:15:0 -udp-slave -udp-port 65000

(client - upper right)
mplayer -fixed-vo -loop 0 -really-quiet -fs -osdlevel 0 -udp-ip
192.168.36.255 /hw/data/download/a003221/katrina_rainAccumHD.m2v -vf
crop=606:341:659:0 -udp-slave -udp-port 65000

(client - lower left)
mplayer -fixed-vo -loop 0 -really-quiet -fs -osdlevel 0 -udp-ip
192.168.36.255 /hw/data/download/a003221/katrina_rainAccumHD.m2v -vf
crop=606:341:15:379 -udp-slave -udp-port 65000

(client - lower right)
mplayer -fixed-vo -loop 0 -really-quiet -fs -osdlevel 0 -udp-ip
192.168.36.255 /hw/data/download/a003221/katrina_rainAccumHD.m2v -vf
crop=606:341:659:379 -udp-slave -udp-port 65000

This works, but there is a delay at the beginning of playback of several
seconds before the movie file actually plays. How do I cause it not to have
a delay when starting?

Also, is there a way to play a part of the video on each screen with a
customizable justification so that I have black letterboxing bars on a
specific side of the screen and not the others? (I.e. I don't want it
centered in the middle of the screen but say on the right, or on the
bottom).

Thanks for any help in advance.

[Erik Auerswald]

Hi,

Post by Eric Sokolowsky
I'm trying to use mplayer on a video wall. I have 4 computers each with 1
monitor in a 2x2 grid, plus an extra computer to do the synchronization.
I'm using version MPlayer 1.2-4.8.5 on CentOS 7. Here are the commands I
[...]
This works, but there is a delay at the beginning of playback of several
seconds before the movie file actually plays. How do I cause it not to have
a delay when starting?

Did you try to disable the cache or reduce the minimum fill rate? MPlayer
will buffer video in its cache, but not start the video until some part of
the cache (I think 50% by default) is filled.

Thanks,
Erik