P5 effects on a .9 spacing matrix

Has anyone tried mapping some of the p5 video sequences on to a 8 x 4 matrix with a .9 spacing? It’s 100 x 50 pixels for 5000 total.

Second question. How will video effects look with this matrix?

Thanks everyone!!!

100x50 is a fair resolution for a matrix, depending on what specific effect it is intended.

100x50 is fine for bars, butterfly, spirals, snowflakes, morph, and other common sequence matrix effects. Most sequence effects are basically designed for this... 50x25 at the low end, up to a few hundred in both directions at the high end.

Viewing distance matters. .9 spacing is pleasant, depending on the viewing distance. Looks pretty good at 10'-50'.

100x50 is not great for, say, a music video... it would be quite recognizable but not overwhelmingly watchable because much of the detail will be lost (partly due to resolution, partly due to contrast between light and dark). So it wouldn't be the centerpiece of the display, but a good complement if you have a lot of other things going on at the same time. Throw it in with a tree, some arches, and some flakes, it'll be fine in sequences.

So, the situation matters... to get a better feel, you can always try it in xLights and get a much better sense of how it will look in the specific situation you have in mind.

This is great info. Thanks so much! I’m excited to start my build! It’s a lot of pixels to push! lol.

Agree with @merryoncherry. I had a Boscoyo 84x42 Monster matrix with 1.125" spacing for a few years, been collecting dust in the garage the last couple of years. 100x50 would be very effective for effects and text, video not so much. Video from 2018 Baby Shark. On the fence to the right of the mega tree. Most video didn't look this good.
View: https://vimeo.com/308853323?share=copy

Thanks for your help and sharing video. Nice show!!! Just so I’m clear, that video was on a matrix not the p5, right? It did look pretty good.

I filled up a garage door using a 65x176 matrix. Was quite good images quality when viewed at a reasonable distance. I’d say video looks good from about 5m or above, below that and it’s hard to make out.


View: https://youtu.be/6KCd5yToXbw?si=4lrCnW2JdJt9e2WQ

aimbrunone said:

Thanks for your help and sharing video. Nice show!!! Just so I’m clear, that video was on a matrix not the p5, right? It did look pretty good.

Click to expand...

The largest matrix on the far right is the 84x42 Monster Matrix with 1.125" spacing. The smaller ones were P10's back then. Not all video looked that good on it, probably because it was a cartoon.

IME if the video doesn't look that good people's eyes just wander over to something else... plenty of other things to look at in @uncledan's or @Johnnyboy's display... if you are just watching the music video you're missing out. I'm not quite saying "they don't notice", but it does seem that "they don't complain". And a lot of times the video doesn't have all that much detail and it does look OK, so it doesn't hurt to run it.

I agree 100% with @merryoncherry. I added a 42 panel P5 matrix a few years ago. People just stand there and stare at it. Much more to look at than the matrix..

This is all great help! Thanks everyone! I’m in the process of gathering my stuff up and hoping to start building soon!