Sky-Skan Digital Video Solutions


Sky-Skan offers a full range of digital video solutions ranging from standard resolution (NTSC or PAL) to high definition. We have multi-channel servers designed for ease of use and low cost per channel as well as single channel servers optimized for image quality and control flexibility as well as professional, industrial DVD players. Don't know which one is right for you? See the FAQs. For those using SPICE Automation and have a separate computer running PowerPoint, we also offer our PowerPoint Presenter software as a low-cost audio-video server solution.


 Adtec Soloist 2
PowerPoint Presenter for SPICE Automation

Users of SPICE Automation can also take advantage of the flexibility of Microsoft PowerPoint™ using Sky-Skan's PowerPoint Presenter software. Requiring only a computer with an available serial port running Microsoft’s PowerPoint™ (or PowerPoint Viewer™), plus one available serial TARRAGON channel, PowerPoint Presenter provides SPICE control over selecting, loading, and playing of PowerPoint™ files as well as randomly accessing individual pages within them.

Providing all the media support of Microsoft Windows™ and PowerPoint™ coupled with the reliability of SPICE Automation, this simple, low-cost media server solution allows presentation and playback of graphics, video, and audio files as easily as creating the individual PowerPoint pages. See the PowerPoint Presenter web page for more information.

The Soloist 2 has a reputation as the premier decoder for multimedia professionals. It plays studio quality full D1 MPEG at encoded rates to 15 Mb/s. Along with balanced audio, it delivers crisp video signals to SDI, RGB, YUV, Y/C and Composite outputs. The Soloist 2 offers professionals a toolbox of features and capabilities that have been designed and field-tested by world-class multimedia application engineers.

Key Features:

  • SPICE Automation compatible
  • Broadcast quality full D1 MPEG2
  • 1 to 15 Mbs/second MPEG2 program and MPEG1 system stream decoding
  • SCSI 2 and IDE drive host interface
  • Chassis holds two hard drives mounted in removable bays
  • Serial RS-232, Serial RS-422, and discrete control
  • SYNC input
  • Genlock, Y/C, RGB, and component YUV
  • Balanced and Unbalanced audio outputs
  • 10 base-T Ethernet connection for file transfer
Pioneer DVD-V5000 DVD Player Pioneer DVD-V8000 DVD Player

Pioneer's DVD-V5000 is a compact, high-end player intended for rigorous operating environments. RS-232C control, frame accurate search, and NTSC/PAL playback are included.

Key Features:

  • SPICE Automation compatible
  • Features
    • Compact, dustproof case design
    • NTSC/PAL playback
    • Progressive scan
    • Up-conversion (digital line doubling) of analog signals
  • Mulitiple Disc Formats
    • DVD-Video
    • Video CD
    • CD-Audio
    • DVD Hybrid (Pioneer format, NTSC only)
  • Multiple Disc Media
    • DVD-R
    • DVD-RW
    • CD-R
    • CD-RW
  • Outputs
    • Component video output (Y, Pb, Pr)
    • Composite video output (RCA)
    • S-Video
    • Stereo audio (RCA)
    • 5.1 digital audio (RCA)

Pioneer's next-generation, full-featured industrial DVD-video player designed for professional applications. The DVD-V8000 builds upon its predecessor's advanced capabilities to provide users with a robust feature set that delivers improved durability and exceptional picture quality. The player's new form factor allows for easier rack mounting; a new front panel LCD display and navigation keys on the front panel allow for enhanced ease of use; and USB interfaces allow connectivity for a computer mouse, USB Flash Memory or handwriting device. (description from Pioneer)

Key Features:

  • SPICE Automation compatible
  • Features
    • Compact, dustproof case design
    • Rackmountable (with optional kit)
    • Front panel LCD display
    • NTSC/PAL playback
    • Progressive scan
    • Upscaling of DVI signals up to 1080i
  • Mulitiple Disc Formats
    • DVD-Video
    • Video CD
    • CD-Audio
    • DVD Hybrid (Pioneer format, NTSC only)
  • Multiple Disc Media
    • DVD-R
    • DVD-RW
    • CD-R
    • CD-RW
  • Outputs
    • Component video output (Y, Pb, Pr)
    • Composite video output (BNC)
    • Composite video monitor output with OSD (RCA)
    • DVI-D video output
    • S-Video
    • Stereo audio (RCA)
    • 5.1 digital audio (RCA)

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What is the best solution for me?
A: That depends upon what your needs are. If you only need to play back video that you have on a single DVD, a single DVD player should suit your needs just fine. On the other hand, hard drive video servers allow you to keep lots of video material online without the need for multiple players or switching discs, but require video to first be captured, and possibly edited and encoded for the intended player.

Q: I don't have a lot of money but want to upgrade to digital video. What solution fits my budget?
A: Costs of players vary depending upon options (e.g. hard drive storage, computer specifications, etc.), but in general DVD players are the least expensive, followed by standard resolution MPEG2 players, high-definition MPEG2 players, and then a combination video server workstation.

Q: Can I use a video server to play two video clips at the same time?
A: Either a multi-channel video server or multiple single-channel video server is required for this. Most video servers are single channel.

Q: What are the differences between the hard drive video servers Sky-Skan offers?
A: The Adtec Soloist 2 and a typical high-definition video player are both made to play back video that is already encoded into MPEG2 format (standard definition and high-definition, respectively). MPEG players are well-suited for situations where one has the ability to capture, edit and encode video exactly as it is needed for playback or otherwise obtains video in a "ready to play" state and wants video files of very small size. In general, MPEG files (and DVD players to some degree) do not provide frame-accurate searching, smooth multispeed playback or playback in reverse functionality and are best suited for simple play functions. The VLD-1000 is a combination workstation and video server and provides the user the flexibility to capture and play back video as high-quality Motion JPEG (i.e. full frame progressive video), as well as edit captured video and encode it into a variety of formats, including MPEG2, AVI and QuickTime for playback on another device or use on a web site, etc. For those wanting to handle their own digital video needs over the long term, want random-access searching to frames and the ability to play video forward, backward and at multiple speeds, and purchasing additional hard drive space as needed is not an issue, the VLD-1000 is a good solution.

Q: How to I get my existing video onto a video server?
A: You need a way to capture the video in a format compatible with the player you plan to use. If you plan to use an MPEG player, it must be encoded into MPEG2 format, however the VLD-1000 allows capture, editing, and frame-accurate playback with no encoding.

Q: I was told that MPEG2 provides much better video quality than DVD. Is that true?
A: No, this is not true. The video on DVDs are, in fact, MPEG2 files. The deciding factor is what bit rate the video is encoded at and how good the decoding hardware is. We have evaluated the same video clips using the same MPEG files playing on both MPEG and DVD players and found that each was better than the other in some ways, but they were more or less equal. As a reference, DVDs are typically encoded at rates between 4 and 10 MB/sec. Encoding rates higher than 10 MB/sec provide minimal quality gains, but also much higher file sizes, and are typically not required.

Q: How much hard drive space do I need to keep all the video I have online?
A: For example, standard resolution MPEG2 video encoded at 8 MB/sec (similar to DVD quality) will use approximately 4.5 GB per one hour of video. Using the VLD-1000, that same hour of video would use approximately 12 GB of drive space (similar to DVD quality). High-definition MPEG2 files encoded at a very good quality would use approximately 8 GB of drive space per hour of video. In all cases bit rates (correlated to visual quality) can be set higher or lower, using more or less disk space, respectively.

Q: High-definition video is better than standard definition, shouldn't I buy a high-definition player?
A: Only if the video that you have is already high-definition and you have the ability to edit and encode video for this format. Most video used today is standard definition, which does not benefit from re-encoding and playback through a high-definition player.

Q: I want to purchase something that allows me to use Sky-Skan's special effects video library. Which one is compatible?
A: Sky-Skan offers its video special effects library in DVD, laserdisc, MPEG2 and VLD-1000 formats. As the library was created in standard definition, a high-definition version is not available.

Q: I have a few DVDs with video I want to use in a show I'm producing, but only one DVD player. How can I use all of them with my player? A: There is no easy answer here. Either you will have to "rip" the video from the discs you have and author your own custom disc, pay someone else to do this for you, add the appropriate number of players to your system. The other way around this would be to capture (and possibly edit and encode) the desired video and put it on a video server that would allow you to keep it all simultaneously online.

Q: I have an MPEG clip or a DVD and it doesn't play right through my automation system.
A: MPEG encoding and DVD authoring is still part science and part art. Not all hardware/software produces fully compatible MPEG2 files and the way a DVD is authored will affect how it plays back. For example, if the author (e.g. a commercial movie studio) has created a menu at the beginning of a DVD that requires a menu selection before proceeding, your automation system is likely not going to be able to skip past this to the video. There are many variables in authoring a DVD that could prevent an automation system from accessing it as desired. If you plan to author your own DVDs but don't have lots of experience, do some research on various DVD authoring packages and DVD burners, make some tests and keep the disc simple for best results.

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