Advantages?

[colonelcline]

What advantage is there to running a show with a FPP vs. Xlights on a dedicated PC?

[jnealand]

Beside no computer, small footprint, cost, easy to do, etc.

[colonelcline]

Beside no computer, small footprint, cost, easy to do, etc.

But how about in terms of performance or reliability?

[sean]

i ran my show using xlights in 2012 and the fpp in 2013. both were reliable, both had zero lag.
i did not have my laptop tied up for two months by using the fpp.

advantages of xlights a show player
1) It works. originally written in 2010 it has been well tested
2) No addition hardware to purchase. No USB or SD cards.
3) Don't need to learn to use the web page for the fpp. You do need to learn how to setup playlists and schedule them on xlights
4) Scripts are written in BASIC


Advantages of the fpp
1) it is small, fast, reliable
2) You can play videos with your show besides lights
3) You have pixel overlay feature. While talking to people on the street you can type text and it will overlay on top of current running show. Walk to someone watching show: "Hi, what's you daughters name?" "Jenny" enter "Merry Christmas Jenny" on my phone,  a few seconds later it appears on top of the current effects.
4) Can start/stop my show using iphone running a web link to the fpp web page.
5) You can have up to 64 fpp's, each with a hdmi video port, each can drive 64K channels.
This means you could have 64 hdmi projectors and 4 million channels of lights, all synced.
6) Capt Murdoch, Mykroft, Dave Pitts, Materdaddy are constantly improving it
7) Scripts are written in linux shells, perl code
so, for the extra effort the return for me is fpp will be my show player for all my future shows.

both work good, just pick how much capability u need for your show player.

[colonelcline]

Thanks for the input! It helps.

[jnealand]

I ran my show all season in 2013 using the Falcon Player.  Ran good the whole time.  I never power off anything in my show and the show runs rain or shine every night whether I am home or not.  I did have a laptop configured with xlights sitting next to the Pi for a few nights, but the Pi ran so well I moved the laptop back to my basement workbench.

[Steve Gase]

xlights gives you a visual display when using nutcracker.
xlights can do native LOR
you can remotely manage your windows-based xlights using remote desktop, or vnc

fpp can synchronize with other fpp units to create larger, distributed shows
you can remotely manage your Pi-based fpp using a web browser
you can locate your fpp out in the yard with the lights

[colonelcline]

xlights can do native LOR

My first 80 channels in XL are COM3 LOR (a distance problem where cat5 is impractical to run and I use Linkers in a relay). Is this "native LOR"? Sounds like FPP won't do COM output, makes sense...

If I have time, I have some wireless DMX bridges that supposedly handle up to 6 universes. Would be a way to ditch the COM's/Linkers?

[sean]

"Sounds like FPP won't do COM output" is not true
Sounds like FPP won't do LOR protocol on COM output" is true.


Here are the protocols supported by both, there is only one difference: LOR protocol on comm port
xLights as a Player
---------------------
USB LOR protocol
USB DMX protocol
USB OpenDMX Protocl
USB Pixelnet
USB Renard
USB D-Light
E1.31

FPP as a Player
-----------------
FPP Does NOT Support {USB LOR protocol}
USB DMX protocol
USB OpenDMX Protocl
USB Pixelnet
USB Renard
USB D-Light
E1.31

[Steve Gase]

xlights can do native LOR

My first 80 channels in XL are COM3 LOR (a distance problem where cat5 is impractical to run and I use Linkers in a relay). Is this "native LOR"? Sounds like FPP won't do COM output, makes sense...

If I have time, I have some wireless DMX bridges that supposedly handle up to 6 universes. Would be a way to ditch the COM's/Linkers?

I used wireless dmx driven by the fpp/fpd without problem.

[Santa]

By "distance problem" I assume you mean your controllers are too far from your show computer's location? If so, remember that the Pi can be in the yard with your controllers. You don't need any connection to your sequencing computer to run your show (though wifi is nice if you like to tweak your show and schedule during the season). It's also worth mentioning that the Pi is extraordinarily energy efficient, perfect for long-term installations (I'm planning a 100 day countdown to Christmas for next year, for instance) or for mobile shows (parade floats). Last year I used a Pi to run my singing pumpkin (LOR in DMX), a DMX flood, and a few pixel strips at our campsite at Disney (folks go all out decorating there). I did not want to drill holes in my RV so I could keep my laptop inside, and I sure didn't want to leave my laptop outside. The Pi was perfect. It's cheap enough that I didn't mind leaving it outside in a tote. I accessed it from my laptop, iPad or even iphone to change the playback (mostly to adjust volume). I'm doing a portable Christmas show for our campsite this year to include a 10' pixel tree, again Pi based.

[colonelcline]

We light up 13 acres in a rural development,year 8. Some conduit under roads but a LOT of wire on top of the ground. Last count 25,000' of 14 gauge orange extension cords and LOTS of SPT wire.  Being rural and in a "swamp" we have herds of deer that think the lights are candy and love to stomp CAT5 cable. I run a Psyops set of sequences in the main stage areas at night but it is about 1500' straight line to the entry mall stages and it seems easier to run some Linkers as all those stages are 16 ch LOR boxes. The deer are 7 and 0 on shutting that area down with cat5. Guess they are anti-rudolph?

I will not have time to deploy the FP this year but once we get the show up and running, I do plan on testing it. With the Master-slave  feature I can see some potential here to use them as I did the Linkers. Then maybe I can enjoy some venison as I watch the show!!

[ranjanpa]

I ran my show all season in 2013 using the Falcon Player.  Ran good the whole time.  I never power off anything in my show and the show runs rain or shine every night whether I am home or not.  I did have a laptop configured with xlights sitting next to the Pi for a few nights, but the Pi ran so well I moved the laptop back to my basement workbench.

What is the interface to the Falcon player.

I have a LOR network with 50 channels - is connected to my computers USB port
I have a Dumb RGB network with 50 channels - via DMX Dongle connected to my computers USB port.
e 682 with 2400 pixels connected to my computers ethernet port.

Does the Pi player have two USB and one ethernet port and do I have to connect all three just like in the show PC.

Do I have to convert LOR to DMX with a crossover cable.

Any video showing these instructions.

Thanks

[sean]

Lor protocol has just been added to the FPP. The raspberry pi , model B+ has 4 USB ports and one e1.31 port. Show show, as described, will work on the FPP no problems.

[Santa]

Wow, surprising! I thought they weren't really interested in supporting (the bloated) LOR protocol. Cool.