Introduction

Product Abstract

Video Mill is a video (and image) manager that allows you to play multiple videos simultaneously. Each video is played in its own window (Media Screen) which can be sized to stretch or shrink the video and positioned as desired. Presenters and mobile entertainers can customize presentations by picking from their library of videos for a target audience. Start/stop/pause/resume all videos with one click or keyboard button press. Or freeze individual Screens while others play on. With a common video projector, use Video Mill as video-scapes or backdrops for theater, concerts, amusement attractions, or museum displays. Store owners can play multiple promotion videos side by side on a large TV.

Create basic projects in minutes with drag and drop ease. All your customization edits are saved so at show time you simply open the Media List file and click Play. Most video formats are supported including 720/1080HD (high definition). Play videos residing on your computer or Internet hosted videos. Whether you are a video designer (from professional to aspiring amateur); a business owner (large to small); a mobile entertainer or presenter; or an videophile hobbyist, Video Mill combines simplicity and flexibility for a wide range of video projects.

No special hardware required

No need to drag heavy display equipment with you. It only takes a minute to connect. Walk into a room or hall with a common digital TV, a video projector or virtually any digital display with a computer video-in jack. Connect the laptop computer video output jack (ie. VGA, S-Video, HDMI, etc) to the display input. Then use Windows 'Extend the Windows Desktop onto another monitor' to project the Media Screens onto the display. If you have a computer with an advanced graphics card, use software features of the card to display each Media Screen to its own display device.

Media File Formats Supported

• Video  - Video Mill supports these formats: DivX MPEG-4, DivX H.264, Xvid MP4, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 DVD, SVCD, AVI MPEG-4, WMV (including 720pHD; 1080pHD High Definition), Flash (FLV), Quicktime M2V, M4V (H.264 for iPod), MOV, Apple 3GPP2( 3G2), 3GP, Sorenson MOV, VOB, TS (Transport Stream), RealMedia** (RM, RA, RAM, etc.) and more. Some format require a separate codec to be installed.
• Audio  - Audio is supported allowing you to play special theme sound tracks while muting the sound track on the video. Including but not limited to: WAV, MP3, WMA, MIDI (MID), AU, AIFF (AIF) and more.
• Image  - Image support allows you to load a still image into a Screen alongside your videos.
• Add a Codec  - Some formats require installation of a Codec compatible with Windows Media Player. The free K-Lite Codec Pack has produced excellent results in our testing and supports a wide range of formats. Or use your own favorite codec.

See the Supported Formats section for a complete listing of supported formats and Codec information.

Key Features

• Play Multiple Videos Simultaneously  - Play multiple videos simultaneously.
• Standard Player Controls  - Oversized buttons for Play, Stop, Pause And Resume. Pre-Load and Unload one or multiple videos. Plus mouse-free operation with keyboard shortcuts.
• Control Groups of Media Screens  - Define a collection of Media Items and apply operations to the group with a single button click (examples: Load, Play, Stop, Pause, Resume, etc.).
• Save video settings  - Save and restore all video configuration work as Media List files.
• Media Screen size and location   - Resize and move Media Screen windows separately. Video will stretch or shrink to fill the screen.
• Auto-Size Screens  - Set one or many Video Screens to a pre-defined size in one click.
• Auto-Position Screens  - When playing multiple Video Screens, you can arrange them in Tiled or Cascaded positions in one click.
• Media Screen Visibility   - Show or hide any or all running video screens. Videos can continue to play while hidden if desired.
• Media Screen Layout   - Add colored border, a background image (when Opacity is applied), or two color gradient background.
• Media Screen - Snap Shots   - Take snap shots of videos as they play. Image files saved in common formats (Gif, Jpeg, Bmp,or Png).
• Play controls  - Oversize buttons for Play, Stop, Pause, Resume, Cancel (unload) and Load.
• Plays audio files too  - Don't like the sound track on the video itself? No problem. Mute the video sound track. And accompany the video with a separate audio track.
• Display Image files  - Load a still photo into a Screen as a marquee. Most any format supported (Gif, Jpeg, Bmp, Png, more...)

Stream audience cam to stage screen.
• Stream most cameras to Media Screen  - Stream most any computer connected camera to a Media Screen. It could be as simple as a stationary Webcam or a camcorder that is capable of streaming its feed to a file or server protocol such as http. (See our knowledge base article on Streaming Camera Feeds ).
• Volume  - Set volume for individual videos. Mute audio any video if desired. Or play a separate audio file along with the videos.
• Loop/Multi-Play  - Play a video in a continuous loop or a specific number of times.
• Drag and drop  - Use Windows Explorer or other file manger to drag and drop video files into your Media List.
• Copy and Paste Editing   - You can copy a video with all of its configurations and paste as a new Media Item.
• Sort List   - Sort provided on several criteria for more productive editing.
• Favorite Values  - Save Favorite values used when creating new Media Items.
• Start and Stop Play Positions  - Set the times to start and/or end play at any position in the Media File.
• Delay  - Set a time to delay before and/or after playing a sound (Pre/Post Delay). Useful when looping a video but a delay is required between plays.
• Windows x32 and x64 support  - Operates in full 64bit mode on x64 systems.
• View/print Reports  - View a report (a.k.a. video design plot) showing the list of videos and configurations applied to each video. You can save as a file and/or print the report. Set the level of information and detail as desired.
• More...  - This is the short list of features. See the User's Guide for a complete tour.

Media Screen Animation - Effects and Transforms

Use Effects alone or in any combination on any video.
• Opacity  - Opacity (transparency level) allows you to fade the video image in and/or out.
• Rotate  - Rotate Effect rotates the video orientation to any angle between 0 and 360 degrees.
• Scale  - Scale Effect multiplies the video size (larger or smaller than the video recorded size.)
• Skew  - Skew Effect bends the sides of the video at an angle to change perspective.
• Translate  - Translate Effect translates the video position (moves it) within the Media Screen.
• Set Origin Point  - Provides alternate pivot point behavior for some effects (ex. on rotation).
• Timing  - Set a Start time for an Effect and a Duration time for an effect animation.
• Motion Behavior  - Five methods are provided for how the effect behaves when the animation reaches a target value. (ex. reverse or stop animation)
• Cycle Speed  - Speed up or slow down an animation.

Video Mill Usage

In-Store Business Ads with Multiple Videos

For Teachers, Presenters and Mobile Performers

Keyboard short cuts to start, stop, pause and resume play make it easy to control the videos with a laptop computer positioned nearby (mouse-free operation). Connection and setup to any TV display takes only a minute.

Business and sales professionals can walk into a potential client's conference room, connect to the room's TV or video Projector and give a video sales pitch tailored to the customer. Pick and chose the most relevant videos for the customer.

Teaching professionals will appreciate the ability to play two video demonstrations side by side -- Pausing one to point out a detail.

Mobile performers and entertainers such as magicians, story tellers and artists will bring a whole new dimension to their performance.

For Theater, Concerts and Public Speaking Venues

Most large entertainment venues now have digital video projectors to project an image onto a stage screen. Take advantage of this whole new dimension to the entertainment experience. Set the mood with video backdrops. Video is more lifelike and virtually free compared to the expense of renting painted backdrops.

For Theater productions, design a complete video plot for a show and print a report for the show tech listing all timing and special instructions. Loop and multi-play allow your to use short videos as continuous backdrops over a long scene (ex. rain or snow storm, ocean beach, etc.) .

For music concerts, play videos of band members, crowd reactions, band videos (sound can be muted of course) or just interesting clips related to the piece of music being played.

For Haunted Mansion Walk-throughs or Museum Displays

Whether you are a designer for an amusement park attraction or museum display, or you just want to create a spooky walk-thru for Halloween at your home or school, Video Mill provides the perfect video capability. Loop and multi-play allow your to rerun a short video continuously. Add time delays between plays.

For In-Store, Business and Public Venues - Advertising and Promotion Kiosks or Showcases

As the old sales mantra goes, "Always be selling!". There is no better time to bring your sales promotions to the attention of your customers then while they are actually in your store or venue. Play two promo videos side by side with a separate sound track. If one promo doesn't interest the customer, maybe the second one will.

For Security and Status Monitoring

Build your own command center of live streaming feeds. The feeds can be Internet streaming feeds as in the example screen shot of the Deep Water Horizon remote submersibles ( ROVs) camera feeds (above, right). Or build your own home/business security command center using networked Webcams placed at strategic locations. When something of interest happens on one of the screens, just resize the window to zoom in on the action.