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4000 or 5000 channels...really?!


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Posted

I'm certain I'm "light years" away from being at the level of so many on here but I enjoy reading all the forums and learning...one thing I notice and just can't wrap my brain around is when I see some of you have thousands of channels...how is this even possible?

Please try and keep any responses simple for this newbie please. Lol

Posted

Pixels!

the channel count skyrockets. I dont even know how many channels I have anymore.

Posted

Pixels!

the channel count skyrockets. I dont even know how many channels I have anymore.

So each bulb is a pixel counting three colors therefore three channels?
Posted

when you stop counting channels and start counting universes

Posted

So each bulb is a pixel counting three colors therefore three channels?

Thats the ticket. Each bulb times 3 channels. So one string of 100 bulbs is 300 channels. Now multiple that by 15 strings on the house. Another 16 on the mega tree, 4 strings on your arches, mini trees, etc. It grows rapidly!

Posted

Thats the ticket. Each bulb times 3 channels. So one string of 100 bulbs is 300 channels. Now multiple that by 15 strings on the house. Another 16 on the mega tree, 4 strings on your arches, mini trees, etc. It grows rapidly!

That sounds very cool! I'll assume sequencing is done very differently than using 32 channels lol Well I'm already hooked on the endless variables should be a fun year of planning next year!
Posted

Sequencing is only different because you have to approach it from a different perspective. While each light is 3 physical channels, it helps to think of them as 1 with an endless amount of color choices.

Posted

And does it really matter?

Its been shown over and over again that channel count, universe count, pixel count, SPT-1 plug count, whatever, does not necessarily translate to show quality.

Seems like there are more and more shows, with the advent of pixels, that have become more of more of a disco light show, as opposed to a well-sequenced display.

Just my opinion, others may disagree. That's fine.

Posted

Everyone has their own personal preferences, and that's pretty much it! I'd like to think that my display has a nice balance of technical sequencing and bright flashy eye candy. :)

Guest Don Gillespie
Posted

And does it really matter?

Its been shown over and over again that channel count, universe count, pixel count, SPT-1 plug count, whatever, does not necessarily translate to show quality.

Seems like there are more and more shows, with the advent of pixels, that have become more of more of a disco light show, as opposed to a well-sequenced display.

Just my opinion, others may disagree. That's fine.

I have to totally agree with this statement, it doesn't matter how many channels you have it's what you do with the channels you have that counts

Posted

With just a small show, you can have a great display or a seizure display, same with thousands of channels. I don't think the number of channels really matter, it's what you do with those channels that count. I would rather watch a well sequenced small show than one that has hundreds of channels and looks like crap. Not saying you can't do a great show with lots of channels. I agree with GaryM, just my opinion, so don't get all upset.

Guest wbottomley
Posted

And does it really matter?

Its been shown over and over again that channel count, universe count, pixel count, SPT-1 plug count, whatever, does not necessarily translate to show quality.

Seems like there are more and more shows, with the advent of pixels, that have become more of more of a disco light show, as opposed to a well-sequenced display.

Just my opinion, others may disagree. That's fine.

I have to agree.

I don't have a huge channel count - 800-850. It's one thing the public does not see and they don't understand. One thing they do see is a huge show. Where I physically lack in channel count, it's made up with lights.

Posted

Everyone has their own personal preferences, and that's pretty much it! I'd like to think that my display has a nice balance of technical sequencing and bright flashy eye candy. :)

i think this hits the nail on the head...everyones different..i like a more understated look. ive used not more than two strings per bush of rice lights(150-200) it gives a really nice look after a bit of snow. of course i also love that wow factor some of your displays have. But in the end i do this for my little guy and me. He loves TSO and the lights make him smile thats the real pleasure for me, but of course next year im going for a Bigger smile! :P
Posted

channel counts go up by almost 512 when someone gets a CCR strip and pixels add alot of channel's as well not to mention Smart rgb strips and i can feel ya im a very low count 32 channel's with 10K lights and its my first actual christmas with LOR, and low budget to continue forward so if im lucky i might reach 64 channels by next year, thats if i dont go 12v rgb then ill be adding 27 channel's for $60 us on a move active basis, but still want atleast 2 more LOr units then its rgb for me and well thats a wish and parayer for me but who knows life is full of twists

Posted

While my display is 100% RGB now, I'll always be a fan of a nice traditional light display, whether static or animated. I enjoy the challenge of sequencing thousands of channels, and I have a lot of fun with the lights because they are very versatile. I can turn them on to burn steady, similar to traditional mini LED Christmas lights (I'm talking pixels here, not strips), or I can go crazy and give people headaches if they watch them for too long! But at both extremes of this spectrum, I've been able to create a show that has literally make people gasp when something plays that surprises them.

The other thing for me, having done an RGB display for 2 years now, is that you really have to see the lights in person before passing judgement. And that goes for ANY type of display, whether traditional or more contemporary. The best videos on YouTube DO NOT do any of them the justice they deserve!

As far as actual channel counts go, there aren't many people outside of the community of lighting enthusiasts that really understand or care how many channels we have in our displays. I personally like to talk channel counts, especially around the forums where people understand, just because the numbers can be astounding. There's nothing like comparing a sequencing grid to an Excel spreadsheet, to help people understand what it looks like to have 40,000,000 cells to populate for a single song.

At the end of the day though, do they all put smiles on people's faces? Because that's the only thing that truly matters! :)

Posted

While my display is 100% RGB now, I'll always be a fan of a nice traditional light display, whether static or animated. I enjoy the challenge of sequencing thousands of channels, and I have a lot of fun with the lights because they are very versatile. I can turn them on to burn steady, similar to traditional mini LED Christmas lights (I'm talking pixels here, not strips), or I can go crazy and give people headaches if they watch them for too long! But at both extremes of this spectrum, I've been able to create a show that has literally make people gasp when something plays that surprises them.

The other thing for me, having done an RGB display for 2 years now, is that you really have to see the lights in person before passing judgement. And that goes for ANY type of display, whether traditional or more contemporary. The best videos on YouTube DO NOT do any of them the justice they deserve!

As far as actual channel counts go, there aren't many people outside of the community of lighting enthusiasts that really understand or care how many channels we have in our displays. I personally like to talk channel counts, especially around the forums where people understand, just because the numbers can be astounding. There's nothing like comparing a sequencing grid to an Excel spreadsheet, to help people understand what it looks like to have 40,000,000 cells to populate for a single song.

At the end of the day though, do they all put smiles on people's faces? Because that's the only thing that truly matters! :)

OMG your beiber song is hilaraious! oustanding lights!! What controls all your pixels.Ill assume you dont use the traditional contollers??
Posted (edited)

OMG your beiber song is hilaraious! oustanding lights!! What controls all your pixels.Ill assume you dont use the traditional contollers??

I'm not sure what you mean by "traditional" controllers, because there are so many out there! I'll assume you're referring to LOR controllers, and that answer would be no. I don't have any LOR hardware. I've never had any intentions of doing anything with LOR until a couple months ago, just because I know I can accomplish the same things A LOT cheaper through other means and methods. But, once I played with S3, then focused on Superstar, I knew I NEEDED to make that investment.

Back to the lights, they're all RGB pixels (WS2811, WS2801 and a few GE Color Effects), controlled by sandevices.com E68x series controllers.

And, thank you by the way! I hate Justin Bieber.... 'nuff said. :)

Edited by n_gifford
Posted

I think Gary got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning... sounds like a classic case of channel envy if you ask me... just saying...

Posted

And does it really matter?

Its been shown over and over again that channel count, universe count, pixel count, SPT-1 plug count, whatever, does not necessarily translate to show quality.

Seems like there are more and more shows, with the advent of pixels, that have become more of more of a disco light show, as opposed to a well-sequenced display.

Just my opinion, others may disagree. That's fine.

It's not what you have, it's how you use it.

I have seen some 32 channel displays that I like much better than some bazillion-channel pixel displays, much more "Christmassy" and thought out IMHO.

That said, I have a pixel mega-tree this year. My goal was to give it the "spirit" of a traditional MT, but with a lot more effects. I don't do video or text or "pac-man" on the tree, and am heavy on "traditional" MT effects with a few "eye poppers" thrown in occasionally. I like it, and so far the reviews coming in have been highly positive. But I'm sure there are folks out there who think it's not Christmassy. So be it...

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