Sync Mode
Lūpa makes syncing your video across multiple screens easy. It’s truly a game changer. Simply plug in one Lūpa per display device, connect them all together with network cables, put one video onto each USB drive an pop it into each SYNC port and you’re good to go.
Lūpa will then boot up, find the other Lūpa’s it’s connected to and continuously loop your video, in sync with the other players, until you turn it off.
In This Section:
Sync Mode Configuration
There are two USB ports on the front of Lūpa that tell the device which mode you wish to use. The SYNC mode is on the right and is labeled with the SYNC icon.
Please refer to the diagram above for how to plug everything into your Lūpa with SYNC mode. It’s highly recommend that you plug everything in, turn on your display device and network switch/router, and then power on your Lūpa. The micro USB cable that is supplied with Lūpa contains an inline switch to make powering Lūpa on and off easy.
Once you turn Lūpa on, the Lūpa logo will appear for up to 30 seconds as it boots and then plays your video. If there is something wrong with your setup, Lūpa will inform you of the problem, and provide a solution using its intelligent on screen help.
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Turning on Lūpa in Sync Mode
Lūpa requires one of the players in the sync to be turned on first before you turn on any others. It doesn’t matter which one it is, as long as it remains on for at least 30 seconds before you turn on the rest of the Lūpa’s in your sync.
A good rule of thumb is to wait until you see the your video playing before you turn on the other players. This allows the first Lūpa to turn on and let the other players know it’s the boss (or master).
Automatic Restart in Sync Mode
Lūpa has a built in function that will restart all the videos being played in the sync each time a new player is turned on, so it doesn’t matter when you turn them on.
For instance, if you turn on your first player and the video starts to play, and then you leave to get a coffee, return and turn on a second player, the new player will communicate to the one already playing and ask both to restart the videos, so they are always in sync. Both screens will go black for half a second as the sync restarts.
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Video Requirements for Sync Mode
In SYNC mode, there are no requirements for the content of your videos to be identical, you can have completely different videos playing back in sync. The only requirement however is that each video should be of the exact same length, to the frame. Additionally each Lūpa needs its own video to play from its USB stick, Lūpa does not support sending video from one Lūpa to another.
Although Lūpa will play your files in sync even if they are at different lengths, the video that finishes first will tell the other players to restart the loop, cutting any longer videos short. For instance, if you have one video that runs for 2m:30s, and another that runs for 2m:35s, then the second video will be cut short by 5 seconds.
With multi-channel video it is always good practice to make sure your videos are at exactly the same length, down to the frame. You can check the length of your videos (in frames) in your editing software. When exporting, it’s recommended that you apply the exact same export settings to all videos that will need to be in sync, to ensure they are read at the same data rate.
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Use of Routers
In order to allow Lūpa devices to communicate with each other, you will need to connect each Lūpa to a network switch or router. Lūpa is compatible with almost every router or network switch on the market. Lūpa does not require any connection to the internet to work.
Network switches are the most affordable solution, and can usually purchasable for under AU$20. Recommended brands include TP-Link, D-Link and Netgear. Make sure that the router/network switch you purchase or own has enough network ports on it for the amount of Lūpa’s you plan on using, as each Lūpa requires its own network port.
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