KRAMER VP-774AMP Presentation Switcher/Scaler.
Kramer has a great reputation for making quality presentation video switchers, and as digital video signals become increasingly the norm, it's to be expected that switchers will also transition to fewer analog and more digital inputs. The Kramer VP-774AMP is one of the latest switchers in the Kramer lineup, and it follows this paradigm. While still retaining some analog capability for backwards-compatibility, the VP-774AMP is definitely geared more towards the digital video world.
Before we get into the details, however, it would be good to review what a presentation switcher is all about. This type of switcher is designed to be more flexible on the types of inputs it accepts, and does not expect the inputs to be synchronized (also known as gen-locked). What this means is that each input source may be at a completely different place in outputting a frame of video. While input one might be at the very start of a frame, input two might have a signal that's in the middle of a frame, and input three might be near the end of a frame. And, each input might be a completely different resolution, compounding the problem. Production switchers, which is what you'd find at TV stations and in venues where live video is a priority, tend to require the same resolution at each input, and expect each signal to be synchronized so that each input is seeing a signal that's at exactly the same point in a frame.
With the VP-774AMP, the unit has a scaler and frame synchronizer that it uses to processes the selected video input to match the setting and synchronization of the switcher's output. The scaler changes the resolution of the input signal to match the output signal, and the synchronizer delays the input signal so that it aligns perfectly with the output signal.
With the presence of only one scaler/synchronizer, this means that the switcher cannot do a clean cross-fade between two input signals. To solve this problem, it fades to black, changes to the new input signal, starts scaling and synchronizing the new input, and then fades up the new input signal. This works fine for presentation-type use of video, but isn't what you would want for doing IMAG or streaming your service to the Internet, as you'd fade through black with every camera switch.
However, for a church where your screens are used to present lyrics from a computer, switch to a camera occasionally for special purposes (like projecting a baptism), and switch to a DVD player for video clip playback, this type of switcher handles this situation in a cost-effective compact package.
Overview
The Kramer VP-774AMP provides nine video inputs: four HDMI, one DisplayPort, one HD-SDI, two PC VGA, and one composite. Each input (except for SDI) also has a separate audio input if needed. DVI PC outputs can easily be connected to the switcher via a DVI to HDMI cable.
For outputs, the VP-774AMP provides one SDI, two HDMI, and one HDbaseT output, all with embedded audio, as well as analog audio output terminals.
For churches with screens used to present song lyrics and sermon notes from a computer, and THAT only occasionally use live cameras, the VP-744AMP switcher handles the situation in a cost-effective, compact package.
The switcher can also be controlled via its RS232 or Ethernet connectors, allowing integration to Crestron, AMX, or other custom control systems.
A first for Kramer presentation switchers, extended display identification data (EDID) on the inputs is user-definable, which allows greater control in a plug and play environment. EDID provides information about what sort of display is connected to a video system, including the resolution of the display. If it is desired that the EDID on the input of the scaler should match the output resolution one can simply set it that way (and that is the way that Kramer would recommend that it be done).
The VP-774AMP is also able to be used with Emergency Alert Systems, which can be used to display federal, state and county alert messages as well as alert messages generated for your campus. This requires the integration of an EAS server in your church campus, so this would be of use primarily to large church campuses. But it's interesting, and as security is an increasingly prevalent topic in schools and churches, it's something to explore.
Operation
The VP-774AMP was easy to set up and get working. I utilized my HD television as my output device, using one of the HDMI outputs, and used a Mac Mini via HDMI, an HD video camera via HDMI, and a Lenovo Laptop via VGA as inputs. The switcher automatically set its output to the ideal resolution and frequency for the television by default.
Switching between inputs was fast and clean. The fade-through-black worked well, and was much faster that I've seen on previous models of Kramer switchers. I never saw any glitches in the output.
The switcher supports picture-in-picture (PiP), which was reasonably easy to set up through the on-screen-display menus. Once you've picked the PiP mode, position and size, the simplest way to activate it is by pressing and holding the PiP button on the front panel for three seconds. To select the PiP input source, press the desired source button while pressing the PiP button. To deactivate PiP, press and hold the PiP button for three seconds.
The VP-774AMP has a luma-keying option, but it has its drawbacks. Luma keying works via the PiP system, where the PiP source is treated as the input to be keyed and overlaid, showing the regular video input behind it. The darker the PiP image, the more transparent it is. To do a basic lower-third, you'd use a program like PowerPoint to create graphics with bright lettering (for no transparency) and perhaps have it over a grey-shaded bar along the bottom of the graphic to create a semi-transparent darker background. This works—but the PiP window is limited in how large it can be. I could not make the PiP window wider than 1,600 pixels, which prevented it from completely covering my 1920x1080 main input video, and thus wouldn't let me completely cover the main input with a keyed graphic. You can work with this, but it limits you on what you do for graphics because a centered lower-third will start about 150 pixels in from the left and right edges, which can look a little strange.
I also found that the freeze button, which freezes the currently output video frame on the output, acts a little funny. I selected an input and pressed the freeze button. The image remained frozen at the time I pressed the button, but if I then switched to a new input source, the video unfroze with the new source, but the freeze button remained lit.
The VP-774AMP has a built-in web server that lets you change the system settings. While the current firmware at the time of this review just simulated the VP774's remote control, the beta firmware available has a full menu system to make it easier to browse the setup functions, make changes, and even switch inputs via the web interface.
I didn't have any means to test the EAS system in a “real” environment, but the current beta version of the firmware provides a way to simulate an emergency alert message, which worked well.
The Bottom Line
For churches with a lot of digital connectivity in video sources, and that aren't trying to do multi-camera IMAG where the ability to switch directly from one input to another is important, a switcher like the VP-774 (MSRP $3,595) would work well and doesn't take up much space. It's certainly much cleaner and more reliable than switching inputs on a video projector directly. If keying in lower-thirds is a critical aspect of your video needs, this switcher may not be as full-featured as you will need, but for occasional keying needs, the keying function did work well in a non-full-frame mode.
If you don't have a need for the SDI input/output, you can get the VP-773 which is the same switcher without SDI, at a lower price point.
