First time contest runner questions.

[Davis 51]

Not entirely sure this is the right forum, but it seems like a better fit than others.

So, I am going to be an AMV contest coordinator at a startup convention in Newport News based around Christopher Newport University, the aptly named CNUCon. This is mainly because I have acquired a bit of a reputation as the guy who lives and breathes AMVs in the circles I travel. The contest will be held in October.

While I have been trying hard to learn a lot of information, especially with regard to video encoding, its becoming clear that I will need some sort of hardware to run this thing. Sucks, because video hardware is the area I am least proficient in. The actual building we will be holding the contest in is under construction but set to open this month. I do not know what kind of projector it will have, but I am told it is going to be state of the art, digital theater-grade equipment. Presumably this means it is capable of playing video from high-def sources.

I do not have a computer dedicated to running this thing, and money is tight. I do have access to an older, 3-or-so year old Core2 Duo Dell with 2 PCI-Express slots and a few other PCI slots. The video card in it has two DVI ports for output, and I do have access to DVI-to-HDMI cables.

The questions are: what else should I invest in? Should I invest in some kind of decoder hardware? If so, what is recommended? Should I be looking to play back videos in Mpeg-2? Mp4? Something else? Should I set a standard resolution to broadcast the contest in? Should I even allow for HD?

Also, any other bits of advice would be appreciated.

[Mister Hatt]

Use a proper workstation or ask your contestants for bluray compatible m2ts files with MPEG4-AVC video and either PCM or AAC audio. If you go with the former, I can provide more details on what you need.

[Davis 51]

Erg, I guess what I am looking for is a proper workstation. My budget is probably not going to exceed a couple of hundred dollars, and I have no idea what these cost. If its too expensive, I might not even take advantage of the High-Def equipment if that's what it comes to. Bottom line is I need to at least be able to play the contest back at 480i or 480p, but being able to play it at HD resolutions would be a nice plus, if affordable. Asking them for specific type of footage would be nice, though I doubt I'd get many entries that way.

So go ahead. What kind of workstation would I need and what is it going to cost me?