Welcome to WATCHOUT 7

WATCHOUT 7 is the latest evolution of Dataton's award-winning multi-display production and playback system. Designed for show creators, live event professionals, and system integrators, WATCHOUT empowers you to orchestrate massive-scale visuals across unlimited displays, projectors, and LED walls—all from a single timeline.

Whether you are creating a digital signage installation, a projection mapping spectacle, a live concert background, or a corporate presentation, WATCHOUT provides the tools to compose, manage, and play back high-resolution media with frame-accurate synchronization.

The Core Concept: One Giant Canvas

If you are new to multi-display systems, the easiest way to understand WATCHOUT is to think of it as one giant digital canvas.

In traditional systems with a ten-screen video wall, you might need ten separate video files and players. WATCHOUT eliminates this complexity.

With WATCHOUT, you place your media on a Stage—a continuous workspace representing your entire display area. You can drag a video across all screens or animate an image from one side to the other. The system treats the entire display arrangement as a unified creative space.

Behind the scenes, WATCHOUT handles the processing:

• Producer: You use the Producer software to design your show, arrange media on the Timeline, and animate content.
• Display Computers: These computers connect to your projectors or LED walls and render the content.
• The Playback: When you run your show, WATCHOUT automatically slices your content in real-time, sending the correct portion to each Display Computer. All computers play in perfect synchronization, creating a seamless image.

System Architecture

WATCHOUT uses a distributed client-server architecture designed for reliability and scalability.

1. Production Computer: Runs the Producer software and manages your project files. This is your creative workstation where you organize content using the Asset Manager. It sends control commands (Play, Pause, Update) to the network while leaving heavy rendering to the display computers.
2. Display Computers: Run the Display software (formerly Watchpoint). These machines handle video decoding, real-time compositing, and rendering. Each Display Computer synchronizes automatically with the Production Computer and can run "headless" (without a monitor).
3. Network: Connects your Production and Display computers via standard Ethernet.

This architecture allows you to scale from a simple two-screen setup to hundreds of outputs without changing your workflow.

What You Can Create

WATCHOUT is a blank canvas limited only by your hardware and imagination. Common applications include:

• Wide-screen Projection: Blends multiple projectors to form massive panoramic screens.
• Projection Mapping: Wraps video content around complex 3D objects or buildings.
• LED Video Walls: Drives custom-resolution LED processors with pixel-perfect accuracy.
• Digital Signage: Synchronizes playback across multiple monitors throughout a venue.
• Live Broadcasts: Provides dynamic backdrops and lower-thirds for broadcast or streaming.
• Interactive Installations: Triggers content based on external inputs from sensors, buttons, or network commands.

The system adapts to your creative vision, whether you are designing an intimate gallery experience or a stadium concert.

Integration Options

WATCHOUT 7 connects with a wide range of external systems through industry-standard protocols:

• Art-Net / DMX — communicate with lighting consoles and DMX controllers.
• OSC — link with audio systems, modern control surfaces, and custom software interfaces.
• MIDI — use control surfaces and MIDI Show Control (MSC) for triggering and transport.
• Timecode (LTC) — stay in sync with SMPTE linear timecode from external sources.
• Show Control Systems — work with Crestron, AMX, and similar automation platforms.
• WATCHOUT Protocols — from the legacy WO6 TCP text protocol to the modern HTTP REST API.