What I like about using a media server to create the blend instead of using another piece of gear is just that: outputting a signal to another device that processes and divides it means the potential for data loss and/or artifacts that could get introduced along the way. Using a media server in this way won’t always be possible, due to the size and overall scale of the project, but it is something to consider when designing a show. On the other hand, the downside of using a media server for edge blending is that as the media server itself takes on more responsibility for tasks typically reserved for the video production crew, the less likely it may be that the lighting programmer will have enough time to handle all the necessary tasks associated with both roles. For this reason, it’s probably best to have a dedicated media server programmer on these types of shows. That way, both lighting and video will look equally as impressive instead of both looking half as good as they could.
—From “Video Digerati” by Vickie Claiborne, PLSN, Jan. 2014
