What is Direct-LAN in LayerMapper?

Direct-LAN is an output mode of LayerMapper MApp (since version 4) that sends the mapped output over the local network to the LayerMapper receiver, instead of over an HDMI cable.

Where do I get the receiver?

The LayerMapper receiver for Android TV boxes and sticks is in final testing and will be available on Google Play.

Wireless Projection Mapping with Direct-LAN

The hardest part of many mapping jobs is not the mapping – it is the cable. The projector hangs on a truss, sits in a tree or stands across the room, and an HDMI run there is long, fragile and in the way. Direct-LAN in LayerMapper MApp removes that cable: the controller sends its output over the local network, and a small receiver at the projector shows it.

How Direct-LAN works

MApp on an iPhone, iPad or Android device renders the show as usual.
Instead of an HDMI cable, it sends the clean output over Wi-Fi to a receiver.
The LayerMapper receiver runs on an Android TV box or stick plugged into the projector and plays the image full screen.

Direct-LAN is already built into MApp on iOS and Android since version 4. The receiver app for Android TV is in final testing and will be released on Google Play – we test it on Xiaomi TV Box and TV Stick devices.

Red projection laser beams in a hazy room, made with an ordinary projector

Why it changes the setup

The controller stays with you. Walk around the venue, check alignment from the audience’s side, perform from the stage.
Projectors anywhere. Trees, trusses, ceilings, outdoor locations – anywhere with power and Wi-Fi.
Cheap hardware. A TV stick costs less than a long, reliable HDMI cable run with extenders.
Projection lasers on fog, holograms, outdoor shows – effects where the projector position matters more than convenience.

Preparing your network

Wireless video depends on the network, so plan it like any other part of the rig:

Put the controller and the receiver on the same Wi-Fi network, ideally 5 GHz, with the router close to both.
Avoid guest networks with client isolation – they block devices from seeing each other.
In busy venues, bring your own router instead of relying on the venue Wi-Fi.
Test the full chain before the show and keep an HDMI adapter in the bag as a backup.

Today: HDMI and AirPlay, soon: the receiver

Until the receiver is released, MApp outputs through an HDMI adapter or AirPlay. When the Android TV app launches on Google Play, plugging a TV box into the projector and choosing Direct-LAN in MApp will be all it takes. Follow LayerMapper on Instagram for the release.

Summary

Direct-LAN turns an Android TV box into a wireless receiver for your mapping: the cable disappears, the controller stays in your hand. Read more on the Android TV receiver page.