Video Goes Tapeless! Click on the links below to find out more!

Eliminate those Stacks of DVD Players!!

Need More Capability?

Want to Create Exciting Content?

Bowen Technovation's VisualFX team is designing and implementing new hard disk video system solutions for the planetarium community. When combined with your video projector and sound system these units provide a truly incredible array of uses. Presently we are offering several systems for a variety of tasks.

These systems are ideal for:

Laser Disc Replacement
AstroFX tapeless video offers several obvious advantages over laser disc players. Easily updatable by you! No more need to master laser discs.Re-recordable hard disk media. Optional package of science and astronomy animations and graphics. Better than DVD quality, more program space, up to 88 hours of segmented or continuous playback, or 3 1/2 days of continuous programming!

Playback of Stills, Video Clips and Stereo Audio
These units are very multi-purpose.

Great for Closed Caption Systems
AstroFX is an economical way to meet closed captioning regulations. Build the titles, load 'em up, sync to your show and go.

* An optional remote button panel is available for control.
** AstroFX DMP-LE, AstroFX DMP-1, and AstroFX DMP-2 units require external MPEG encoder such as FXCreator audio/video/graphics production workstation (link).
*** Ethernet on AstroFX DMP-LE units is used for file transfers via FTP only.

AstroFX DMP-LE is an MPEG 2 video, PCM WAV, MPA audio, and MPI still image player offering video quality equal to and better than DVD. AstroFX DMP-LE is a 1/2U rack space device.

For multiple units, Bowen Technovation offers the AstroFX DMP-LE Rack Kit for ganging two units side-by-side to fit in a 1U rack space. Like this:

AstroFX DMP-LE comes standard with a 40Gb drive, date/time automated playback, and our schedule/playlist building software that runs under Windows on any low-power PC. This software also allows remote file and schedule management of multiple units at various display locations. AstroFX DMP-LE can interface with Bowen Technovation's AstroFXCommander show control system as well as your JHE, ECCS, Sky-Skan, Spitz, Electrosonic's Escan, or Dataton control systems. Output is composite and S-video with -10 unbalanced audio.

Uploading files to the AstroFX DMP-LE is accomplished through FTP transfers via a 10/100 base-T network and FTP program.

Current on-board drive capacity is 1x40Gb =40Gb expandable up to 137Gb.

At S-VHS quality with a 20 gigabyte hard drive this unit will hold up to 14.8 hours of segmented or continuous playback.

AstroFX DMP-1 is an MPEG 1/ MPEG 2 video player video quality equal to and better than DVD.

AstroFX DMP-1 comes standard with a 20Gb drive, date/time automated playback, and our bowenFXbasic schedule/playlist building software that runs under Windows on any low-power PC. This software also allows remote file and schedule management of multiple units at various display locations. AstroFX DMP-1 can interface with Bowen Technovation's AstroFXCommander show control system as well as your JHE, ECCS, Sky-Skan, Spitz, Electrosonic's Escan, or Dataton control systems. Output is composite and S-video with +4 balanced audio.

Uploading files to the AstroFX DMP-1 can be accomplished through removable hard drive swap or AstroFX DMP-1 can be connected to a network (10 base-T or cable modem).

Current on-board drive capacity is 1x120Gb = 120Gb.

At S-VHS quality with a 20 gigabyte hard drive this unit will hold up to 14.8 hours of segmented or continuous playback.

While AstroFX DMP-1 provides video quality equal to and better than DVD using MPEG 1 and MPEG 2 data rates up to 10 mb/sec, AstroFX DMP-2 offers data rates up to 16 mb/sec with massive drive capacity. This unit comes standard with a 20Gb drive, date/time automated playback, and our bowenFXbasic schedule/playlist building software that runs under Windows on any low-power PC. This software also allows remote file and schedule management of multiple units at various display locations. AstroFX DMP-2 can interface Bowen Technovation's AstroFXCommander show control system as well as with your JHE, ECCS, Sky-Skan, Spitz control, Electrosonic's Escan, or Dataton systems. Output is composite and S-video with +4 balanced audio. RGBS output with genlock is also standard.

Uploading files to the AstroFX DMP-2 can be accomplished through removable hard drive swap or AstroFX DMP-2 can be connected to a network (10 base-T or cable modem).

And...Our new optional on-board CD drive allows for automated updating of remote locations. The minute the CD is loaded and the tray closes, your new schedule, playlist and audio/video clip library changes are transferred to the hard drive and executed.

Current on-board drive capacity is 2x120Gb = 240Gb. Two additional external drives may be added.

At highest quality with a 20Gb hard drive this unit will hold over 1hour of segmented or continuous playback. With 2x120 Gb hard drives, this unit will hold over 33 hours of media.

The AstroFX Production Process

Here is a basic flowchart of the steps taken to transfer your source materials to the AstroFX DMP Player.

AstroFXCreator Audio/Video Production Suites

If you're looking for a powerful and affordable show creation system, we have the solution for you. And it can integrate seamlessly with your existing video disc and tapeless video players. From quality video editing and output, to MPEG encoding and uploading, we provide optional turnkey systems for simple to complex production work. We know the importance of training, documentation and support, and we kept these things in mind when we hand picked the hardware for this system.

AstroFXCreator provides production tools that seamlessly integrate with the AstroFX systems. We bundle the powerful non-linear video editing capabilities of our system with software based MPEG encoding solutions. We also offer removable drive bays so you can archive your work files on inexpensive removable drives and also can update your shows via drive-swap on AstroFX DMP-1 and AstroFX DMP-2 players.

AstroFXCreator 4.0

Enhanced Video/Graphics Production System with MPEG2 Encoding.

Software Bundle

AstroFXCreator (Audio Only) Workstation

Digital Audio Editing System (expandable to full AstroFXCreator Video Workstation). Bowen staff have configured these workstations for high-quality creation of stereo and 5.1 soundtracks with excellent capability for editing and mixing narration, dialogue, music, and surround sound effects. Bowen also offers one-day and two-day soundtrack production training sessions.

Computer Workstation

AstroFXCreator Kit

Video Editing Production Upgrade Kit for Client Computer

Computer Workstation Upgrade

Editing Bundle

Options

Options available for these systems include broadcast quality preview monitors, Tannoy audio monitors, extra hard drive space, audio console, patchbays, etc. Everything you need to produce your own shows. And......Training...Training...Training.

No time to produce your own shows?

Bowen Technovation offers affordable rates for MPEG 1 and MPEG 2 encoding as well as file uploading, program indexing, and clock programming. We can offer these solutions with preloaded graphics especially created for your facility. Or you can select from the Bowen VisualFX library of astronomy and science graphics.
Please call or write for prices.