Multi-panel display

1. A method of displaying video content on a displayable area that spans multiple panels of a multi-panel display, the method comprising:

(a) using a genlock signal to define a periodic write interval and a periodic output interval;

(b) during at least a portion of the periodic write interval, using a markup document to store a description of a first portion and a second portion of a frame of the video content to a data storage unit;

(c) during at least a portion of the periodic output interval, (i) receiving from a media server, the first portion of the frame of the video content, and (ii) using at least the received first portion of the frame and the stored description of the second portion of the frame to display the frame on the displayable area; and

(d) repeating operations (b) and (c) for at least one or more other frames of the video content to display the video content on the displayable area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the frame includes live video content.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the markup document uses a markup language to describe the video content, and wherein using a markup document to store a description of a first portion and a second portion of a frame of the video content to a data storage unit comprises:

translating, using the markup language, the markup document into a plurality of data vectors that describe the frame of the video content; and

storing the data vectors in the data storage unit.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a first subset of data vectors describes the first portion of the frame.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first subset of data vectors comprises an identifier of the media server.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first subset of data vectors comprises position data indicative of a desired placement of the first portion of the frame on the displayable area.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first subset of data vectors comprises a layer level of the first portion of the frame.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein (i) receiving from a media server, the first portion of the frame of the video content, and (ii) using at least the received first portion of the frame and the stored description of the second portion of the frame to display the frame on the displayable area comprises:

reading from the data storage unit a first subset of data vectors that describes the first portion of the frame;

based on the first subset of data vectors, identifying the media server, and determining a first portion of the displayable area to display the first portion of the frame;

receiving from the media server a video stream that represents the first portion of the frame; and

using the video stream to display the first portion of the frame on the first portion of the displayable area.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first portion of the displayable area spans a subset of display panels, and wherein using at least the received first portion of the frame and the stored description of the second portion of the frame to display the frame on the displayable area further comprises:

causing each of the subset of display panels to display a respective portion of the first portion of the frame.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein using at least the received first portion of the frame and the stored description of the second portion of the frame to display the frame on the displayable area further comprises:

reading from the data storage unit a second subset of data vectors that describes the second portion of the frame, wherein each data vector of the second subset of data vectors describes a respective pixel of the second portion of the frame;

determining a mapping of each data vector of the second subset of data vectors to a respective pixel of a second portion of the displayable area; and

based on the mapping, causing the second portion of the displayable area to display the second portion of the frame.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the frame comprises first live video content and second live video content, and wherein the method further comprises:

based on the description of the first portion of the frame, determining a first portion and a second portion of the displayable area to display the first and second live video content, respectively, wherein the first portion of the displayable area and the second portion of the displayable area overlap in a third portion of the displayable area;

based on the description of the first portion of the frame, determining a first layer level and a second layer lever for the first live video content and the second live video content, respectively; and

based on the first layer level and the second layer level, causing the third portion of the displayable area to display one of the first live video content and the second live video content.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein (i) receiving from a media server, the first portion of the frame of the video content, and (ii) using at least the received first portion of the frame and the stored description of the second portion of the frame to display the frame on the displayable area comprises:

based on the description of the first portion of the frame, determining a desired resolution of the first portion of the frame;

based on the desired resolution of the first portion of the frame and a resolution of the first portion of the frame as received from the media server, scaling the first portion of the frame received from the media server; and

using at least the scaled first portion of the frame and the stored description of the second portion of the frame to display the frame on the displayable area.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein each frame of the video content is stored to the data storage unit during a portion of a respective iteration of the periodic write interval, and wherein each frame of the video content is output during a portion of a respective iteration of the periodic output interval.

14. A video wall system comprising:

a multi-panel display comprising a plurality of display panels;

a data storage unit; and

a controller having one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to carry out operations including:

(a) using a genlock signal to define a periodic write interval and a periodic output interval;

(b) during at least a portion of the periodic write interval, using a markup document to store a description of a first portion and a second portion of a frame of video content to the data storage unit;

(c) during at least a portion of the periodic output interval, (i) receiving from a media server, the first portion of the frame of the video content, and (ii) using at least the received first portion of the frame and the stored description of the second portion of the frame to display the frame on a displayable area of the multi-panel display; and

(d) repeating operations (b) and (c) for at least one or more other frames of the video content to display the video content on the displayable area.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the markup document uses a markup language to describe the video content, and wherein using a markup document to store a description of a first portion and a second portion of a frame of the video content to a data storage unit comprises:

using the markup language to translate the markup document into a plurality of data vectors that describe the frame of the video content; and

storing the data vectors in the data storage unit.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the system further comprises a plurality of computing devices, wherein each computing device is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of display panels, and wherein (i) receiving from a media server, the first portion of the frame of the video content, and (ii) using at least the received first portion of the frame and the stored description of the second portion of the frame to display the frame on the displayable area comprises:

each computing device reading from the data storage unit the data vectors that describe the video content, and determining a mapping of the data vectors to the display panels;

based on the mapping, a first subset of the plurality of computing devices determining that a first subset of data vectors that describe the first portion of the frame are mapped to a first subset of display panels that are coupled to the first subset of computing devices;

based on the first subset of data vectors, the first subset of computing devices selecting the media server to each receive a multicast stream that represents the first portion of the frame; and

the first subset of computing devices using the multicast stream to cause the first subset of display panels to display the first portion of the frame.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein using at least the stored description of the second portion of the frame and the received first portion of the frame to display the frame on the displayable area further comprises:

each computing device retrieving from the data storage unit a second subset of data vectors that describes the second portion of the frame, wherein each data vector of the second subset of data vectors describes a respective pixel of the second portion of the frame;

based on the mapping of the data vectors to the display panels, a second subset of computing devices determining that the second subset of data vectors are mapped to a second subset of display panels that are coupled to the second subset of computing devices; and

the second subset computing devices causing the second subset of display panels to display the second portion of the frame.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein determining a mapping of the data vectors to the display panels comprises:

using a two-dimensional (2D) space descriptor document to determine the mapping of the data vectors to the display panels.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein each frame of the video content is stored to the data storage unit during a portion of a respective iteration of the periodic write interval, and wherein each frame of the video content is output during a portion of a respective iteration of the periodic output interval.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions that when executed by a processor cause performance of a set of acts comprising:

(a) using a genlock signal to define a periodic write interval and a periodic output interval;

(b) during at least a portion of the periodic write interval, using a markup document to store a description of a first portion and a second portion of a frame of video content to a data storage unit, wherein a multi-panel display is configured to display the video content, and wherein the multi-panel display comprises a displayable area that spans multiple display panels;

(c) during at least a portion of the periodic output interval, (i) receiving from a media server, the first portion of the frame of the video content, and (ii) using at least the received first portion of the frame and the stored description of the second portion of the frame and to display the frame on the displayable area; and

(d) repeating operations (b) and (c) for at least one or more other frames of the video content to display the video content on the displayable area.