[MPlayer-users] Help using mplayer on a video wall

[Eric Sokolowsky]

I'm trying to use mplayer on a video wall. I have 4 computers each with 1
monitor in a 2x2 grid, plus an extra computer to do the synchronization.
I'm using version MPlayer 1.2-4.8.5 on CentOS 7. Here are the commands I
run:

(master)
mplayer -fixed-vo -loop 0 -really-quiet -fs -osdlevel 0 -udp-ip
192.168.36.255 /hw/data/download/a003221/katrina_rainAccumHD.m2v -vo null
-udp-master -udp-port 65000

(client - upper left)
mplayer -fixed-vo -loop 0 -really-quiet -fs -osdlevel 0 -udp-ip
192.168.36.255 /hw/data/download/a003221/katrina_rainAccumHD.m2v -vf
crop=606:341:15:0 -udp-slave -udp-port 65000

(client - upper right)
mplayer -fixed-vo -loop 0 -really-quiet -fs -osdlevel 0 -udp-ip
192.168.36.255 /hw/data/download/a003221/katrina_rainAccumHD.m2v -vf
crop=606:341:659:0 -udp-slave -udp-port 65000

(client - lower left)
mplayer -fixed-vo -loop 0 -really-quiet -fs -osdlevel 0 -udp-ip
192.168.36.255 /hw/data/download/a003221/katrina_rainAccumHD.m2v -vf
crop=606:341:15:379 -udp-slave -udp-port 65000

(client - lower right)
mplayer -fixed-vo -loop 0 -really-quiet -fs -osdlevel 0 -udp-ip
192.168.36.255 /hw/data/download/a003221/katrina_rainAccumHD.m2v -vf
crop=606:341:659:379 -udp-slave -udp-port 65000

This works, but there is a delay at the beginning of playback of several
seconds before the movie file actually plays. How do I cause it not to have
a delay when starting?

Also, is there a way to play a part of the video on each screen with a
customizable justification so that I have black letterboxing bars on a
specific side of the screen and not the others? (I.e. I don't want it
centered in the middle of the screen but say on the right, or on the
bottom).

Thanks for any help in advance.