Feature comparison
Below is a table which compares the features of TJShow with features of QLab, a show control program from Figure53 for Mac OS X. Please feel free to contact us when you have something to say about the comparison details.
| Qlab 2 | TJShow 3 | TJShow 4 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (bare-bones) | € 0,00 | € 249,00 | € 499,00 | |
| Price (all-in) | € 599,00 | € 249,00 | € 499,00 | |
| System required | Mac OS X | Win XP/Vista | Win XP/Vista | |
| Timing model | Cue-lists | Timelines with cues | Timelines with cues | |
| Control cues | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Logic cues | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Logic type | n/a | expression or UI | expression or UI | |
| Cue cross-triggering | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Cue precision | 1 ms | 1 ms | 1 ms | |
| Cuelists/timelines can be instanced | No | No | Yes | |
| Playback speed changeable | No | Yes, per-timeline | Yes, per-timeline | |
| Pause during playback | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Start at random time | Yes, partly | Yes | Yes | |
| Fade curves adjustable | Yes, Bezier | Yes, linear | Yes, linear | |
| Between-timelines/cuelist synchronization | Guards, Variables | Guards, Variables | ||
| Timing adjustments | No | Smart shifting | Smart shifting | |
| Patching system | Fixed number of patches | Custom patches | Custom patches | |
| Hot-key triggers | Yes | No | No | |
| External triggers | MIDI*,Clock* & Timecode* | MIDI | MIDI,OSC | |
| Scripting, logic & data | ||||
| Show-global variables | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Timeline/cuelist-local variables | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Variables can be used in properties | No | Yes, mostly | Yes, mostly | |
| Cues/tracks can return data | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Application scripting | Yes, AppleScript | Yes, TJScript | Yes, TJScript | |
| Web-based control | No | Yes, with TJScript | No | |
| Users can interact | No | No | Yes | |
| Networking | ||||
| Variables propagated across network | n/a | Yes | Yes | |
| Off-load parts of show to separate node | No | Yes, tracks | Yes, tracks or instances | |
| Play same part on multiple nodes | n/a | Yes | Yes | |
| Playback nodes can return data to server | n/a | Yes | Yes | |
| Files transferred over network | n/a | Automatically or on demand | Automatically or on demand | |
| Patching client devices on server | n/a | Yes | Yes | |
| Addressing model | n/a | Channels | Groups of clients | |
| Audio | ||||
| Formats supported | Qt | Dshow | Dshow | |
| Distribution | 48ch matrix* | masters | masters | |
| Multiple soundcards | Yes* | Yes | Yes | |
| Can be looped | Yes | No | No | |
| Trimming | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Shows waveform | Yes, No timing | No | Yes | |
| Volume envelopes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| SoundMan interface | Yes | No | No | |
| Video | ||||
| Formats supported | Qt | Dshow | Dshow | |
| Opacity | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Multiple screens | Yes, 8 | Yes** | Yes | |
| Layering | Yes, layers | Yes, z-order | Yes, z-order | |
| Transformations | 2D (*3) | 3D | 3D | |
| Effects | Yes (Quartz Composer) | No | Yes (effect masters) | |
| Live feeds | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Effects on live feeds | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Transformations on live feeds | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Animated transformations | Yes (stepwise) | Yes (continuous) | Yes (contiuous) | |
| Dynamic video selection | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Images also supported | ? | Yes | Yes | |
| Can show text (from variables) | n/a | Yes | Yes | |
| Video keying | No (*3) | Yes | Yes | |
| Video keying on live source | No (*3) | Yes | Yes | |
| Interactivity | None | Mouse | Mouse | |
| MIDI | ||||
| Devices supported | OS-dependent | OS-dependent | OS-dependent | |
| Note on/off messages | Yes* | Yes | Yes | |
| Control Change messages | Yes*, fade curve | Yes, fader curve | Yes, fader curve | |
| Program change messages | Yes* | Yes | Yes | |
| Aftertouch messages | Yes* | No | ||
| MSC support | Yes* | Yes | Yes | |
| MMC support | No (*4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MTC support | Yes* | No | No | |
| SysEx support | Yes | No | Yes | |
| MIDI-over-serial | No | No | Yes | |
| DMX | ||||
| Devices supported | n/a | Ent-tec, Soundlight, DMX4all | Ent-tec, Soundlight, DMX4all | |
| Protocols supported | n/a | ArtNet, ESP | ArtNet, ESP | |
| Max universe count | 0 | unlimited | unlimited | |
| Viewer/designer | n/a | Simple | Simple | |
| Patch-set can be saved and loaded | n/a | Yes | Yes | |
| 16-bit channels (coarse/fine) | n/a | Yes | Yes | |
| Special channel operations | n/a | Negate, Switch | Negate, Switch | |
| Macros | n/a | Yes, unit | Yes, unit | |
| Submasters | n/a | Yes | Yes | |
| OSC (OpenSoundControl) | ||||
| Transports supported | n/a | n/a | UDP, multicast UDP | |
| Argument types supported | n/a | n/a | All standard | |
| Variable data can be used in OSC message | n/a | n/a | Yes | |
| Timing | n/a | n/a | Immediate | |
| User interface | ||||
| Languages | English | English, Dutch | English, Dutch | |
| Themes | Dark/Bright | Dark/Bright, high DPI | Dark/Bright, high DPI | |
| Data support | ||||
| Databases supported | n/a | n/a | SQLite | |
| * | Needs separate plug-in which costs money |
| ** | Feature requires a running client |
| *3 | Feature can be worked-around with Quartz Composer |
| *4 | Feature can probably be emulated by using SysEx |
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