We did a pixel LED installation for a TV talent show where the floor and ceiling of the stage were built entirely from SK6812 addressable strips. The client wanted a live video surface that performers could walk on, with an irregular stage shape and an 8-meter star on the ceiling split into non-uniform segments.

We skipped aluminum profiles entirely - cost and labor for 1km of strips made it impractical. Floor strips got glass panels for protection. The ceiling star was left exposed because it was 8m above the audience and nobody could see the bare strips.

The HDMI feed came from the broadcast desk through an Intensity PRO capture card into LED Strip Studio. The software mapped the live video to both surfaces in real time. We used the proprietary protocol instead of Art-Net for lower latency on the pixel data. DMX handled only props and costumes.

Mapping the star took about one hour because the software showed a live preview as we drew each segment. Traditional Art-Net mapping on a lighting console would have taken much longer for that geometry.

Power injection was the main wiring headache. 5V SK6812 strips drop voltage fast over distance. The client already owned these strips, so we worked with them and added injection points wherever needed. If we had started fresh, 12V WS2815 would have simplified the runs.

The result worked: performers stood on a live video screen under a matching star, synchronized to the broadcast feed.

Has anyone else dealt with voltage drop on large 5V pixel installations? What do you use for irregular mapping workflows?

Article with full details: https://lsslab.com/stages/got-talent-pixel-led-stage

Got Talent Stage Made From SK6812 LED Strips Instead Of Screens