Screenberry

Screenberry is a media server for productions that need to coordinate playback, projection, audio, and show control across multiple screens. It suits venue and production teams building fulldome, installation, or live-event systems; its broad toolkit is compelling, but commercial use requires a paid license.

Overview

Screenberry brings together high-capacity video playback, projector calibration, multichannel audio, creative integrations, and show control. That breadth is useful when a production must coordinate several technical systems, but likely excessive for a simple presentation or single-screen setup.

Its stated capacity reaches 16 × 4K video content on one server and output canvases up to 32 × 32K. Those figures make it relevant to large projection environments, while the practical ceiling for a particular installation depends on its licensed output and configuration.

Front Pictures, the maker, is headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine. It provides an email for activation issues and directs product, service, and sales inquiries to its team.

Key features

Playback, audio, and projection

The audio engine can play up to 256 channels simultaneously, supports VST plugins, and accommodates custom multichannel setups. That is a meaningful advantage for productions where audio routing is part of the media-server job, rather than a separate, simpler playback need.

Projection tools include warping and blending, camera-based automatic calibration, manual warping, and a 3D scene editor with projector pose estimation. Together with edge blending, live video input, and 3D mapping, these features suit complex projection work better than a basic mapping workflow.

Integrations and control

Screenberry has native TouchDesigner and Notch support, while Unity and Unreal integrate through Spout. It also supports GLSL and ISF shaders. For show control, it accepts timecode, MIDI, DMX, and OCS protocols, with node-graph and JavaScript automation. This range can fit creative and event workflows that need external cues or custom behavior; buyers with a narrow playback requirement may not benefit from the added scope.

Pricing

Screenberry is freemium, with paid plans from $99/mo. The Non-Commercial license costs nothing and is intended for personal, learning, evaluation, and other non-paying use. It is capped at up to 2x 2K video output, renews every 90 days, and requires internet access. It is not an option for paid work.

Screenberry Lite has custom pricing and is aimed at commercial users who can work within up to 1x 4K output, one media player, and three layers. It is a permanent license with one year of updates, making it the more bounded commercial option.

Screenberry Pro also has custom pricing. It supports commercial use, licenses output resolution in 4K pixel blocks, and is offered with either a permanent or time-based license; both include one year of updates. Its resolution-based licensing suits projects that need more output than Lite allows, but the cost depends on the licensed resolution.

Paid work requires Pro or Lite. Content protection DRM is available only with a USB dongle, an important limitation for productions that require that form of protection.

Platforms

Screenberry Server and Screenberry Panel are available for Windows, Linux, and macOS, with some features varying by operating system. The minimum requirements are Windows 10 or Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and a graphics card supporting OpenGL 4.6. Although the platform coverage includes macOS, buyers should confirm that the features they need are supported on their intended system.

Who it's for

Screenberry is aimed at fulldome and planetarium operators, live-event teams, media-installation and 3D-mapping crews, galleries and exhibitions, and TV and cinema productions. Its combination of playback scale, calibration, audio, and control is most persuasive for teams coordinating substantial projection systems. A small, non-paying project can start with the capped free license; a paid production must budget for Lite or Pro.

Pros and cons

Pros: High stated playback and canvas capacity gives large multi-screen projects room to scale.

Pros: Camera-based calibration, manual warping, blending, and projector pose estimation address demanding projection setups.

Pros: Extensive audio, integration, and show-control options can bring multiple production workflows into one server.

Cons: The free license is non-commercial, capped at up to 2x 2K output, and requires renewal every 90 days with internet access.

Cons: Lite's commercial output limit is up to 1x 4K, while Pro's licensed resolution affects cost.

Cons: DRM requires a USB dongle, and operating-system feature differences warrant checking before deployment.

Alternatives

Projection Mapping Software is a useful place to compare options across the category.

VIOSO is worth considering for a freemium alternative with a free trial and a Pro plan at €49 a month.

SurfaBeam Pro is an option for teams looking across mobile and desktop platforms; its free edition has output watermarks and disables saving, loading, and exporting.

Disguise Designer offers a free Starter plan for learning, training, testing, and pre-visualisation without connecting to Disguise servers.

Ghost Arcade is a free desktop alternative with all features included and no tiers, trial, watermark, or expiry.

Christie Mystique offers a free Lite edition limited to one webcam, up to three Christie projectors, and flat screens.

Map Club is a free alternative with unlimited projects and surfaces, no watermarks, and all features unlocked.

MadMapper has a free try plan, but its output is watermarked, DMX channels black out every 30 seconds, and space-scanner resolution is limited.

HeavyM is a paid option with a trial and a one-time-payment Live license that includes one video output and a 1920 × 1200 maximum resolution.

Verdict

Choose Screenberry if your venue or production needs a single system for large-scale playback, projection calibration, multichannel audio, and show control. Its strongest case is the breadth and scale of those capabilities; look elsewhere if you need commercial use at a clearly priced entry tier, unrestricted free output, or DRM without a USB dongle.