Lyrics is a software program which scrolls a display of song lyrics shown through a projector attached to the computer. In addition, the software will animate prepared slide shows of graphics and text.
A typical use for this software is to manage the presentation of song lyrics through a projection system during church services, as well as displaying pre-service and post-service announcement slides.
The Lyrics software is designed to take advantage of the multi-monitor capability introduced in the Microsoft® Windows 98 operating system. With the addition of this feature, computers running under Windows 98 (or newer) can operate more than one display adapter. The Lyrics software makes use of two adapters simultaneously.
As the diagram above demonstrates, the typical method used for attaching a projector to a computer is to have it mirror the same image seen on the operators' monitor. The disadvantage with this setup is that the presentation software must generate it’s full-screen image on the main display adapter – this hides all software controls from the operator, leaving only a limited set of keystrokes or mouse clicks to step through the presentation. If the operator needs to perform other tasks, such as loading a new presentation, the projector display must be "frozen" or disabled in some way to prevent menus, dialog boxes and other operator activity from being shown in full view of the audience.
With a multi-monitor computer setup, the primary adapter can be dedicated to display a control panel for the operator, while the secondary adapter can be used to display a full-screen image for the projector. This gives the operator complete freedom to use a wide range of functions for loading, saving, and building presentations without disrupting the image shown before the audience.
The Lyrics program requires a Pentium® class computer, running the Microsoft® Windows 98 (or newer) operating system with 32MB RAM and at least 4MB free hard disk space. Obviously, more RAM will increase overall system performance, and you will need enough free disk space for your specific storage needs.
The computer you use must be capable of supporting more than one display adapter. As a general rule, this involves a desktop computer because it has an expansion slot which can receive the secondary display adapter. However, some laptop computers are available with a single display adapter that can be configured to operate as two distinct adapters.
DGS Software, Inc. will grant a license for use of the Lyrics software to non-profit organizations for free. Distribution, registration, and support for this product is done through this site.
We invite you to download a full version of the Lyrics software for evaluation. If you decide to use it, we ask that you register yourself with us as a user of the product by submitting a registration form from this web site. This allows us to keep you informed of new product releases and upgrades.