" Hi Lonny
I have a question for you . Is the LED in the Cat 701 the same as is used in Component engineering , Kelmar and other makes of rverse scan readers ?
I am trying to find the least expensive source of replacement LED's . I just received 12 LED's that i ordered ( from Strong ) for one of our theatres where they are starting to loose steam ( over 9000 hours on
them ) . The cost in canadian dollars $4000 that is about $333 each canadian or about $250 or $275 US !
What do you folks charge for your LED's ? Is there a way to buy them direct from the manufacturer ? "

Lonny's reply :

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You do NOT want to use "white light" LEDs, as they will not be compatible with future prints having cyan dye analog tracks, which require RED LEDs. AFAIK, none of the reader manufacturers have certified the use of other LEDs.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Not that I'm advocating the use of RS white LEDs...

But what future of cyan tracks? Heck, I just opened a new 6-plex and there were only two prints that even had high-magenta. Not even Warner Bros is using High-Magenta all of the time.

Steve

Has anyone else received a print with a cyan colored analog soundtrack?

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A cyan dye track will have unacceptable signal-to-noise when played on a white light or infrared reader. On a red LED reader, the cyan track will have about -2dB signal-to-noise compared to a standard dye+silver track on the same red LED reader, so noise reduction (e.g., Dolby SR) is recommended.

Traditional color print soundtracks (cyan + magenta + silver) had a slightly different cross-modulation distortion optimization between white light and red LED readers, and needed to be optimized for one or the other. For example, if an old soundtrack were optimized for a white light reader, it could have slightly more XM-distortion on a red LED reader, and vice-versa. The interim "high magenta" (magenta + silver) track is more compatible with both readers.

Jess Daily of the UCLA Film Archives ran extensive comparitive testing of a variety of older soundtracks on white light and red LED readers, and found no major compatibility problems. As with any analog soundtrack, different recording levels may require adjustment of the fader between different prints. I assume Dolby and others will make alignment films specifically for the cyan dye tracks.

Current dye + silver soundtracks require application of a viscous, caustic B&W developer to the soundtrack area during processing of the prints. If the developer splashes or bleeds onto the picture area, silver is redeveloped, leaving a grayish blotch or stain. If the silver soundtrack application "skips", there will be pops or dropouts or "whooshing" in the analog sound.
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/processing/h242/h2402_03.shtml#159763
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/processing/h249/h2409_05.shtml

Laboratories efficiently recover most of the silver in the film from the fixer solution. But the silver in the soundtrack remains in the film, and goes into the environment if prints go into a landfill or are improperly incinerated without silver recovery from the fly ash.
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/processing/h245/h24056.shtml#164271

Industry adoption of cyan dye analog soundtracks will eliminate the print quality problems associated with silver soundtrack application, and reduce the amount of silver released to the environment.

Reverse scan red LED readers have advantages that can justify their installation for all current soundtracks. The compatibility with future cyan dye soundtracks is a bonus.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Nope, just create new ones with an inferior track.

The reported cyan distribution to a non-red reader theatre shows the kind of bumbling science that has been going on with the whole cyan red-reader agenda.

Steve