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Author Topic: lowest digital screen resolution before noticeable quality loss Gary Davidson Expert Film Handler Posts: 101 From: Santa Monica, CA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 02-13-2008 10:53 AM                     With 2K digital cinema the standard is 2048 X 1080 resolution, at 24 frames per second. Just curious, but what is the lowest screen resolution I could push through that same digital projector before I saw noticeable image quality loss? Where would I bottom out?  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-13-2008 11:11 AM                     There's different variables that come into play with that question (screen size, viewing distance, types of imagery being shown, etc.) Even at the highest settings, you may be able to see limitations in the 2K format itself. I find its limits most noticeable when lettering and other kinds of graphics are displayed on screen, especially scrolling end credits. If the focus level is properly sharp you will see evidence of that pixel grid if you get within a few rows of the screen. Lower resolution video or computer sources can be displayed through these projection systems. You just have to make sure the audience doesn't expect to see 2K d-cinema image quality with the material.  |  IP: Logged Gary Davidson Expert Film Handler Posts: 101 From: Santa Monica, CA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 02-13-2008 12:17 PM                     I'm curious has anyone thrown up a 1.3 megapixel cellphone image just for the hell of it to see what would happen? Would it be a readable image? What about a 2.0 or 4.0 megapixel image?  |  IP: Logged Lyle Romer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1400 From: Davie, FL, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 02-13-2008 12:38 PM                     The full imaging chip in a 2K projector is only about 2.2 Megapixels.  |  IP: Logged Gary Davidson Expert Film Handler Posts: 101 From: Santa Monica, CA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 02-13-2008 12:48 PM                     so my 2 megapixel iPhone has approximately the same image data as one frame of 2K digital?  |  IP: Logged Tristan Lane Master Film Handler Posts: 444 From: Nampa, Idaho Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-13-2008 07:16 PM                     It has roughly the same amount of pixels but not always the same capabilities when it comes to data compression. Quality of an image is affected by much more than just it's pixel count.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-13-2008 10:15 PM                     Just about any picture taken with a cellular phone is going to have marginal image quality at best. Blown up onto a movie screen using a 3 chip 2K DLP projector, the crappyness is just going to be amplified.  |  IP: Logged Kyle Anderson Film Handler Posts: 86 From: Tyler, TX, USA Registered: Dec 2005 posted 02-13-2008 11:00 PM                     ^ It'll look crappy because of digital signal boost noise (ala the fuzzy random colors in dark areas) and cheap optics.  |  IP: Logged Stu Jamieson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 524 From: Buccan, Qld, Australia Registered: Jan 2008 posted 02-13-2008 11:10 PM                     We are running 2K images on an 18m screen and the image quality is awesome. We also run 1.3K projectors in a couple of other smaller auditoriums and the image is underwhelming to say the least. Granted we're not running Christie CP2000's in those other auditoriums but the pixelation is a lot more noticeable even on the smaller screens. We've never run 1.3K programs through the Christies  |  IP: Logged

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