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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: Digital Cinema: Technical Shoot-out The Netherlands
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Bastiaan Fleerkate
Film Handler
Posts: 85
From: Linschoten, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Registered: Jun 2006
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posted 03-20-2007 11:52 AM
I just went to an technical shoot-out organised by CinemaNet Nederland and here is the setup and my thoughts about it...
The first screen had a Christie CP2000x with a DoReMi server.
The second screen had a Barco DP1500 (if I remember it well) and a GDC server
The third had a NEC (the smallest Digital Projector) and a Dolby server.
I watched to the three screens before me an concluded this:
DoReMi servers aren't what I'm looking for. The image was ok, but at times there was a white line across the screen just like a lab splice. The operating system on the server and the lay-out of the screen wasn't clear and easy to understand. The Christie Projector is good, but it makes a lot of noise... the walls of the auditorium must be fitted with extra noise reducing materials before you can switch this thing on. The image was sharp and clear... the best projection of the three projectors.
The GMC server is a good, easy to use server. In the pitch there where several things that came up. NO NOT MY BREAKFAST! The server has to be updated entirely to comply with the DCI standards and the storage isn't done on a separate unit, so if one unit fails, you can't just put another in and let the show go on. The same for the DoReMi server... The Barco Projector was second best in Image quality, but the presentation was very good and there are a few major improvements on the Christie projector. The projector does away with a second anamorphic lens and produces CS (scope) and WS (wide screen) with one lens. It has a closed system, which means less dust and other dirt in the projector and it's a single phase projector. You can plug it in and just run it from your standard electrical socket, you don't have to have a new electrical wire installed...
The last screen had a NEC projector (the smallest DLP projector) with a Dolby server.
The Dolby server is one of the best servers around, from what I've seen this morning. It has a removable storage device, so it's easy to share a movie between 2 screens and it is easy to operate. It is not one unit, so if one is down, you can change it for another one, not having to replace the whole unit (with screen, storage, player). You only will set off an alarm if you open the box ( ![[evil]](graemlins/evil.gif) ). Dolby also has a wonderful track record with their other products and this means everything is tested to the max and is supported for many years. The pitch was short and very clear... nice!
The NEC projector wasn't nice. I have never seen such a miserable projection. The picture wasn't sharp and clear. There wasn't enough light on the screen and had a keystone like mad. I didn't looked at the projector closely, so I don't know the model, but it wasn't an impressive presentation. Christie and Barco had send some oversized and much to powerful projectors, but NEC had send an underpowered projector. It wasn't able to decently fill the screen and the colour wasn't good. I only wish I could have seen the bigger projectors of NEC in action, because they didn't make a good impression on everybody and they damaged their image with this presentation.
After seeing this all the best marriage is an Barco projector with an Dolby server...this is my opinion so if anybody wants to convince me otherwise...GOOD LUCK!!
I want to thank CinemaNet Nederland for the shoot-out and the catering for the lunch.
Bastiaan, The Netherlands
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Stephen Furley
Film God
Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002
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posted 03-20-2007 01:44 PM
quote: Bastiaan Fleerkate
The NEC projector wasn't nice. I have never seen such a miserable projection. The picture wasn't sharp and clear. There wasn't enough light on the screen and had a keystone like mad. I didn't looked at the projector closely, so I don't know the model, but it wasn't an impressive presentation. Christie and Barco had send some oversized and much to powerful projectors, but NEC had send an underpowered projector.
According to their website NEC make three models of projector. Was the one you saw all black, with carrying handles at the bottom front and back, much smaller than the Christie machine, and no connection to an extaction system? If so, then it sounds like the NC800, the model which we have. We also have a keystoning problem with our machine, but it is installed way off axis, for reasons that I described in another thread. I would say that the NEC machine prooduces a picture at least as good as the larger machines which I have seen, if it is used on a screen of appropriate size.
It struck me how bright the projector is; it's running below maximum lamp output on our very small screen. We actually get more light per Watt than we do with film The lamp is only 1.25kW, and its intended for use on screens of up to about eight metres, if I remember correctly. How big was the screen on which you saw it used? If singificantly bigger than this then either NEC supplied an unsuitable machine, or whoever arranged the event requested an unsuitable one, or did not correctly state the size of screen on which it would be used. If it was being used on a screen of suitable size then there would seem to be several possibilities; the projector was faulty, it was badly set up, it was being fed with poor quality material, it was being used in high ambient light conditions, etc. If it was deing demonstrated on the same size screen as the larger machines then I would expect it to produce an underlit picture, or for the others to produce an over-bright one.
Were all three projectors being demonstrated with the same source material, on the same screen surface, at the same projection angle, and under the same ambient lighting conditions? If not, then any comparison between them is not very meaningful.
quote: Bastiaan Fleerkate
DoReMi servers aren't what I'm looking for. The image was ok, but at times there was a white line across the screen just like a lab splice.
A white line sounds like a fault, but since each projector was demonstrated with a different server, how can you tell whether it was the rojector or the server, or come to that the material loaded onto the server, which was at fault?
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Bastiaan Fleerkate
Film Handler
Posts: 85
From: Linschoten, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Registered: Jun 2006
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posted 03-20-2007 02:12 PM
quote:
If so, then it sounds like the NC800, the model which we have. We also have a keystoning problem with our machine, but it is installed way off axis, for reasons that I described in another thread. I would say that the NEC machine produces a picture at least as good as the larger machines which I have seen.
It was the NC800 and the projectors was directly in front of an 6 to 8 meter wide screen.
The three screens were side by side with an curtain hanging between them. In a dark studio.
quote: Stephen Furley
or for the others to produce an over-bright one.
The other projectors were far better with colour and brightness. The projectors were set like they would do in a cinema, with proper measuring material.
quote: Stephen Furley
Were all three projectors being demonstrated with the same source material, on the same screen surface, at the same projection angle, and under the same ambient lighting conditions?
Yes
quote:
A white line sounds like a fault, but since each projector was demonstrated with a different server, how can you tell whether it was the projector or the server, or come to that the material loaded onto the server, which was at fault?
The same content was used for every projector and server. When they wanted to show us the loading of a movie something went wrong and they couldn't rectify it in a few minutes. When hooked up to a laptop the projector didn’t show this white line. With the demo of ‘Buddha’s lost Children’ the white line was gone.
quote:
, it was being fed with poor quality material,
The NEC was hooked up to the Dolby server. I don't think it would be the servers fault in this case. The content was full HD
quote: Stephen Furley
It struck me how bright the projector is; it's running below maximum lamp output on our very small screen. We actually get more light per Watt than we do with film The lamp is only 1.25kW
From what I was told, all of the digital cinema projectors are using less power then a xenon in a 35mm projector. Barco uses a 3000 watt lens that looks like a 6000 watt. This means a drop of 3000 watt on you power supply.
I hope I answered the questions...
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