|
|
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
|
|
Author
|
Topic: How is this equipment?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
|
posted 08-16-2012 12:33 AM
The JSD-80 is the film processor. I have only worked in one place that had one, but it worked fine. There was one flaw (or perhaps this was by design; if so, it is a weird design choice, though) with that unit that I ran into that almost bit me: when a laptop is attached and "connected" to it and a film format is selected, the changeover command is ignored and the selected projector input stays active until the "disconnect" option is selected in the software. Otherwise, it seemed to be a well-designed unit. It even has a separate main output and monitor output (which is one of my complaints with the CP650).
As for the D-cinema stuff mentioned above, the GDC server still does not have any redundancy for the boot disk. If that fails, the unit is essentially dead until the disk is replaced. As for the Barco, I have no particular opinion other than that you will want the touch panel for it (which, for some reason, is an option) or a computer that is running the Barco software (which does the same thing and is probably cheaper).
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dave Macaulay
Film God
Posts: 2321
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Apr 2001
|
posted 08-16-2012 02:48 PM
Yes, the Barco "communicator" touchscreen is an option. And expensive.
Barco and Christie have different approaches to things. If you have several Barco projectors you don't really need a touchscreen for every one: day to day control of the system is possible with the panel buttons, and in a normal installation even that is rarely needed as the server automation will completely control the projector. Plus you can run the communicator program on a PC and get the same interface. If you have the touchscreen you can vnc from it to the server console and control that from the projector - a nice feature - which the Christie TPC can't do. If the projectors are networked you can connect to any projector from one touchscreen (this is not a good idea though, it's ridiculously confusing to have the panel on one projector controlling a different one).
I believe the Christie TPC is an integral part of the projector so you don't have a choice: you get one with every system. You can use a PC to get the same interface via a web browser vnc login (they might support a normal vnc client as well but I haven't tried).
Christie projectors have motorized lamphouse adjustments and auto-alignment of the lamp. Christie has optional motorized lens adjustement, it's effective but looks like a Rube Goldberg invention bolted on the front of the projector - and costs a bundle. The motorized lens mount is available as a upgrade if you later decide you need it, but installing this kit is not fun at all.
With Barco you get the motorized lens functions (although you maybe can get non-motorized lenses for a cash saving if you choose (these may have been discontinued): you still get motorized lens shift on C models and shift plus focus on B models, but no motorized zoom unless you have a motorized lens). Barco doesn't give you a motorized lamp alignment but offer it as an option. To upgrade to it you need to replace the entire $$$ lamphouse assembly. Manually aligning the lamp is not difficult on a Barco and the automatic option is not as valuable (in my opinion) as a motorized lens mount to accommodate masking that requires a zoom and maybe lens shift change between formats - you need top/bottom/sides movable masking to have no lens changes needed between formats and use the full image chip areas. Some do this with scaling - but that is technically not allowed in the DCI spec (that almost nobody seems to care about).
So both have advantages. We are mostly installing Barco so I'm quite familiar with them: there's more thinking involved when I work on a Christie. A Christie installer would have the same feeling about Barco.
I don't know why Imax switched from Christie to Barco but they'll have pretty much the same issues... the internals are very similar and the TI "guts" are identical. I would rather change a Barco light engine than a Christie though, and convergence on Barco S2 is a breeze.
I could spout a lot of opinions on which is better but the differences are trivial enough that it comes down to other considerations - price, local support, VPF availability, etc.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mark Pasquesi
Film Handler
Posts: 28
From: Geneva, Geneva Canton, Switzerland
Registered: Sep 2012
|
posted 12-10-2012 08:24 PM
In one cinema we are using exactly a cheap laptop with a wifi connect
- having one machine to control the Christie, and the USL JSd-100,
from within the room is great!!
We can set our masks, and check the angle,
while testing the sound, and making sure th distribution is correct.
Only bug with the USL is that it does not remember the presets - so we saved our SMPTE control on the laptop, and reload it every time...
The SPTE is quite good, but... we have mixers noting low response from 1.5-10 k ... and the curve actually did drop this ..
If we have enough people say the same thing, we will set up a second, 'improved' smpte curve based on notes...
What's great with the laptop is that you can easily have various setups, and keep your controlled SMPTE...and 'improved' versions...
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
Printer-friendly view of this topic