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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Author
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Topic: Integrated projector/servers
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Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 09-27-2012 01:31 PM
From the point of view of a fan of independent theatres, I am glad that these smaller systems will (probably) exist. This is going to enable theatres that cannot afford the full-size machines to survive.
From the point of view of a fan of high-quality picture and sound presentation, I worry that the result of these will be some really cheaply done installations, with high-gain screens and crappy sound systems. This sort of stuff hurts the entire industry.
I am also curious about the operating costs, since metal-halide lamps tend to be more expensive than xenons on a per-hour basis. Will this eat up the $10k (?) difference in price over the life of the machine? Even if it does, will smaller theatres be able to benefit from the spreading out of cash flow over time?
In any case, it's an interesting development. My current expectation is that the projector will outlast the server in terms of useful life, but that is not necessarily a problem if an external server can also be used. Some of this also depends upon how difficult it is to upgrade/swap the "server" part of the integrated projector. If the "server" part is just a board that can be easily replaced, then the problem is reduced. Contrast with a TV/VCR combo unit, where the "VCR" part becomes useless if the "TV" part fails and is cost-prohibitive to repair.
As for hard disks: they're pretty much disposable at this point, anyway, after about three years. As long as the failure of one disk won't cause the system to fail, it's not a major issue.
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Andy Frodsham
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 238
From: Stoke on Trent, Staffs, UK
Registered: Nov 2006
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posted 09-27-2012 02:37 PM
Yes, I agree with all those comments and yes, Jim, I do have particular memories of the TV/Video combos and, more recently, the TV/DVD variant!!
Time will tell, I suppose, but it will be interesting to see what sort of reviews these systems receive over the coming months.
I, for one, would like to keep my server and projector in separate boxes!
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Carsten Kurz
Film God
Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009
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posted 09-28-2012 06:12 PM
What makes an integrated server so much different from an integrated media block or Enigma, ICP, etc. that suddenly it stinks?
Heat? Wow, wondering why no one strictly propagates external ballasts and lamp houses for every digital cinema projector.
These smaller machines are a logical evolution away from the TI-OEM overloaded and overpriced series-I and series-II designs. Smaller screens must follow different economics. That's just what's happening during the last phase of the digital rollout.
Yes, they are new, and they will have their initial flaws. Like series-I, like series-II, like servers, like IMB, like 3D, like everything in a fast moving business.
- Carsten
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Randy Stankey
Film God
Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 09-29-2012 09:09 AM
Component home stereo systems vs. integrated home stereo systems.
Television and VCR vs. "Combo-Vision" integrated TV/VCR.
A computer printer, a scanner and a FAX machine vs. an "All-in-One" Printer/Scanner/FAX.
In every case, I think most people will agree that, when a single machine is designed to perform multiple function, most of the time it ends up doing none of them very well.
As the saying goes, "Jack of all trades, master of none."
Further, if you buy a Combo TV/VCR/DVD and one of the parts goes wrong, the whole thing is likely to stop working and you'll end up paying more to repair or replace the whole unit. If you buy separate TV and DVD but just the player goes bad you can replace only that unit. If, after a while, you decide you need a new television, why should you also have to replace a perfectly good DVD player?
The cost savings between buying separate components versus buying integrated systems can often be completely lost the first time you have to have something repaired or replaced.
I used to work in the TV/stereo store. I used to get a lot of people who wanted to buy those "Combo-Vision" TVs and no matter how hard I tried to tell them the same things I just talked about above. Many of those people would still buy the Combo-Vision TVs, despite my warnings.
I can tell you from experience that the largest portion of the unhappy customers who came back to the store with repairs or problems were people who bought those Combo-Visions.
I have similar horror stories about people who bought All-in-One Combo stereo systems. You know, those mini-stereos that have a Tuner, a CD player, a cassette tape deck and speaker/amps all in one chassis. They look like a boom box on steroids.
I'll bet you that more than half the people who bought one kind of Combo-Unit or another ended up coming back to the store with one kind of complaint or another.
From that experience, there's just no way that I feel comfortable recommending that anybody buy any kind of "Combo-Unit," no matter what the purpose.
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Carsten Kurz
Film God
Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009
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posted 09-30-2012 08:56 AM
quote: Brad Miller
integrating TOO MANY different things together in one box
Well, isn't that exactly the purpose of the FILM-TECH DIGITAL CINEMA SYSTEM?
Does it hence suffer from the mentioned combo problems? Certainly not.
In contrast, the new S2k machines 'only' allow to integrate projector and a player module, some not even storage.
Most current DCI systems 'integrate' projector, server, scaler, audio processor, switch, UPS, etc into one single housing. Why don't these setups suffer from the combo issues? Because these are modular.
It's not the IMS idea that sucks per se, but the combo analogy.
I absolutely agree to the heat dissipation concerns, but neither Doremi nor Christie are stupid. One reason for Christie to advocate THEIR IMS is that they know exactly the boundaries of operation for their own projectors, and all announced S2k machines have been designed WITH the idea of the IMS in mind.
- Carsten
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