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Author Topic: What scalers are you using? John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 10-16-2012 08:43 PM                     We have a Gefen Scaler for our alternate content and it produces pretty good results...most of the time. Problem is, it's just not reliable. You can test a show and it all looks and sounds great until there are 500 people in the auditorium and it's showtime. Sometimes you open up and have just a blue screen and other times the image is there but it's alternating between green and blue pictures. This is the second one we've had and this one is no more reliable than the first. So what is everyone else using and what do you recommend?  |  IP: Logged Peter Castle Expert Film Handler Posts: 220 From: Wollongong University, NSW ,Australia Registered: Oct 2003 posted 10-16-2012 08:50 PM                     We use an Onkyo domestic receiver. This allows us to switch between DVD, BluRay, STB and computer, scaling all to 1080. It also allows us to direct the appropriate audio into our CP500.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 10-16-2012 09:15 PM                     To the Barco projector (DP2K-32B) we are using a Barco ACS-2048. We also have a Folsom (Barco) ImagePro HD. Both are great.  |  IP: Logged Bajsic Bojan Expert Film Handler Posts: 190 From: Ljubljana, Si, Eu Registered: Aug 2008 posted 10-17-2012 01:38 AM                     We use the Barco DCS 100 Its great. Still have trouble controling it through Doremi (anyone that can control their ACS unit, please tell me the command string you are using), but made a custom .net program to do the automation. Other than an occasional freeze when i try to do 5 things at once, it is rock steady. Options are pretty much limitless, would like an extra HDSDI input on it tho (we feed 4 HDSDI sources to external Kramer HDSDI switcher).  |  IP: Logged Jason Burden Film Handler Posts: 2 From: Wokingham Berkshire UK Registered: Jun 2011 posted 10-23-2012 06:52 AM                     The Gefen pro 2 Is a reliable and cost effect solution for the display of alternative content you can also use it to convert analog to digital , similar to the Dolby DMA 8. The blue and green screen issue could be a firmware problem or a potential cable issue ?  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-23-2012 07:55 AM                        I have worked with the Folsom Image Pro HD (the original ones are not HDCP compliant; the new ones might be), the Analog Way Pulse LE, the Gefen Cinema Scaler, and various Extron units (most recently, the ISS 408), and maybe some others. The only one that I really did not like was the Gefen, which seems to be too limited for most uses. The Extron works fine, but only handles analog video and cannot scale the monitor output differently from the projector output. The Folsom (now Barco) and the Analog Way are fine. For Blu-Ray (or anything else that uses HDMI) with D-cinema projectors, I have had the best luck running the signal directly into the projector's DVI input. Scalers and switchers all seem to have "issues" with HDCP, to the point where I basically don't trust them.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 10-23-2012 11:13 AM                     Kraemer VP-437 (I think the new version is the VP-439). Good price point (better than Barco for sure) and rock solid scaling of ALL inputs (does passthru for HDMI at 1080p), super simple RS-232 control interface and does all from Composite video up to HDMI and VGA. All in a 1 rack unit chassis. So John, shitcan the Gefen and get a Kraemer. You'll be glad you did.  |  IP: Logged Richard May Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1057 From: Floral Park, NY USA Registered: Aug 2004 posted 10-23-2012 12:26 PM                     Kramer VP-437 by far is the best I've ever used. Nice options. Perfect picture. Never had any glitches.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 10-23-2012 02:58 PM                     Many thanks to everyone for the responses. I'll take a look at the options you've suggested.  |  IP: Logged Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 10-23-2012 06:39 PM                        Always trusting Kinoton, I of course use a Kinoton scaler (DMS 1). That little black box - in the sales brochure praised over the top as the way to the perfect alternative shows, seems to be the test of our relationship. From day one - one and a half year ago - it has never delivered as promised. I'm quite often running special shows from BluRay on a Philips BDP 9600 ( pain-in-the butt slow, but otherwise fine). When connecting via HDMI, picture is perfect, but when starting a show, just five minutes after testing (OK) and pausing the player, all I get on the screen is oldfashioned black and white "TV-snow". Connecting via VGA/DMI, I get pictures every time, but with a lack of picture quality (especialy contrast/glow)so bad, that I can't even use it for a free shorts program for children... The techs have been trying again and again, and switched scalers (several models), and I have trown in three different BD players - It's all the same. Lately, I have used a home-video model beamer Panasonic PT-AE 4000, which gives better results than the same BR player can deliver through the expensive Kinoton DCP. The Kinoton, I should say, gives me great pleasure day after day, when running "the real thing" from dcp-drives. Really top ! But - remembering the text from the brochure - the "small stuff" should be perfect, too. Any advise would be applaused greatly ! Per  |  IP: Logged Hordur Valgardsson Film Handler Posts: 25 From: Reykjavik, Alfabakki, Iceland Registered: Oct 2009 posted 11-14-2012 04:02 AM                        i´ve been using http://www.dvdo.com/EDGE.aspx (an older model that is not listed) rock solid for 4 years.  |  IP: Logged Ian Parfrey Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1049 From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E Registered: Feb 2009 posted 11-14-2012 04:58 AM                     John. We have found this to be the most reliable and cross-format compatible scaler available. Never had a glitch, no blue screens and faultless operation. Nuthin' fishy about how good this thing is. Give this one a whirl.  |  IP: Logged

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