AI for projector troubleshooting - scarily accurate

[Leo Enticknap]

I have a customer with a DP4K-23B that has a flicker problem. It only presents when the current is at about halfway up or higher. When the fault first appeared, the lamp in the projector was around a decade old (the projector is in a performing arts venue that only plays movies 4-5 times a year), so that was the first thing I suspected. No luck - same fault with the new lamp (Ushio 3kW). I checked all the connections, and tightened the high current nuts. Still not fixed. Looked at airflow next - all the fans are OK, I can't find any blockages anywhere, and the fan in the ceiling is sucking the duct at a decent 600-650 CFM.

This has led me to the conclusion that one of the lamp power supply modules is failing, as it's basically the only cause left that I can think of.

Just for giggles, and because my wife has been evangelizing about it for weeks now, I decided on a whim to ask ChatGPT, to see if it came up with the same plan of attack that I did. The question I wrote was "What would cause the lamp in a Barco DP4K-23B to flicker, but only at higher current settings?" Its response:

A flickering lamp in a Barco DP4K-23B projector (or similar xenon-lamp digital cinema projector) that only occurs at high current settings typically points to a few possible causes, mostly related to the lamp, power supply, or cooling system. Here's a breakdown of likely culprits:

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? 1. Aging or Degraded Lamp

• Xenon lamps degrade over time, especially when run at high currents.
• As they age, the arc becomes unstable, particularly under higher loads, which causes flickering.
• If the lamp is near or past its rated hours (or has had a hard life at high current), this is the most common cause.

Check: Lamp hours, physical signs of wear (arc instability, sputtering inside the bulb).

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⚡ 2. Power Supply Issues

• At high current, the ballast (lamp power supply) is under greater load. If it’s starting to fail or can’t regulate power properly, flickering can occur.
• A failing IGBT module, capacitor, or other internal ballast components may struggle at high current but work fine at lower levels.

Check: Diagnostic logs in the projector UI for ballast errors or voltage/current instability.

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?️ 3. Insufficient Cooling

• High current means more heat. If the cooling system (fans, air filters) is clogged or underperforming, the lamp arc becomes unstable.
• This can especially happen in dusty environments or if filters haven’t been cleaned or replaced regularly.

Check: Internal temperature sensors, fan operation, airflow, and clean filters.

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? 4. Loose or Corroded Electrical Connections

• High current can exaggerate the effects of bad connections, especially in the lamp housing or lamp cables.
• Arcing or intermittent contact in the lamp circuit can cause visible flicker.

Check: Inspect lamp connectors, terminals, and cabling for signs of wear, oxidation, or heat damage.

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?️ 5. Improper Lamp Alignment or Focus

• Misalignment can cause arc instability, particularly at high current where the plasma column becomes more erratic.

Check: Lamp alignment procedure via the projector’s service tools.

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? Bonus: Software or Firmware Bugs

• Rare, but certain versions of projector firmware might mismanage ballast behavior under specific settings.

Check: Firmware version and release notes from Barco; consider an update if you're not on the latest stable build.

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✅ Suggested Troubleshooting Order:

1. Check lamp hours and inspect for aging signs.
2. Review internal logs for power anomalies or temperature warnings.
3. Inspect and clean fans, filters, and lamp housing.
4. Reseat or inspect lamp connectors and cabling.
5. Try lowering the lamp current temporarily to confirm correlation.
6. Contact Barco support if ballast replacement seems likely.

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If you want, I can help walk you through how to pull the logs or check specific settings from the projector's UI or Communicator software. Let me know!

Yikes! This thing is in danger of taking away a big part of a service tech's job. I didn't look at software/firmware, because I service many other projectors running the same version with lamps running nearly maxed out and perfectly stable, but ChatGPT couldn't have known that.

So essentially, a publicly available and free AI site came up with the same troubleshooting steps, in almost the same order, and arrived at the same conclusion as a tech with manufacturer certifications and over a decade of experience working with these machines. Scary.

[Ryan Gallagher]

If such things exist anywhere in service manuals it has been trained on it is likely to spit out fairly logical steps, it is like hiring a google search wizard. I’ve often found though that when you reach the limits of it’s “knowing” it is rather apparent if you have any expert knowledge in the field.

The big flaw with all language models is they do not understand well what it doesn’t know, and will easily fake a very wrong but believable answer rather than have that self awareness to even hint at “I don’t know”.

[Ryan Gallagher]

I tried this query to see what opinions it's stochastic network offered: and while I view the responses as very good, you’ll notice it tends to mix and match answers from the film and digital era without really drawing attention to that nuance.



Why is 2:1 a film aspect ratio with growing frequency?

The 2:1 aspect ratio has gained popularity in recent years for several practical and aesthetic reasons—especially in streaming content, prestige television, and some feature films. Here's why it's seeing growing use: 1. A Middle Ground Between 16:9 and Cinematic Widescreen

• 2:1 offers a compromise between the 16:9 (1.78:1) TV standard and wider film formats like 2.39:1.
• It provides a more cinematic feel than 16:9 but avoids the extreme letterboxing of 2.39:1 on most screens.
• This makes it especially appealing for content that will be consumed on both TV and mobile devices.

2. Modern Aesthetic

• The 2:1 frame feels clean and balanced—wider than TV, but not so wide that it distorts perspective.
• It gives directors more horizontal space for composition without being overly panoramic.
• Think of it as a "prestige look"—used to signal visual intent and quality, especially in shows like House of Cards (which helped popularize it) or Stranger Things.

3. Device Compatibility

• Phones and tablets increasingly have screen shapes close to 2:1 or 18:9 (which is mathematically 2:1).
• Using a 2:1 ratio fills these screens more efficiently with less cropping or letterboxing than other formats.

4. Flexibility in Post-Production

• It's often shot with room to crop into different ratios (especially when using digital sensors), allowing creatives to adjust for various display formats.
• 2:1 allows for better visual impact across platforms—a sort of "golden mean" in today’s fragmented viewing environment.

5. Influence of Streaming Services

• Platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime have embraced 2:1 for their originals, encouraging filmmakers to adopt it.
• The format has become associated with premium content and artistic ambition, even in episodic storytelling.

Would you like a list of notable films and series that use 2:1 or visual comparisons with other aspect ratios?

Why do cinemas dislike 2:1 aspect ratio?

Cinemas often dislike or are reluctant to fully embrace the 2:1 aspect ratio for a few key reasons—most of them tied to projection standards, presentation aesthetics, and economics. Here's why:

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1. It Doesn't Fit the Standard Screens Cleanly

• Most cinema screens are designed for either 1.85:1 (flat) or 2.39:1 (scope).
• A 2:1 film doesn’t fully utilize the height of a 1.85 screen or the width of a 2.39 screen.
• As a result, 2:1 often ends up being letterboxed or pillarboxed, wasting valuable screen real estate and reducing visual impact.

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2. Projection Masking and Lenses Are Calibrated for Standard Ratios

• Theaters use adjustable masking curtains and anamorphic lenses to perfectly frame flat (1.85) and scope (2.39) films.
• Showing a 2:1 film means custom adjustments or compromises, which can be a hassle or even impossible in some multiplexes.
• It can result in awkward presentations like black bars on all sides or inconsistent framing between trailers and features.

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3. Loss of Prestige or Spectacle

• Cinemas often market wide formats (especially 2.39:1) as "cinematic" or "epic".
• A 2:1 aspect ratio—being visually more like TV or streaming—can feel less grand or “premium” on the big screen.
• It risks undermining the sense of theatricality that makes cinemagoing special.

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4. Audience Expectations

• Audiences are used to either classic widescreen (1.85) or ultra-wide (2.39) formats in theaters.
• A 2:1 presentation might look “off” to viewers, especially if it's surrounded by black bars or seems smaller than trailers or ads.

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5. Inflexibility in Multi-Purpose Theaters

• Modern multiplexes often need to show films back-to-back with minimal reset time.
• Accommodating 2:1 can require manual tweaks to masking or digital projection settings—interrupting workflow or projection accuracy.

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That said, some prestige films (Nope, The Lost Daughter, Roma, The Social Network) have embraced 2:1, and many modern theaters are becoming more flexible. But for now, 2:1 remains more cinema adjacent than cinema native.

Want examples of how different films have navigated this tension?

I have noticed it has gotten much better since early versions on response formatting, it is in love with lists and bullets now.

Generally speaking, If you ask follow ups you can probably get it to self-distinguish, be more specific, or self-correct, but a lay person would have to know what parts of any given answer to nit-pick, and they won't in areas beyond their wheelhouse.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Phrase it differently and I feel you get an answer that is perhaps further from the truth, definitely further from the impression it gave when you biased it's response with your question. ;-)

Do Cinemas like or dislike the 2:1 film aspect ratio?

Why some cinemas like 2:1:

1. Flexible Presentation: 2:1 fits nicely between the two most common cinema aspect ratios:
   • 1.85:1 (Flat) – traditional for many dramas and comedies.
   • 2.39:1 (Scope) – used for epics, action, and widescreen-heavy films.
   
   A 2:1 image can be shown on both types of screens with minor letterboxing or pillarboxing — less intrusive than cropping or major format shifts.
2. Modern Compatibility: With streaming and TVs increasingly using 2:1 to maximize screen real estate (especially Netflix originals), theaters have grown more accustomed to it. It plays well both in cinemas and at home.
3. Minimal Masking Issues: Cinemas with adjustable masking systems or digital projection setups don’t usually struggle to adapt to 2:1. It's close enough to both major formats that projectionists can handle it without significant changes.

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Why some cinemas might dislike it:

1. Masking Constraints: Traditional cinemas that use physical masking (curtains or panels) tailored for 1.85 or 2.39 might not have a perfect setup for 2:1, leading to black bars or exposed screen edges.
2. Presentation Inconsistencies: If a theater isn't prepared or doesn't know the aspect ratio in advance, the movie might be projected incorrectly — cropped or stretched — though this is becoming less common with digital workflows.
3. Marketing/Posters Confusion: Sometimes promotional stills or trailers are made in a different aspect ratio than the feature (say, 2.39:1), which can confuse audiences or even projectionists about how the movie should look.

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TL;DR:


Cinemas don't really dislike 2:1 — it's a modern, practical compromise that plays well on big screens and small screens alike. While some venues might face minor challenges, digital projection has made it easier to accommodate. Filmmakers love it for its balance between cinematic width and vertical screen real estate.

Are you working on a project in 2:1 or thinking about how a specific film was presented?

[Mike Babb]

Cinema AI just sources data from Steve Guttag's brain anyway