Barco new product ~~S4-lite

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Here is whats going on in Hollywood at the major post facilities. I had to attach it as an image off my Messenger because it won't allow copying on myp hone...

[Elinor Chang]

At present, laser projectors have become a trend in the Chinese film market. Therefore more and more manufacturers of light source reconstruction（mainly refers to laser replacement xenon lamp） have emerged.It doesn't mean that cinemas don't care about speckle,on the contrary, they have stricter requirements on image quality, so these manufacturers need to make more effort to solve the problem, such as Barco S4 and Christie CP****-RGB models need accompany with a vibrating screen but R&B and B-laser models don't need that.

[Elinor Chang]

Barco acquired the Norwegian company Projectiondesign a few years back. They build many of the "mid-sized" Barco projectors often used in venues and stuff like indoor projection mapping, simulators, etc. It would make sense if they used a light engine built for those projectors.

But does PD make Laser&Phosphor light source?If this is true, then the cost is too high.As far as I know the price of SP2K series is competitive in the Chinese market.

[Elinor Chang]

Where does one "Register Up" for such an event? I took a quick look on the Cinionic website but it didn't just off the page at me.

Greg,I think you're looking for this website. http://www.filmexpos.com/cineasia/

[Marcel Birgelen]

But does PD make Laser&Phosphor light source?If this is true, then the cost is too high.As far as I know the price of SP2K series is competitive in the Chinese market.

I don't know if they build their own light-sources or if they have others build them for them. Depending on the level of automation, a light-source built in Norway could still be profitable on a Chinese market. While this may be a "lower end" machine, it will still cost significantly more than your average home or office projector.

[Carsten Kurz]

Nothing to do with Barcos SP2K/4K - but I was recently invited to see a test installation of a Christie CP4440. The amount of speckle in RED (!!!) was so annoying, that at first we assumed the unit was defective. The integrator and Christie tried to adjust and fix the issue, but couldn't. They were desperate to sell this unit to the cinema (even offered to install screen shakers at no cost), but had to remove it, because all images with decent red components (includes, of course, all shades of white, skin, etc.) looked as if the screen was a cheap LED display. Has anyone else seen a CP4440? Wondering why RED was such an issue. Green and blue looked okay, and usually, green is said to be the most problematic color for speckle.

[Harold Hallikainen]

I wonder if the longer wavelength of red makes the speckle dots larger and farther apart than other colors, making it easier to see.

[Steve Guttag]

It's been said that speckle affects different viewers differently. I've always seen red speckle before green. Barco seems to be using multiple wavelengths to break it up. If you look at the spectral distribution on spectroradiometer when shooting colors on the SP4K, you'll see 2 peeks on red and green and I suspect this is to break up the speckle. Of the 10 units I've installed, nobody has complained about speckle. the screens were all 1.3 gain (white). As I have previously mentioned, what I've noticed on every system I've seen, though is this redish tint to it all despite what the meter says. I don't see that with xenon light.

[Leo Enticknap]

What are the labs using for color timing now? Laser or xenon machines? That may make a difference as well.

Xenon, in my experience. Of the six or seven post houses I service regularly, they all have either Barco DP4K-Ps or Christie CP4220s. I've only seen one laser projector in a studio (the NEC one with an external laser unit and fiber optic cables into the projector chassis: can't remember the model number), and that was in quite a large theater on the lot, not a room that is used for color grading. I also recently installed a CP4220 in the residence theater of a prominent Hollywood creative figure, the choice of model being because the lab he works closely with recommended it.

[Steve Guttag]

This, I can believe. Having a system where the meter and your eyes, particularly the eyes of someone like a DP or color timer that pick off every nuance, don't agree would be an issue. I am surprised there isn't more stink about it.

[Ioannis Syrogiannis]

I wonder why an IMS3000 along with the ICP-D was chosen to be used for the DCI test, instead of an Alchemy.
I look forward to learn more about those.

[Elinor Chang]

Nothing to do with Barcos SP2K/4K - but I was recently invited to see a test installation of a Christie CP4440. The amount of speckle in RED (!!!) was so annoying, that at first we assumed the unit was defective. The integrator and Christie tried to adjust and fix the issue, but couldn't. They were desperate to sell this unit to the cinema (even offered to install screen shakers at no cost), but had to remove it, because all images with decent red components (includes, of course, all shades of white, skin, etc.) looked as if the screen was a cheap LED display. Has anyone else seen a CP4440? Wondering why RED was such an issue. Green and blue looked okay, and usually, green is said to be the most problematic color for speckle.

Although the human eye is most sensitive to green , measured value of the speckle contrast is higher in red, I guess that's probably the reason.

[Carsten Kurz]

They're online now:

https://www.cinionic.com/series4-laser-projectors/


Funny, they don't explicitly mention Phosphor vs. RGB light source. The brochure though says:'There are only four Barco Laser PlateTM spare parts to service all light source configurations.' So it seems they're all RGB.
According to specs, the contrast ratio of the 0.69" SP2K machines has been increased to 2200:1. Not HC, but noticeably better than the previous Xenon and UHP S2K models. Also quite silent - 40dB (for the smallest 6000 Lumen model - a DP2K-6E UHP replacement). That's around 10dB less than previous already quiet UHP or phosphor laser models.

[Steve Guttag]

They are Laser Phosphor. Any time you put in a green laser, you are going to kick your price up into another category and these are targeted for the lower-end of the market. So they are using the .69 DMDs but with the new hardware platform of Barco S4. The foot print is the same as the "S" and "E" series...which is the same as the "C" series however their external case is more akin to the "S" in size, from that I can tell.

There are four models ranging from the 7 to the 15 so there is an overlap with the 4K versions. Another tidbit...the bottom two 7 and 9...can run on 120V!

Unfortunately, since they are bright, they are still a RG3 laser product (despite going through a phosphor wheel) so the laser restrictions still apply but due to the lower lumens, their hazard distance is going to be on the order of a meter or so (except maybe the 15).

Note, it suffers from the same design defect of no taillight that the SP4K suffers from.

[Dave Macaulay]

Pretty sure the E ones are smaller, the flatpack pedestal was revised to fit them with an extra support bar. Not sure what form factor these new ones will use but likely the S series?
They are all phosphor laser, which does make the color calibration a bit dicey and I wouldn't recommend one for critical color grading use.
I also wonder how labs will adapt to laser projectors - when they do get used for grading, and if grading will be adapted for them in cinemas as they become more common.