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Topic: Centralized platters?

Chad M Calpito
Master Film Handler

Posts: 435
From: San Diego, CA
Registered: Apr 2006

posted 08-11-2007 04:30 PM

In answer to your query, with regards to who doesn't use FG & any static problems, etc., Brad, I haven't had any static problems at all at my theatre regardless of the Film Stock. So, I definately agree with you 100%, Brad. [Big Grin]

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 08-11-2007 07:47 PM

Perhaps Fuji also developed an anti-static process? Whatever it is your both right-Brad is right it doesn't appear to have anything to do with filmstock but I think Mark is also right about static not being an issue the past few years j(at least). My theatre used to have horrendous static problems. Nothing changed in our operations but the static problems just disapeared without explanation.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-11-2007 08:35 PM

quote: Brad Miller
whether it be how the CP650 used to sound awful but now after Dolby has done nothing to it suddenly it sounds wonderful.

Brad,

In case you missed it all there have been ALOT of software upgrades to the 650, or perhaps you were not installing them back then. And yes after a point in software maturity the 650 did sound better but its still not as good as the CSP-1200. I still have one 650 runnning with the old software version if you'd care to hear it sometime. FYI... Clint has heard that version of the processor at that theater.

quote: Brad Miller
There are people who use FG because they care about having their presentation flawless and a side benefit is not to have to worry about wraps. Then there are people who don't use FG who have wraps regularly and continue their operation this way for laziness or because their corporate office won't let them have it. Then there are people who don't use FG that just don't have static problems at all...they just have at minimum dirt problems.

You missed two... There are the chains with people at the top who buy FilmGuard that don't pay their employees enough to care to bother to use it.

Or there are theater chains that demand it be used but can't hire enough employees to man the booth properly no matter what the pay.

Mark

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 08-11-2007 09:11 PM

Mark, I'll give you your last point, but I think the point above it falls within the "too lazy" category. We seem to have an abundance of that in this industry, and it is ultimately what is driving more people to home theaters instead of to the big screen.

I am not even going to get into the 650 argument. Sorry, but I side with Mr. Guttag on that one. If you want to dredge that back up, please take it back into a Dolby thread.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-11-2007 09:44 PM

I agree there are too many lazy people manning booths out there but in many of the places I service you'll find the laziness is because of whats called minimum wage. I work with a 100+ screen chain that is run that way [thumbsdown]

. The good side being that we make a ton of money repairing everyones mistakes. In many cases a decent pay scale will get the workers attention resulting in better work standards since they are more likely to WANT to keep their job. I have a 60 screen chain plus many smaller independents that I service that are run on exactly that premise and it works very well. Most of the booth employees at that chain stay at their jobs for many years and become quite profecient.

Mark

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 08-11-2007 09:50 PM

If only other people understood how that works. [Frown]

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 08-11-2007 11:34 PM

...they were never taught the "magic" of the cinema - to have excellent presentations like the ones that are in this forum that knows what this "magic" is.

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 08-12-2007 06:48 AM

Unless you are running something before version 1.1.7.x....you are really reaching on the software vs sound on the CP650...which is really around their very first release of the product. About the only other sound improvement came in the version 2 of the software when noise floor optimization came in (2.1 or 2.2, I think). However, I doubt many, except for screening rooms, turn that on since one may potentially clip the system. Also, in most theatres the hiss level is around the HVAC level.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-12-2007 11:56 AM

quote: Monte L Fullmer
...they were never taught the "magic" of the cinema - to have excellent presentations like the ones that are in this forum that knows what this "magic" is.

On the contrary... I teach the magic of Cinema at every training class I do. The problem is that for $4.60 an hour(or what ever measly pay they get) that magic only last so long and goes so far, usually about 6 paychecks in duration after which they go onto higher paying endeavors at places like Wendy's and McDonalds which in some town on my routes pay nearly $15.00 to start. It is these theaters that digital is but a savior!!

Steve,

I don't remember the exact version I left on that one processor... will look next time I go there but those 650's are pretty darn old. I upgraded one when I went thorugh St George a couple of weeks ago that was definately a 1.7x something or other. Our tech down there has since made sure the rest of them have been brought up to date.

I would suggest you ask Clint what he thought but we were all pretty much in agreeance that it wasn't sounding like a $10,000 dollar procecssor. Hence CLACO didn't sell any 650's for a while. It was when I upgraded the rest of them in that complex that I noticed a definate change for the better in SR playback. No complaints since but I still prefer the CSP-1200 quite a bit more.

Mark

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 08-12-2007 12:44 PM

I don't think they had a 1.7.x.x version...the settled on 1.2.3 for a while then version 2 came out which nixed the ability for the unit to hang up and dump its settings.

I had early CP650s and there were no problems with the SR decoding whatsoever and the CP650 remains the best SR emulator in the digital domain. Don't bother repeating your belief about the JSD-80's SR decoding...it really mistracks quite a bit and is a bit too noisey for my likings.

There was a high-frequency tone on the outputs of early CP650s (in excess of 100KHz) that would trigger the SPI LEDs on such amps as Crowns that put the SPI circuit on the input pre-fader.

The CP650 has gotten quieter over time due to noise floor optimization for those that use it. But as far as to sonic improvements to the SR decoding and other firmware related changes...you are definately reaching and will have a hard, if not impossible time proving your position with an A/B test where just the firmware is changed unless you go back to 1.1.3 or so. I had some 1.1.7 units sounding pretty damn good...what did you do wrong to have your units sound bad? I have since upgraded those units to 2.x.x.x for the features those firmwares bring (not dumping memory...virtual Dolby Digital voltmeter, noise floor optimization...remote control interfacing...etc)...when the updates were done NOBODY said "WOW, does that sound better!"

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 08-12-2007 12:53 PM

Hmmmm, I think there are Dolby threads that would fit this discussion a bit better.

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 08-12-2007 01:03 PM

I'm sorry....<sulking> [uhoh]

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-12-2007 03:56 PM

quote: Steve Guttag
Don't bother repeating your belief about the JSD-80's SR decoding...it really mistracks quite a bit and is a bit too noisey for my likings.

I don't remember saying that the SR in the JSD was 100% correct... It IS light years ahead of its predecessor though and a great Aux input processor.

Now back to the regularly scheduled Centralized platter thread!!

Mark

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Michael Schaffer
"Where is the
Boardwalk Hotel?"

Posts: 4143
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 08-12-2007 05:35 PM

quote: Steve Guttag
Don't bother repeating your belief about the JSD-80's SR decoding...it really mistracks quite a bit and is a bit too noisey for my likings.

How can you tell how much a system mistracks, unless you have heard a particular soundtrack on an excellent original SR system and know how well it sounds, how much the channels are separated in particular situations etcetc?

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-12-2007 06:51 PM

quote: Michael Schaffer
How can you tell how much a system mistracks, unless you have heard a particular soundtrack on an excellent original SR system and know how well it sounds, how much the channels are separated in particular situations etcetc?

Thats exactly what I do, I have a reel that I have been using for the better part of 10 years now, it gives the processor and the entire sound system a real workout in many different aspects. Needless to say I am extremely familiar with how it should sound. Hopefully you also have a certain very high quality reel that you are most familiar with! If you want to continue this discussion thats great but please start another thread elsewhere and let Brad have his thread back as he asks above.

Mark

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