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Author Topic: HD projection: What say the pro's about the Barco DP30 Tom Sauter Expert Film Handler Posts: 163 From: Buffalo, NY, USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 05-06-2003 11:13 AM                        Geoffrey, Its not just a matter of storing the information and sending it to the projector as data. In order to download from Boeing there are hardware security features as well as software ones (not to mention the hardware and software security features for projection) The ICE system is not entirely "off the shelf" components. The ACSAR restriction I mentioned may be limited to those theatres whose DP's are still owned by Boeing/Barco on a trial basis.  |  IP: Logged Geoffrey Gilbert Film Handler Posts: 9 From: Austin, TX, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 05-06-2003 11:41 AM                     I know. I traded emails with Cuban and some of his folks at HDNet, and that's how I got directed to Boeing. I would get accounts/license agreements from these guys, and permissions to receive and transmit. I know I am simplifying here, but isn't the process that a 2 terabyte film digitized through a telecine in LA, can be stored uncompressed, encrypted, and sent through large packet transmission over Boeing satellites, received and unencrpted from Boeing again to ensure security and then have a finite broadcast capability...like say 40 viewings before it expires, and you reformat the drive and do it all over again. I know I am only slightly dangerous, but I'll read anything you all put in front of me. I need that satellite infrastructure to go with my digital dailies project, so that sunk cost is part of the business plan...it just generates revenue from more than one enterprise...which is good IMO. thanks for the discourse  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 05-06-2003 11:51 AM                    Has anyone actually made money with an HD / Digital Cinema projector? Perhaps some production or post-production centers but I would like to hear of anyone involved in theatrical exhibition who has actually made money on it. For theatres I would define that as an increase in profit (net boxoffice after film rentals) over what they would have likely gotten with film exhibition less the lease on the HD projector or depreciation over the period involved. Those who were lent a projector would have to estimate how much it would have cost under normal circumstances. I don't doubt that some have done increased business with Episode 2 or other films but enough to pay for these (which will all be obsolete as soon as the 2K units hit the market)? I rather doubt it.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 05-06-2003 02:55 PM                        At the presentation of the Kodak Digital Cinema System prototype at ShoWest 2002, Kodak noted the average distribution cost to provide a new 35mm print to a theatre was about $350 US per week. Shown five times per day, that's only about $10 per show for the "software" that runs through a film projector. Mastering and delivering large data files (be it by satellite, fiber, or optical media) is NOT free, and the amortization and maintenance of the hardware (receiver, server, network, projector) must be added onto that.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 05-06-2003 04:46 PM                        quote: Has anyone actually made money with an HD / Digital Cinema projector? Maybe the Seattle people who frequent the Cinerama could comment. My (relatively uninformed) impression is that their digital system hasn't seen a lot of use since Star Wars.  |  IP: Logged David Kilderry Master Film Handler Posts: 355 From: Melbourne Australia Registered: Sep 1999 posted 05-06-2003 08:42 PM                        Gilbert, Jack is on the money with his comments. Most of us live in market economies, where the market drives the demand for a product or service - there is no demand from the average moviegoer in 2003 for digital projection. It is not better, it is not cheaper, it is not more convenient. No cinema owner worth his salt will swap reliable, cost effective, high performance film projection technology for digital in 2003. They certainly won't give a % of the ticket away. David Kilderry  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 05-06-2003 08:46 PM                     Having installed 3 Barco DP50s on an outright purchase...I can tell you that with the ACSAR you can run whatever you choose...as to anyone not letting you use the ACSAR that may be more of who owns the projector. Be forwarned...the video world is not a nice and safe place...Much like we have different film formats, so does video and much like we have our different aspect ratios, so does video. But it isn't that easy...1.85:1 isn't 1.85:1 for everybody. You have your 4:3 families and with 4:3 you have those that were formated 16:9 within 4:3 and those with 1.85 within 4:3 and 2.39 within 4:3 and depending on the amount of over/under scan the guy at the transfer house did, you will or won't have to tweek your projector on a title-by-title basis. Then you have your 16:9 families...and 4:3 within 16:9 and 1.85 within 16:9 and 2.39 within 16:9 and the same rules apply as above. Think you are done? Guess again... most of these DMD panels are 5:4 actually which is great for power point shows (and you will want to handle them) but it must be interpolated for all of the others so you really 4:3 within a 5:4 and then all of the various permutations listed above...likewise for the 16:9 stuff. Think your done? nope. So you don't want to letterbox your shows so there will be some scaling going on ...on a format by format basis. But does your theatre use top only masking? Is your projector off-center? Guess what you have yet more tweeking that will need to be done on a title-by-title basis. If I make it sound like it isn't easy...it ISN'T. You can get wonderful results but it isn't a set and forget unless you limit yourself to just a couple potential formats...easy to do with DCinema...there are only something like 4 permutations now...but with professional video (and consumer cuz face it you know a DVD player will be too good to pass up) you will dozens of formats to contend with. The ACSAR is nothing more than a switcher/scaler that will take what you send it and make it so it will play on the projector. That is, if you have a 4:3 component video source, with the approripate input module you can select that module, tell the ACSAR that it is a 4:3 signal and it will duitifully scale it up to SXGA resolution and hand it off to the projector. It is the projector that must take that signal and "massage" it so it looks finished on the screen. Now if you don't care about dressing out the image the way you would with film then it is easier since you wouldn't have to worry about masking it properly and hiding the keystone. Then again...it will just look like a TV show then. Steve  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 05-09-2003 09:47 AM                        So much for those D-Cinema evangelists who dangle the carrot of the "projectionist-less booth" in front of exhibitors. It leads one to ponder how the popcorn popper/projectionists, who can barely thread in frame, are going to deal with 15 different video format possibilities. I, for one, look forward to going to the "movies" for a first run opening night, only to sit back and watch an uncorrected anamorphic film with squished actors -- or visa-versa.  |  IP: Logged

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