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Author Topic: Video Projector for Pre-Show Questions Tom Sauter Expert Film Handler Posts: 163 From: Buffalo, NY, USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 08-07-2003 10:09 AM                        You are correct the Axcent 3 has six RS232 ports the Axcent 2 only has four. The Axcent 3 has the ability to receive commands from your automation in the form of a contact closure supplied by the TA-10 (i.e. the contact closure being used by the slide projector right now.) While the TA-10's RS-485 protocol would work you will come up short by four RS232-485 ports and need more boxes. If you plan to go with the Axcent 3 there are some cable distance issues and programming work that need to be done, you should try to find a local dealer who can assist you in designing the system properly.  |  IP: Logged Chase Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Troy, Alabama, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 08-07-2003 01:35 PM                        We only have five screens so the six ports will be enough. The TA-10 runs one data line between all five automations (up to 16 max) so one port for the RS-485 from the automation and five ports going to the video projectors RS-232C. The distances between the projectors should not be a problem since the longest runs will be forty feet, the dealer told me that 50 feet is the max. I think I got a good price on the Axcent 3 $1179 and luckily I've got a employee that can program in C+ so that is going to bring down cost a little more. Chase Taylor Continental Cinema 5 [ 08-07-2003, 10:44 PM: Message edited by: Chase Taylor ]  |  IP: Logged Jean-Michel Grin Expert Film Handler Posts: 222 From: Geneva & Lausanne, Switzerland Registered: Jul 2002 posted 08-08-2003 01:42 AM                        Hi everyone, An other way is to use the DTS XD-10 as video Source. Sounds like it can be configured to control a wide range of video projectors and it can be configured to be conected with any system of automation.  |  IP: Logged Tom Sauter Expert Film Handler Posts: 163 From: Buffalo, NY, USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 08-09-2003 03:23 PM                        Oops! You're right, the RS485 is a bus for all of the automations, so you only need 6 ports. Groovy! Chase, the price on your Axcent 3 is reasonable. You did really well considering you have someone who knows C, they should be able to pick up on the axcess programming language quite easily. AMX has online tutorials for the programming language that are a very good introduction. They are at www.amx.com --> dealers --> tech center --> training. AMX is very good about letting end users set up an account to access the dealer area. Keep us updated on how it all works out.  |  IP: Logged Chase Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Troy, Alabama, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 08-13-2003 12:55 PM                        Hopefully I will have this up and running by the middle of September. Thank You to everyone that has helped with this project of mine, and I will let you guys know how it turned out. Chase Taylor Continental Cinema 5  |  IP: Logged Paul Trimboli Master Film Handler Posts: 274 From: Perth Western Australia Registered: Dec 2002 posted 08-15-2003 08:24 AM                     We run our adds off DVD, a company called Spotlight Cinema advertising does them, very good, but we are not in an Automated booth!  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-06-2003 12:03 PM                     Has video projector automation become any easier to accomplish over the past few months?  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-06-2003 01:36 PM                     The Pj-Net interface is an ethernet adaptor that lets you remotely monitor and operate the projector over a newtwork using a web browser. Kinda' neat but not useful for automations unless you want to get REALLY elaborate. At Mercyhurst, we have close to 100 classrooms with video projectors installed. They are all controlled remotely with a device called EZ-Trol.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-07-2003 07:28 AM                        Manny, the manufacturers seem to finally becoming aware that video projectors in a theatre environment have different needs than in the office confrence room (the fact that they still feel compelled to tout how their video projectors work in lighted rooms is a give-away that the still have some way to go to reach a "movie theatre" mindset). The Eiki 3 LCD screen unit that the museum just purchased is marketed as their top-of-the-line "theatre projector." Well, as far as I am concerned any projector that projects anything on the screen that is not the video program that is being sent to it shouldn't be called a theatre projector. There is no reason whatsoever for menus, the manufacture's logo or "POWER DOWN?" questions to be projected on to the screen. There should be either a small, built-in LCD screen on the projector that will display configuration menus, NOT project them on the theatre screen. Hell, I have to use binoculars to see the damn things out on the theatre screen. And if not a dedicated LCD menu screen on the projector itself, then a video monitor output that you can use to monitor the picture and also display the menus in the booth, not on the theatre screen. As already mentioned, the best way to kill the video projector image is the simplest way -- mechanically. Rig any change-over shutter in front of the projector lens and use your automation to slam that thing down, because no matter what expensive electronic interface you use to get the projector to shut off, until the bulb is actually powered (and cooled) down, there is no such thing as real black in video. As Scott pointed out, there will always be residual light coming out of that VP unless the bulb is completely turned off. The addendant sequencing problems with sequencing a bulb power-down with the associated proper cool-down time, to say nothing of the stupid "Do You Really Wanna Turn Me Off" message that gets projected before that can actually be accomplished, make an electro-mechanical dowser an elegant and simple solution. To prove my point, I just observed two of our seasoned projectionists working a film festival that mixed film with some video. Without any coaching, they handled the there's-still-light-coming-out-of-that-freakin-video-projector problem in the simplest way. It was a very low tech piece of cardboard that they stuck in front of the video projector lens. In a situation where you don't want the video projector to power the bulb down because you need it again after only a few minutes, nothing any automation can do save pulsing a mechanical shutter is going to deal with the VP's residual light output. Keep it simple....keep it clean. Use a mechanical shutter for instantanious dowsing of the light and then use whatever other automation sequencing you can devise to properly shut power down or just turn the bulb off.  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 12-07-2003 07:43 AM                     Electro-mechanical dousers for video projectors are available from Buhl Optical. All the features Frank is requesting is basically available on the projectors manufactured for Digital Cinema use.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-07-2003 09:17 AM                     There are some solutions out there. A mechanical one has some obvious benefits for a mixed video/film program. Some projectors do have honest to god dousers in them some do not. As for mere preshow stuff...all you really want/need for the projector to do is turn the lamp off or on (not the power to the projector). If you just want a means to skip the "Power off?" question from coming on the screen. Extron/InLine makes a nifty gizmo that will allow you to press buttons and initiate serial commands called the CTL 208CM Extron is coming out with another device that should solve the problem more automatically. That is, it will take contact closures and generate RS-232 commands. Furthermore, it has its own "web page" for use with a LAN. It can even generate "order replacement lamp" emails ahead of time as it monitors your projectors. It goes by the name of IPL T SF24 Lastly...within our own industry...Panalogic has its own device. Originally designed to be a slide projector controller (it can rack the slide tray back to zero, ensure accurate timing of each slide and such)...it too can generate an RS-232 command sequence to a video projector from a contact closure/open from your automation. It is called the SC100 . Steve  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-07-2003 09:55 AM                     Assuming that I didn't care about voiding a warranty... Is there any reason we couldn't just "hotwire" the switch that controls power to the bulb? In the case of my Eiki projectors the switch has to be pressed twice due to the "confirm power off" feature. I don't think that switch does the physical closure. Two pulses would be simple to accomplish with a CA-21 automation.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 12-07-2003 10:02 AM                        It might be cheaper to void the warranty on the projectors remote control.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-07-2003 11:19 AM                     Be careful on the whole remote control IR idea in a movie theatre...if you have any back-to-back theatres with the same projector (or same brand)...you might get a "two-for-one" when you hit that IR pulse! Steve  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-07-2003 12:15 PM                        I like the IR idea. That way, I can just bring a $20 "universal" remote whenever I go to the movies and use it to turn off the ads. Perfect! I doubt that there are any theatres within 50 miles of here that are using DLP projectors for ads, however. Kodak and Telex slide projectors seem to be the advertising medium of choice at the moment.  |  IP: Logged

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