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Author Topic: Will series-1 projectors run future movies? William F Green Film Handler Posts: 84 From: Brighton, East Sussex, UK Registered: Jun 2005 posted 08-10-2011 10:20 AM                     The issue with 3-phase is that we are currently in a local authority operated multi-use 'arts centre' which DOES have 3-phase entering the building but not in the projection room. There are all sorts of issues that make it difficult to get 3-phase into the projection room. Plus the venue is somewhat hostile to changes like this (or any changes in fact) unfortunately and so I have to be sure before I even ask them about this. We had a huge battle (and I mean a HUGE battle) to even get and additional port installed for LCD projection - so, installing any additional equipment has to be done with the minimum of fuss (ideally just plugged-in). For this and other reasons we do expect to move all of our cinema operations to another venue in future - which may or may not have 3-phase easily available. It makes decisions so much harder at the moment when we don't have full control over the venue we are using. In terms of equipment - despite some significant short-comings we are veering towards the NEC for reasons of compactness/convenience. Does anybody know how many hours the expensive NEC lamps run for? I've been assuming 500 hours which would give us about a year and a half's operation in the current 60-day-a-year venue but could work out as a major cost if we ever went full-time. We are mindful of the advice given here on the cost of operating the NEC and have also made an offer on a Christie CP2000-M for that reason. You can see that we are favouring 'portable' or at least move-able machines, and again that relates to our desire to leave the current venue as soon as a better alternative is found. Regarding spares availability, I don't have a problem with the 2000-M being made in relatively small numbers as we have been operating (in addition to the venue above) a portable 35mm machine for the last 10 years with NO spares available in the UK - and we've managed pretty well on the whole having never lost a show due to tech failure. Why is there an issue with the earlier projectors not being HDCP compliant I wonder? We have a 5 year old LCD projector which is compliant and so I must admit the HDCP thing has come as a bit of a surprise.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 08-10-2011 11:54 AM                     Well, HDCP is a consumer-type-interface. All Series1 lacked it in the beginning. There are cheap ways to circumvent it, but the GoreBoard Upgrade for the Christie solves multiple issues at once. You may contact NEC about any options regarding the NC800. That machine is bright enough for your screen, so, the higher cost for the Christie could easily be spent in quite a number of replacement lamps. If you only operate 60days/year, the NEC is probably better suited, given all the other implications. After all, it gives you a full working 2k DCI setup for 15.000 GBP. Any yes, it IS more portable. Maybe your 60 days a year will even let you explore other locations in between. Much easier that with your current 35mm gear I guess. Usually I would always prefer the Christie 2000 against the NC800. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged William F Green Film Handler Posts: 84 From: Brighton, East Sussex, UK Registered: Jun 2005 posted 08-10-2011 01:13 PM                     Thanks Carsten. What are the 'cheaper' HDCP options you mentioned? An HDCP compliant HDMI switcher maybe? Yes, we are far more likely to be able to find another venue that can accommodate the NEC than 35mm or larger DCP. We know of one cinema here that uses the NEC 800 mounted in a box on the front of a balcony completely removing the need for a projection room at all (server etc is in a small room behind the screen). In fact they told us that the extra space this gave to seating made the difference between profit and loss.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 08-10-2011 05:10 PM                     A Switcher would still forward HDCP to the projector and would not make a difference. If you get the Scaler with the NEC, they cheapest way to connect HDMI/HDCP sources is a HDFury->Component/RGB inputs. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Amanda Mundin Expert Film Handler Posts: 122 From: Belper, Derbyshire, UK Registered: Sep 2005 posted 08-11-2011 01:29 PM                     We have an NEC NC800C, when we install the lamps it always tells us we have 1899 hours remaining on the lamp, but we tried to achieve this with the first bulb we had and when it got old (16-1700 hours) the lamp turned itself off in the middle of a screening, this happened a couple of times, so ever since we've pulled the bulbs out at 1500 hours. One bulb didn't make it and packed up at around 900 hours, when this happened we spoke to our supplier who told us they are only warranted to 500 hours. We've had the NEC for nearing 5 years and I will say that the only real problem we've had with it is the lamp, turning itself off, or struggling to strike when it gets older, and as already mentioned lamp cost which is a little more than £1,100 including the 2 filters that you change at the same time. We also have the Christie CINE IPM, which allows Component video input which is how we input DVD & Blu-Ray on the odd occasion we have used them.  |  IP: Logged William F Green Film Handler Posts: 84 From: Brighton, East Sussex, UK Registered: Jun 2005 posted 08-12-2011 08:18 AM                     Hi Amanda, this is really useful info, thanks. One of the reasons we finally decided on the NEC was that another cinema known to us has been using one for several years with no significant problems and stated that they were perfectly happy with the machine. You might be surprised to learn that your lamp life is actually much better than I was expecting! I was actually budgeting for/expecting a worse-case scenario of a lamp only lasting 500 hours in total. So the fact that you have easily outstripped that (albeit far less hours than you would ideally like) is a pleasant surprise to me. Quick question - do you have the lamp 'module' re-lamped rather than having a whole new module? Is the 'module' a reflector with the lamp pre-aligned? Do you keep a spare lamp in stock and do you send the units back when you are supplied with a new module? I'm hoping to get final agreement/pricing on the NEC today - still trying to get a lamp included (even a part-used one)! P.S. Is that the Ritz in Belper?  |  IP: Logged Amanda Mundin Expert Film Handler Posts: 122 From: Belper, Derbyshire, UK Registered: Sep 2005 posted 08-12-2011 11:34 AM                     Yes we are The Ritz in Belper, we have the re-lamped modules, we also have a spare, to get that we had to buy a whole new module at over £2,000, although I believe the price now could be £3-4,000 to get a whole new module, it depends how prepared you want to be in case of failure. You could operate with just one unit if you're happy to not have a back-up, just order a re-lamped module, change it out and send the old one back. You would have to compare the purchase price of a second module to how many screenings you may loose if the bulb won't strike one day. The only other thing to consider purchasing a second hand series 1 projector that is no longer made is how long NEC will continue to support the projector by making parts for it, perhaps someone with more knowledge could answer this. Some people seem to suggest that the life span for a digital projector may be around 10 years, which if true may mean that both ours, and possibly the one you buy if it is ex.DSN may only have 5 years of useful life left possibly?!  |  IP: Logged William F Green Film Handler Posts: 84 From: Brighton, East Sussex, UK Registered: Jun 2005 posted 08-12-2011 12:41 PM                     Have finance confirmed today for our NEC! It's coming with a re-lamped module but at least it will be a new lamp. Amanda we've considered all of the potential pitfalls of a used series 1 machine (and considered a lot of advice offered here and elsewhere) and it still looks like the best option for us anyway at this point - and the NEC the best series 1 option considering the installation limitations we face at the current venue. We are really regarding the current purchase as a medium-term problem solver and expect to be looking at alternatives in around 5 years time anyway. Although, having said that we are likely to get many more years of use considering the number of days a year we actually operate. I believe re-lamped modules are around £900 and as you say a full new module is around £2.5k  |  IP: Logged

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