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Author Topic: D-Cinema...post your pros and cons of the different equipment Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 08-02-2011 06:12 AM                     quote: John Gavin you can set up Presets for channel configurations, so your operators will just have to... Operators??? Whatever.  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 08-02-2011 01:43 PM                        I have been using the NEC NC2000S Series 2 projector for almost a year, along with the GDC server and MasterImage 3D. For the most part I've found the NEC projector to be stable and have had no major problems. We do have the occasional freeze where a trailer seems to get "stuck" during playback and the projector has to be rebooted - but this has been less of an issue since installing the 3.0 updates. The DCC software for the NEC projector is not very intuitive, but I have become fairly comfortable with it over the year. One example is that rather than having a "Save" button to save setting, you click the "Entry" button. As I said, not very intuitive. I have found the GDC server to be very stable. I don't recall a single problem over the year. The GUI is functional, but not very pretty. And access to some of the commands is awkward. For example, it take too many "clicks" to get to the screen where you can manually execute automation cues. However, I did see considerable improvements when we went from version 7.7a to 7.7b. Hopefully this will improve even more with future updates, although I understand that the Cinedigm LMS with substantially change the GDC interface. The MasterImage 3D does it's job. It's been running virtually non-stop for a year with no issues beyond cleaning the polarization disk. We did have a bug or something get sucked into the disk and result in it needing to be changed. That is probably the most serious issue/disadvantage I've come across with the MasterImage unit. Right now I have two of five screens with the setup described above. Very shortly I will be getting the other three screens converted to the same - minus the 3D. Because I have never worked with any other equipment, I have no basis for comparison. I did help install a RealD unit at another location and I will say the one advantage to MasterImage is that it can easily be moved to another 3D capable screen.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-02-2011 03:03 PM                     Justin... Be sure you have the latest Projector Control Software on your computer 3.1.0.0 and that your firmware is at 3.002(the latest) or at least at 3.00. When they went to 3.00 the Projector Control Software added an auto-load feature under the "Check Version" button on the update tab and you could probably do the update your self. I do it by remote from my desk at home quite a bit of the time. There are some ICP updates in 3.002 that might help your freeze issue... I've installed almost 50 NEC's since they were introduced after the last Showest and have had tremendous luck with them. They are uber easy to work on if you ever do need to work on them. I've had 2 of the On-Off Switch/breakers fail so unless you leave it in standby all the time you may want to keep a spare in the booth... The Switch/Breaker failure is pretty crappy considering it's a German made part! Also one CPU module failure after about 200 run hours on a brand new 4K projector and stuck blue pixels on another 4K projector but hey 4K is still brand brand new anyway. The stuck pixels started showing up after about 6 run hours. I have to replace the light engine on the latter this weekend. That will take about a half hour or so to swap out not counting checking convergence and shooting colors. The nice thing about the NEC's and some other brands of Series 2 projectors is all the modules are interchangable between NC-2000 and the other NEC series 2 projectors. You just have to re-install the correct Projector Firmware if you swap modules between different projector models, particuluarly the CPU module. A complete Firmware update generally takes all of 5 to 7 minutes. No problem getting parts when needed, I've everything I've ordered the very next day. As to GDC... They are certainly THE standard to compare ALL other companies in this industry to. A good example was... I had a server hiccup because of a defective touch screen monitor on the 4th of July. I told the manager to call GDC Tech support but to remember it was July 4 and good luck and they were probably shooting off fireworks some place. The head GDC tech support guy called him back with in 10 min. and remoted in to the server in Elko, NV and took care of it for me while I was out camping. The theater location had no down time at all! I never did hear exactly what the real problem was but I assume they just had to run the server from the keyboard until a replacement monitor arrived... The GDC update procedure is also uber easy only requiring the software or update/Patch be put on a USB stick and loaded in with an accompanying password from the maintainance screen USB Button. No generated KDM is required from the manufacturer to update anything as some other brands require! The current version is 7.7b. So be sure you have that loaded in as well. Hope some of this helps you out... Mark  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 08-02-2011 03:41 PM                        Mark I am on version 3 of the DCC software and have applied the 3.0 update to the NEC projector - the second projector had the update prior to installation. And I did the update to the 7.7b on the GDC. Both of the projectors at my locations have worked virtually flawlessly since installation, but we did lose an ICP board in one at our other location about 3 months in, but Strong was very proactive about getting us the part and support - they even wound up sending a tech out from Omaha. Overall, my experience with digital cinema has been nothing but positive. Customer push back on 3D not withstanding. This is a custom ventilation setup to help cool the projector. There is a booster fan sitting immediately on top of the projector and an enclose box of galvanized steel sitting on the pedestal over the rear exhaust. This is something we had made up at a local sheet metal place at a cost of about $30. This addition has dramatically cooled our booth, even with just two running. Once we have the other three digital projectors installed with this setup, I imagine the booth will be down right cold.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-02-2011 04:33 PM                     I'd reccomend installing version 3.002... I thnk that'll take care of what few problems you are having. Cool coolers but that has to make changing out the lamp more difficult. I haven't had any cooling issues in multiplex's and some of our's are at 5000' altitude. I had thought of doing a similar thing but made from plastic so it's lighter and it would extract at the end and not interfear with lamp changes... Really, NEC should come out with an attachment for this!! Mark  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 08-02-2011 04:46 PM                        I haven't had to change a bulb since we added this about 30 days ago, but it shouldn't be a big deal since nothing is permanently attached. I verified that I do have firmware version 3.0.0.2 on my older projector. I'm fairly certain the newer one came with that version installed.  |  IP: Logged Joris Springer Film Handler Posts: 83 From: Almere, Flevoland, The Netherlands Registered: Feb 2007 posted 09-15-2011 05:58 PM                     We use at my work a Barco DP2k32B for the largest theater combined with Master Image and DoReMi server. A Barco DP100 for the 2nd largest combined with DoReMi and Master Image and for the smallest theater we have a Barco DP90 combined with Master Image. Personally I think the DP2k32B is just awesome, we don't have the small screen but just use the communicator software and despite for a small glitch (screen needs to be put in focus after every bulb change) it just works perfectly (though the DoReMi is one of their first 3D capable ones and so it is very slow when uploading movies through USB, I mean seriously, a Pentium 4 processor...) The DP100 on the other hand is wel, a problem child, think it is running on engine number 9! (no joke) It runs quite hot and it does not like that we switched it to 6.5K bulbs because well, a CLO of 5.5 is not what we wanted, now it runs at 10, still not enough but better. The machine is just one of the first ones (2004) and it is on the list of being replaced but it just takes time. And well, it has earned it's retirement after all it has been through you could say. The DoReMi is however also slow since it is the same one as in the other theater. The DP90 is working quite great actually, never had any real problems besides with the DLPS which keeps on giving the "atleast one could not be found" error once in a while, sometimes a reboot can fix it but sometimes it means the DLPS needs to be replaced. Think we are with that one already at number 4. Also here the DoReMi is just very slow so hope to get new ones soon . I am glad however that we no longer have Xpandd, not because of the picture quality but because people just kept on destroying the glasses here in my city. We don't have a TMS yet so we still need to upload all by moving the HDD from one theater to the other one and well, sometimes it means that it is just a real tight squeeze . But we are getting there slowly. What I mostly like about the Barco's however is their lamp house, exchanging bulbs is just very easy and very fast. Hard to make a mistake there and all the room you can wish for when you replace them. Not like the Vic5's we have running here .  |  IP: Logged Robert Grandrath Film Handler Posts: 5 From: san jose ca usa Registered: Aug 2011 posted 11-17-2011 03:16 PM                     Justin i sent you a PM  |  IP: Logged Bryan Pratt Film Handler Posts: 3 From: Swift Current, Sask, Canada Registered: Oct 2011 posted 11-20-2011 01:44 AM                     We are running the Christie cp2210, with Doremi DCP-2K4, and master image for almost 1 year now. Only real problem was 1 dolphin board crapped out. Only takes about 5 minutes per week to clean MI disc, but the benefit of disposable glasses and no usage fees is well worth it. Also no big light loss while playing through it. We are in the process of converting our 2nd screen before Christmas, but I'm torn about having to order the IMB in the second projector to be able to play HFR's IF that is going to be the big push from the studios down the road. I know it's the way technology advances, but I'm pissed that my projector that is only 9 months old has to have a hardware upgrade that is 3 times the price of ordering it with hardware factory installed.  |  IP: Logged Fenando Caveira Film Handler Posts: 11 From: Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal Registered: Apr 2011 posted 11-20-2011 10:30 AM                     Is de Doremi DCP 2000 completly out of date? And does any one have any thing to say about the kinoton DCP30 series II? is it any good? Thanks  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 11-24-2011 12:10 PM                     Fenando, The Kinotons are essentially Barcos under the skin. They use their own lamphouse, and they mount the optical assembly on vibration reducing mounts. I install and maintain both Kinotons and Barcos. There's nothing to choose in terms of image. Kinotons are slightly bigger and heavier, but stronger put together (the outer skeleton is typically Kinoton, welded steel.) I find the Kinotons easier to service because access to the internals is better.  |  IP: Logged Joris Springer Film Handler Posts: 83 From: Almere, Flevoland, The Netherlands Registered: Feb 2007 posted 12-07-2011 06:58 PM                     @Fernando, nope they are not out of date, we are still using two of them though we are replacing them in the coming weeks with Doremi's Showvault servers. Their biggest problem is the storage and well, at least the version's we are using, are running on Intel Pentium 4's and that means that USB2.0, well, it hardly has any use and uploading a movie while playing one will take hours (Transformers 3 3D took 5 hours! with 1 hour of no movie playing between two shows btw, I haven't measured the time at the Showvault server yet while a movie is playing).  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 12-10-2011 02:12 PM                     Showvault, really? This is a server with no media block so you need an IMB to use it, pointless unless you want 4K resolution. Plus the CRU drive is an option, I think, available only on the 4U version. The DCP-2K4 would be your logical choice if all you want is a CRU bay. You just need to have a monitor etc to replace the DCP2000 touchscreen.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 12-12-2011 06:33 AM                     Aside from 4k, ShowVault is also a better choice if you want to have an option on HighFrameRate 3D. The costs for ShowVault + IMB is not higher than for a plain-vanilla DCP-2k4, and it splits the possible replacement/upgrade cost for the future between Server/SMS and IMB. With the limited options of Dual HDSI, I would consider conventional servers outdated already now. Dolby has their SMS/IMB solution ready, Barco, Christie, etc. Although I would prefer if the Doremi had a Gigabit-Interface following DCOSA , not their, well, proprietary, PCI-e port. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Joris Springer Film Handler Posts: 83 From: Almere, Flevoland, The Netherlands Registered: Feb 2007 posted 12-23-2011 05:34 PM                     We have the Doremi IMB with their Showvault servers so all goes through PCI-Express and a nice thick cable that blocks partially a couple of inputs (so we don't use them since we heard that disrupting the cable connection will make sure all data/security is lost. But we are here still learning since we upgraded from DP100's and a DP90 (and 5 other booths with just Vic5's).  |  IP: Logged

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