|
|
This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4
|
|
Author
|
Topic: What goes wrong in digital cinema?
|
Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"
Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
|
posted 09-13-2014 02:49 PM
Scope got smaller. By that, I mean it became lower-rez than Flat, which is kinda sad.
Everything else is now called "Flat," which is unhelpful, and just plain stupid.
Subtitle dropouts -- took me a while to figure out what was causing it. Changing to a shielded Ethernet cable resolved the issue. But I'm still nervous when I get a foreign film that doesn't have "baked-in" subtitles.
The local AMC theatre runs everything through their RealD 3D adapter. Yuck.
And, speaking of RealD -- I'm seeing more silver screens. And that means I'm seeing more hot/cold spots. Especially near the edges. This isn't a "digital problem" per se, but it is the result of 3D making a comeback because of d-cinema.
Lt/Rt audio not being decoded, because it's not expected to be on a DCP in the first place. Yet, there it is.
Digital video and digital cinema have made it possible for truly independent product to make it to a cinema. This is both good and bad. The "bad" part is that amateurs can throw together a movie and then get it into a cinema. The expense and technical complexity involved with bringing a 35mm production to a cinema meant there was virtually zero chance of a crappy movie seeing the light of day. Compared to film -- even 16mm -- I've shown way more crappy low-budget movies that were made possible because of digital cinema. Of course, the "good" news is that the day will come when I'll get to inflict my own crappy low-budget indie film onto an unsuspecting public. LOL
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Buck Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 894
From: St. Joseph MO, USA
Registered: Sep 2010
|
posted 09-14-2014 12:18 AM
quote: Steve Guttag
The cooling pump is rated for 5-years. The last DP2000 was released December of 2009...any chance that it is time for a new pump? This stuff will not last forever.
He/we ended up replacing the light engine due to a bad green block and bad RGB convergence(I'm not convinced the engine was bad, but I'm not the one paying the bills sooooo....)and couldn't get coolant flowing after the change. Replaced the pump. Still no luck. Primed the pump. Still no luck. Manually primed coolant through the entire system, pushing out air, finally got it pumping.(Not convinced the old pump was even bad either, keeping it around just in case)(The Barco help desk didn't know, nor did the tech, nor did either party find any manual procedure that covered our issues, we were just figuring stuff out on our own as far as the coolant problem went)
Then we properly pressurized the system which had not been done since we got these used in.... 2008?
Then he couldn't get the lens to properly fill the screen and had a heck of a time with that whole thing, currently we're only able to run flat movies until he comes back Monday.(proper common height masking in this house, ~40' wide scope screen)
Reason being "The tolerances are different in this light engine."
Light engine replacement itself was ridiculously easy IN THEORY, being only 4 screws holding the whole assembly in, but that was a whole ordeal in itself. The back suspended card part seemed to be slightly bent on the new unit and we played hell trying to get the screws to line up.
All told, 3 people worked on it non stop for ~7 hours and we are not yet fully resolved, though we are back on screen. Lost all 4 shows today and passed out the late show last night.
| IP: Logged
|
|
Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!
Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999
|
posted 09-14-2014 02:14 AM
I recently did "battle" with a DP2000. The light engine is indeed very easy to remove/replace, as light engines go.
RGB convergence is not a reason for light engine change...one can converge the DP2000. It isn't enjoyable...one has to have VERRRRRRYYYYY LOOOONNNNNGGGG allen drivers (on the order of a foot long...one has to remove secret cover plates to expose some of the red adjustments too. And just when you think you have it...you snug down the formatter board...it moves a little. Then again, that is how most other convergence goes in everyone elses projectors. Barco Series 2 (or the DP100) make convergence easy (particularly if you have the USL VCC-102).
As for pressurizing the system and air pockets. The system definitely wont' tolerate air in it. If it has an air pocket in it...the only way to get things going is to "push" the fluid through until you push the air out....then have it suck/drain into the same vessel (both submerged) until all air bubbles go away in the "refill mode". I've never had a problem with all of that and with the pump working. I do pressurize the system as an indicator of when it was last changed! I dislike the older connectors too as compared to the series 2. The old ones leak when you insert/disconnect. The real reason for pressurizing the system is for inverted use...which nobody does (hence they don't do it anymore) so having it go down to no pressure isn't the end of the world.
I don't get the image sizing issue unless the backfocus of the lens was right at the edge and now the imagers are just a hair different in spacing. In the DP2000, the backfocus is super easy since there is a single plate (rotates) that can set it.
Good luck though. One thing is for sure...as these series 1 projectors continue to age...they are going to get to be real expensive to keep around...and it won't be too long before the series 2 will follow suit.
I think that is the biggest problem with digital cinema (bringing the discussion back around to the topic). The long-term costs associated with Digital cinema. With film, the equipment outlasted the complex. With digital, the shelf life is VERY short. The costs of repairs in DCinema, if they will even repair it (manufacturers now have taken the position that if it is out of warranty...just replace it) are higher than the most expensive failure in a film system. Barco has taken the position that they will not issue all of their parts as parts, you have to get the part you want in an assembly...that may cost substantially more than the part you need. You'd be amazed at what they feel forces you in to needing something like a light engine instead of a relatively low-cost part. With film projectors, you could buy a generic screw from either the manufacturer of the projector or your local hardware store. Now there is no generic anything (well not much, at least).
Servers wont be so bad...while they will fail...the costs of computer stuff seems to continue to either go down or give you more bang for the buck. Mediablocks/IMBs...on the other hand are also failing now and they are NOT CHEAP to replace. I have already retired two servers due to mediablock failures. Though one has been repaired and now is a site spare.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Buck Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 894
From: St. Joseph MO, USA
Registered: Sep 2010
|
posted 09-14-2014 12:04 PM
Steve, like I mentioned, I'm not convinced either that the light engine was even bad. I had asked him about calibrating convergence and he had a similar answer to yours. "It's possible, but a huge pain in the ass"(Not a good answer to me)
I gotta say, I learned a TON yesterday, and am now far less afraid of digital projectors, not that I was overly afraid of them before, just less so now. I got to see just how 'modular' Barco is, and how well my higher vehicular mechanic aptitude translates even to this. It's all just nuts, bolts, and screws still. The software/server etc side leaves a bit of learning to be desired though.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Marcel Birgelen
Film God
Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012
|
posted 09-14-2014 12:48 PM
quote: Marco Giustini
operators are not supposed to do convergence. As Steve said on series 2 and DP3000-style machines it's just a matter of turning some knobs but you will need to access the light engine which then require the projector to be authorised again. And operators are not supposed to do so.
I know that "operators" aren't supposed to do it, but your integrator/installer/service company pretty much can do it for you. Or if you're sufficiently knowledgeable yourself and aren't under some service contract that forbids you to open the projector enclosure without "adult supervision". But operators don't seem to care, as it often doesn't get fixed for months or even years, since seemingly doesn't find its way to those who service said projectors, if any...
Still, it's nothing that needs a light engine changed, unless something in your light engine is really out of alignment beyond normal calibration.
Bad RGB convergence really hurts your image pretty badly and it should be taken care of and like Carsten already mentioned, it sometimes even happens on machines running Dolby 3D, that's one heck of a mess right there.
If we put blown-out or just dead wrong calibrated sound channels aside, since it's not entirely a digital cinema problem, this would be one of my prime irritations, since it's such a common issue.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic