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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Topic: Future of Sony D-Cinema
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Marcel Birgelen
Film God
Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 04-04-2015 07:59 PM
quote:
- govt. regulation classifying laser light source projectors as a "high powered laser light show", necessitating special approval before operation
Wouldn't this equally apply to the exiting solutions from Barco, Christie and IMAX? I've not yet heard about special permits being required for those, but I might be missing something.
quote: Lyle Romer
Will a retrofit still get the gains in contrast level?
I've seen both the Barco and Christie laser solution. If you go by absolute numbers, the contrast ratio probably scores higher than their comparable xenon machines. But still, black isn't black but dark grey, unfortunately.
So, they probably did something to increase the contrast ratio in their light engines, but it's probably a combination of things. I suspect they modulate the light source, just like many cheap video projectors already do. This can also be done with Cinemechanica's retrofit. Furthermore, I guess they're using the newest generation DLP DMDs, which should be more efficient at blocking light that scatters back from behind the mirror surface and they'll probably found new ways to combat light leaking in other parts in the light path of their light engines. The Cinemechanica retrofit won't be able to take any of those last two supposed methods.
quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
Actually there was a very very long period where no sprockets for either penthouse were available. We resorted to having LaVezzi make those for us from a still good sample. When the actual Sony made sprockets finally arrived some 9 or 10 months later we sent them back. So all in all support for SDDS in this country was way less than adequate.
SDDS never had a meaningful install base in Europe. But at the cinema I worked a year or 15 ago, we had one screen equipped with SDDS. It was actually a refurbished system already. I have no experience with failed sprockets, but we did have a LED that failed. They sent us a refurbished replacement within a working day and charged us only for the repair of the penthouse we sent in. I'd say this was a more than adequate service for a component that wasn't covered by warranty or any other special support contract.
quote: Scott Norwood
I have never dealt with Sony's cinema division and have no idea if their reputation is deserved.
Isn't it essentially the same "pro" division that handles the support calls?
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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 04-06-2015 02:17 PM
I wonder how many 35mm SDDS systems are still operational in commercial movie theaters. I still see some new movies with the SDDS logo listed in the end credits.
As to Sony's long term viability in d-cinema, that's all going to depend on how well they can keep up with competitors. There's plenty of complaints about their current d-cinema projectors and negligent practices of booth staff in operating those projectors with it comes to Real-D. Whether Sony releases a laser-based system or not, they're still going to have to improve traditional Xenon-based product lines.
One positive thing for these projector manufacturers is the tens of thousands of movie theater screens that have gone digital are now on the hook for buying new projectors and/or replacement parts for existing projectors on a much more frequent basis than film. On the other hand R&D costs for these digital projectors is a whole lot more expensive than film. How many projection systems does a company like Christie or Barco need to sell every year to survive? Sony is a bigger company and could treat the digital cinema division as a loss leader that merely makes the Sony brand more visible. But then again Sony has had shake-ups in its leadership and financial problems in other product sectors. So if Sony's d-cinema division is bleeding cash there is no telling if or when Sony's executives would pull out of that market.
quote: Tony Bandiera Jr
Their history of not licensing their technologies to other manufacturers (which is why VHS, a technically inferior format, won out over Beta with it's higher resolution (and stereo sound from day one IIRC)) is why they will not survive in the D-Cinema world.
Sony has, at times, licensed out their technology to other manufacturers. While they did restrict consumer Beta all to themselves (much to their mistake) they did license professional Beta technology out to other companies. I can remember seeing Ikegami brand Betacam SP field cameras back in the day. Sony tried getting other consumer electronics companies to support Mini Disc, but other writable formats (CD-R/RW in particular) ultimately killed it. Blu-ray would have been a complete failure if Sony had not recruited other manufacturers and movie studios to support it. The PS3 put Blu-ray over the top in beating HD-DVD, but the PS3 couldn't win that format battle all by itself.
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 04-06-2015 11:48 PM
quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
Yea, at one point in time I had about 50 SDDS to deal with. The alumnium sprockets are the first part to wear out. The lateral guides the nest part. SDDS was crap from the get go.
For those who remember my preaching to thread one LESS sprocket tension on the SDDS units than "red line", you will know the sprockets and lateral guides did not wear anywhere near as fast as those theaters that threaded to the "red line". Tracking was also noticeably improved and there was no "singing sprocket" noise.
In the D-Cinema world, I've nothing positive to say about Sony. The picture quality, 4K or not, doesn't touch the overall quality of a DLP (assuming both are properly setup for a fair comparison), they have pathetic raid sizes, no ability to let a real automation control them (without jumping through MAJOR hoops), the ridiculous Real-D lensing and so forth and so on and on and on and on. But what baffles me more is when we order bulbs for the 515s and find out that they are on backorder. This I just don't understand. They know exactly how many 515s are out there (almost all of them under VPF programs they monitor), and they know that they are the ONLY bulb option for them. Why does a backorder situation happen? They know pretty darn much when those things are going to fail and have to be replaced. They know there is no other vendor to turn to. It's silly.
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