Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Using a platter with 35mm Edison projector?

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Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 11-14-2001, 05:59 AM:

I have some questions. Some of you may be familiar with the old 35 millimeter Edison projector-not the Kinetoscope viewer.
If one of these Edison machines cannot be obtained,I would want
to at least build a replica of one of these projectors & use it with
my Christie AW3 platter.Also I would like to use with the replica
a basement Dolby Digital or analogue soundhead & if possible
use an SDDS or DTS penthouse reader. I would probably use a geared motor in place of the hand crank & mask off the port so that the
soundtrack would not be visible.

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 11-14-2001, 07:17 AM:

Only one question.

Why?

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 11-14-2001, 08:00 AM:

Why not???? this will create a niche industry in outfitting 90 - 100 year old projectors.....not much older than some of my competitors are selling as "rebuilt"..."like new"...."Lexus pre-owned guarantee" clauses in their proposals. I have an "improved" 1903 Edison in my shop....It would be tough on the exposed cam and star intermittent to keep it oiled with a platter....maybe a oil drip device....oh well my staff is coming in and we have to ship out 11 screens of much newer hardware this week.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc www.tvpmiami.com

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 11-14-2001, 08:52 AM:

Maybe another niche would be curved gates for powers and 6000' magazines for teh GK21 base

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-14-2001, 01:30 PM:

Perhaps this is an upgrade to an old Nickelodeon.....?

Posted by John Anastasio (Member # 607) on 11-14-2001, 07:49 PM:

How about upgrading a Lumiere machine to handle IMAX? 3-strip 8mm Cinerama? PerspectaSound for filmstrips! My head hurts.

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 11-15-2001, 02:24 PM:

Someone's got a website showing how to show 16x9 anamorphic DVDs on a 1960's tube TV!

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-15-2001, 02:47 PM:

Jesse said: "Someone's got a website showing how to show 16x9 anamorphic DVDs on a 1960's tube TV!"

Actually, the "Vertical Height" and "Vertical Linearity" controls are sorely missed on most modern television receivers. If you are using an older set that still has these adjustments, you can adjust the set to display a 16:9 "letterbox", and set the DVD player to display the anamorphic format, taking maximum advantage of the vertical resolution available on the DVD. The raster lines will be much closer together and less visible than just showing the DVD in default letterboxed format on a full screen 4:3 display.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 11-16-2001, 09:23 AM:

When I was doing TV service, I used to get alot of adjusted vertical height and lin controls. Many times the vertical circuits were not the problem in any way. I've never been a blind control adjuster. What gene causes this abnormality?

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-16-2001, 10:37 AM:

Bruce --- whenever we got a set in for repair that was a simple matter of readjustment, it was a time for rejoicing! Money in the bank with no outlay other than hooking up a signal generator and spending a few minutes making things right. (Although we usually cleaned the tuner contacts and pots while we were at it).

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 11-16-2001, 11:31 PM:

John, Once I had a set that just needed a few adjustments, or so I thought...

I turned it on and except for the height being wrong, it looked nice. I checked the vertical output tube. OK. Everything seemed OK, so, I adjusted the height control. BANG! The pot disintegrated and sparks flew. It was one of those odd RCA's with the 3 controls in one assembly. I liked to never found a replacement! THEN, the customer never picked it up!

Yes, I rarely saw any sets that only needed an adjustment or two. I cleaned controls, tuners, etc. like you. It was things like this that gave me an edge over some of the competition here. The set always went home cleaner than when it arrived!

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 11-17-2001, 11:27 AM:

I've got a Mitsubishi TV which lets you make adjustments using a secret "service code", and set my picture so there's as little overscan as possible, but it won't let me squeeze the picture down far enough to show anamorphic DVDs.

Posted by Jeff Taylor (Member # 443) on 11-17-2001, 01:35 PM:

Whew...I'm glad we got off the topic of platters with 100 year old projectors. Now, this TV talk is interesting :-)

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-17-2001, 05:18 PM:

Jessie,
I was amazed when I got the service manual for my Mitsubishi HDTV. It has no less than 30 pages of stuff that is all adjustable with the service code and hand held remote!! Height, linearity are just among them the less important adjustments that are available. Its quite amazing to say the least. There is an eprom in there that if it fails you have to set all those 30 pages of things at a certain starting number to get the set to produce a usable picture and sound again! Then fine tweek them from there....
The Red deflection yoke on mine burnt up(a common Mitsush!tsi problem). Replaced the yoke and two blown pico fuses but it still does not work. No other shorted transistors either......Complicated to say the least, it still remains a mystery! Not at all like my old TV reair shop days back in the early 70's.
Mark@GTS

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 01-12-2003, 04:13 PM:

Over a year ago Gordon wrote:

quote:
Maybe another niche would be curved gates for powers and 6000' magazines for teh GK21 base

Gordon, not 21s, but a pair of the slightly later 20s were installed in the National Film Theatre in London. These were later moved to NFT3, not the auditorium which now has that number, but a small screening room above the cafe, which is now an office. These mchines were fitted with mechanical interlock (a metal bar) and 6000 foot boxes, for 3D use. The GK Vistavision projectors also had 6000 foot boxes, as you can see here, with the strange BTH Mk.1 SUPAs behind, so 6000 feet on GK21s would have been quite possible. The NFT machines went to the Projected Picture Trust, at Bletchley Park. This is the place where most of the work was done on breaking the Enigma codes during the war, it is about 40 miles North of London, open at weekends, and well worth a visit if anyone is in the area.

I rather like these combinations of old and new equipment, it shows some sort of continuity in the industry. I think my favorite was a Dolby Digital reader on a Kalee 12 of about 1936 vintage.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 01-12-2003, 04:27 PM:

John wrote:

quote:

How about upgrading a Lumiere machine to handle IMAX?

Do you mean the Lumiere 75mm format, with a frame size quite similar to IMAX, but with the film running vercically? I've never seen any pictures of the equipment.

Then he wrote:

quote:

3-strip 8mm Cinerama?

That one's been done John! Three standard 8 projectors; sometime in the '60s or '70s, I think. I never saw it mysely, but did see a photograph oh the equipment in a magazine. I think I would prefer the 35mm version.

My first law of film technology:

'Anything weird you can think of to do with film, somebody will have already done'

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 01-12-2003, 04:37 PM:

I agree with Richard Fowler....Why not?

Go for it.

If we sit on our butts, nothing is accomplished, other than the mid-section secretary bulge... [Big Grin]

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 01-12-2003, 05:13 PM:

I like the idea of running a current film on an ancient projector using a modern lens. Go ahead and mount it on an only slightly less ancient soundhead updated with a stereo cell or reverse scanner and go ahead and bolt a timecode reader or digital penthouse atop it as well.

The point is that the technology of film is in the emulsion and the lens. It was always future proof and the equipment life measured in decades. An ancient projector will still give the audience a state-of-the-art experience. What digital cinema system can make that claim?