Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Infrared Upgrade

This is topic Infrared Upgrade in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 2038) on 05-19-2004, 12:14 PM:

It looks like my theater will have to catch up to technology. We've been told that we will have to have infrared audio capabilities.

Right now I run Simplex SH1000 soundheads with straight optical excitation, and an Altec-Lansing mono system.

I've been told that upgrading is easy and comes in a kit. Others have told me it's a nightmare.

This might be a VERY broad question, but where do I start?

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-19-2004, 12:19 PM:

What type of system will you be getting? The most common ones around here seem to be the systems from Odyssey Products and Ultra-Stereo ("Phonic-Ear").

The Ultra-Stereo manual is here on F-T; I have a manual for the Odyssey hearing-impared system that I keep meaning to send in to Brad.

We will be installing the Odyssey system with a Kelmar mono system at some point soon. The Kelmar has a 1/4" headphone output, so it should be pretty simple to use that.

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 2038) on 05-19-2004, 12:47 PM:

Thanks Scott. At this point we're open to suggestion. Something of quality of course, and compatible with the soundheads and the sound system. We're an independent single-screen and the treasury isn't exactly overflowing.

You folks can email me at crawsat@juno.com with suggestions if you'd prefer.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-19-2004, 01:02 PM:

Someone else will have to make a recommendation. We are using the Odyssey because we got it (along with several headsets still in the shrink wrap) for free. This is also at a single-screen independent.

Posted by Brad Allen (Member # 470) on 05-19-2004, 01:11 PM:

Gary, are you referring to Assistive listening device's to be ADA compliant or are you referring to upgrading your sound head's to reverse LED readers to be able to read the new cyan sound tracks?

I'm leaning your talking about the latter since you mention the sound heads. If so, a Component Engineering LED reader will cost you about $500.00 per soundhead.

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 2038) on 05-19-2004, 01:20 PM:

Sorry Brad, we are upgrading for a reverse scan reader. Not going the ADA route, at least not yet.

For some reason I can't get out of my head the old SNL skit where Garrett Morris was the interpreter "for the hard of hearing" and was in an inset box onscreen where he was screaming the dialogue of the main speaker.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 05-19-2004, 02:13 PM:

I am also surmizing that you are upgrading to red exciter reverse scanners, not infrared. Infrared will not work with cyan tracks.

So, if we are talking replacing the white exciter with LED-based red exciters, there are a number of units made to replace the existing system within the SH1000. You can get them from Kelmar, and as Brad already mentioned, Component Engineering.

The ease or difficulty with which they are installed pretty much depends on the skill of the installer. If you've not done slit lens focusing and azmuth alignement, it might be better to let a technician who does it on a routine basis have at it. In any event, once the reverse scanner assembly is physically installed, complete A-chain alignment will need to be accomplished, probably not a bad time to do a complete (A&B) alignment of the whole system.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-19-2004, 02:19 PM:

List of red reader suppliers on the Kodak website:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/sstLabGuide.shtml#s2

quote:
Since laboratories may have in-house projectors that will need to be converted to red readers, the following are some companies that manufacture and sell red-reader conversion kits for projectors: