Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Emerging Pictures

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Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 08-19-2008, 01:15 PM:

Hi, so we're looking at this package from Emerging Pictures.
They simulcast programs such as operas into cinemas. Their requirements in terms of projectors and sound system isn't terribly unreasonable.

Anybody else doing this? How does it do at your theater?

And lastly, what should be required to bring my sound rack forward?
I believe the lowest end equipment in the racks are either a CP50 or a really old UltraStereo.
The houses are currently running SR with mono surrounds and no sub.
Unless we go with another location that is running all CP650's. So...What should I expect to have to install to get this going?

Thoughts?

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 08-19-2008, 02:28 PM:

At a minimum you would need a Dolby DMA8 Plus or USL ECI-60D DAC's.

This allows a number of audio inputs, from 8 channel EAS to 5.1 audio from your DVD player or computer, whatever this provider outputs.

Having said this, you would need to devise a method to send the analog audio output on a 25 pin cable to the input of really old cinema processors like the CP50 or really vintage USL.

You could put some sort of kludge together to use projector 2 optical, but I would not want to do this.

Posted by Ben Wales (Member # 92) on 08-19-2008, 03:16 PM:

quote: Sam D. Chavez
Having said this, you would need to devise a method to send the analog audio output on a 25 pin cable to the input of really old cinema processors like the CP50

On the CP50 you could connect on the Mag/Aux imput side, the Cat223 card as I recall was connected on the backplane of the CP50 and the 4 Channel imputs could be adjusted for gain - Ideally for D-Cinema sound upgrade to more modern Cinema Processor.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 08-19-2008, 06:18 PM:

Not to worry too much on the sound part...Emerging only provides ANALOG audio out of their unit. It can be set to either Stereo or 5.1, at this time. So neither the DMA8 nor the ECI 60 are needed for their digital decoding.

Picture wise, they are at 720p, currently. They do insist on DVI output though. Make sure your projector can accept 720P DVI input. They talk a good deal about DLP projection but they will accept others so long as the image is good (right light for the screen size)...they will inquire about your equipment.

Steve

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 08-19-2008, 07:46 PM:

Thanks all for the replies so far.

I just got a few basic specs from them. Steve, you're right about the outputs. Until I got the sheet I had assumed they required 5.1 but it's sounding more and more like our always cautions management could get our feet wet in stereo and decide to upgrade from there...

I'm just wondering what I might have to do to get that 5.1 analog sound into my processors.
One of Sisemore's theaters where I used to work had a DTS unit connected to a CP65 so I was thinking something along the lines of that configuration...Am I too out-dated with the USL or older Dolby processors?

As far as the projection goes we're looking at their recommendation: Panasonic PT-DW5100U although I wonder if there might be a better machine for the job...

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 08-19-2008, 08:20 PM:

If you can accept a single-chip DLP unit and if you can live with the limited brightness, the Panasonic is a pretty good unit. It has a mechanical douser (they call it a "shutter" for some reason) and most of the controls and inputs that you would want. It has RS-232 control and a network card with web interface built in. The remote can be hardwired (using a mini-phone cable). It has a dual-lamp system for redundancy (you don't lose a show if one lamp fails).

It does not take SDI or HD-SDI inputs, nor does it accept 1080/24p signals. It is also not really bright enough for most theatre screens. These may or may not be issues for you.

I really like the Panasonic 7700, but it is substantially more expensive and it sounds as if you are on a limited budget.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 08-19-2008, 09:25 PM:

Scott,

Actually the 7000 would be the preferred Panasonic as it is a widescreen unit, 6000 lumens and such.

Emerging Picture is a Panasonic "dealer" so that is their preferred brand. Personally I can't STAND single chip DLPs...whatever benefit the DLP brings is shot to heck with the damn color flashing.

As for digital projectors...to them, a douser is a "shutter"...it is not limited to Panasonic, either.

Emerging also does discuss brightness versus screen size. They are targeting 15fL and seemingly would rather you limit your image size rather than make it dark.

A projector to consider, though it is not DLP is the Sanyo PLV-WF20...it is 6000 lumens, dual lamp, has a "shutter" is HDCP compliant and puts out a pretty impressive picture. It can take additional input modules to allow HDSDI (including with most all of the current rates supported).

Steve

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-20-2008, 09:15 AM:

Also, I know that when you get into the higher end Panasonic 3 chip DLP stuff you are right about at the price of the Christie "M" D-Cinema projector. And the Pany can't do D-Cinema!

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 08-20-2008, 08:14 PM:

Yeah, I wasn't too impressed with the PT-DW10000 at all. The PT-DW7000 is much more impressive for what it is.

Panasonic also, for some reason is not making their projectors HDCP compliant (at least not the 7000 and 10000, that I know of. Christie is making ALL of their CP2000 series projectors HDCP compliant, including an upgrade path for existing projectors.

Steve

Posted by Peter Castle (Member # 1997) on 08-21-2008, 05:14 AM:

We have a Panasonic DW-10000 and couldn't be happier.
Our screen is 38' wide (Wide screen) and we are quite happy with brightness, contrast, black level, etc. We screen digital product (in Australia, we use non-DCI sources mostly 720p but sometimes 1080p). We have also screened from Blu-Ray with great success.

I see no reason, apart from security, why DCI content couldn't be projected with this projector.