Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: BACP DSTR-20 Review

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Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 08-02-2009, 10:08 AM:

Joe congrats on a great review! [thumbsup]

I've personally used these readers and they really are BETTER than the Dolby equivalent. Only one comment. In regards to you mentioning about the extra tension, Sam has been so kind as to provide exact guidelines on the chassis of the reader which indicate exactly how much tension the reader should have. I do agree that if it is threaded without the correct tension most probably it won't play but if you show someone a line an point out "This is the FILM" only an idiot would get it wrong!
Demetris

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-02-2009, 11:25 AM:

I have a bunch of these in service and I agree with Demetris they actually do track a bit better than the cat702 that I have. They are great readers.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-02-2009, 11:47 AM:

I'll third that review! I love the easily replacable LED! Ditto for Sam's analog pickups!

Mark

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-02-2009, 01:05 PM:

Thanks guys. As for the tension issue, the newer readers have a threading diagram printed directly on the chassis whereas the older have only a thin line where the actual film is more or less supposed to be. Trust me, people get them confused all the time when you are dealing with managers who run up and push buttons and then run back down to be on the floor when you have both the 702 and DSTR-20 in the same booth. I do my very best to train otherwise, but I don't always get the best material to train, if you know what I mean.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-02-2009, 01:37 PM:

BACP are my absolute favorite readers, hands down... A & D.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-02-2009, 03:47 PM:

I agree...a totally ***awesome*** review Joe! LUV'D your style and your commentary!

Just a side note: Even though USL was mentioned as the manufacturer, it seems that the thread comments overlooked this. I totally agree that the "brains" of the product is Sam at BACP...BUT! Not let us forget the GREAT implementation, manufacturing, and QC of USL.

For my home screening room, I have a CAT 702 and, at this point, am not willing to spend MORE bucks for the BACP reader and dump the 702.

From the brow-beating and an arm-twisting "recommendation" I got from our Grand-Poopie-BAH about a replacement analog reader for my home screening room, I did purchase a BACP REST-2000 analog reader kit. Super-cool!

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 08-02-2009, 03:54 PM:

quote:
Just a side note: Even though USL was mentioned as the manufacturer, it seems that the thread comments overlooked this. I totally agree that the "brains" of the product is Sam at BACP...BUT! Not let us forget the GREAT implantation , manufacturing, and QC of USL.

Phil we all know that Clint personally inspects and calibrates each reader with Sam on the other end of the phhone screaming that an error rate of 0 is what he should achieve before selling it! [Big Grin]

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 08-02-2009, 06:04 PM:

You'll never call Dolby Labs with a question and get it answered by Ray either.

Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 08-02-2009, 06:26 PM:

Our BACP unit has lower error rates with the 1 perf tension as per CP 702?

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 08-02-2009, 07:22 PM:

Thanks all and it's not even my birthday.

I'm not worthy.

Jack Cashin and Roger Hibbard at USL did the heavy lifting. I just told them what I wanted feature-wise. We were the first to use the Video Status light when we were building our own video board.

Dolby Labs did not like us doing this so made us a deal that if we used their CCD board they would add the status light to the basic OEM board so all the vendors ended up benefiting from our idea.

Posted by Bob Koch (Member # 1062) on 08-02-2009, 08:19 PM:

A combo of Sam and Jack Cashin is awfully hard to beat.