Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 3D Rental Package

This is topic 3D Rental Package in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Kirk Futrell (Member # 5006) on 04-25-2011, 11:45 AM:

We are looking into doing a weekend of polarized and possibly anaglyph 3D films using DCP centered around the release of Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams. The equipment we don't have to do this far outnumbers the equipment we do. We need a digital projector that will interface with a 3D polarizing system, a media server, and I guess a silver screen (is that absolutely necessary?) We are good on sound.
My question is does anyone know of a business that can rent us those things, for one weekend or week? We are in Nashville. Also any way to piecemeal it?

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 04-25-2011, 11:56 AM:

If you're going to use digital projection then it might be better to use one of the formats, Dolby or Xpand, which does not use polarisation, and thus does not require a silver screen, since you don't already have one. Polarised systems absolutely do require a silver screen, and won't work without one.

Posted by Kirk Futrell (Member # 5006) on 04-25-2011, 12:38 PM:

Thanks for the quick answer on the silver screen. Are the other systems mentioned active glasses then? Is it as simple as passive glasses = silver screen, active = no silver screen? Also I just realized my post would probably be a better fit for the digital projection forum. Sorry about that.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 04-25-2011, 02:04 PM:

No, the Dolby system for example uses passive glasses, but does not require a silver screen. All polarised systems require a silver screen. non-polarised systems do not require a silver screen but they are sometimes used simply to get more light; silver screens have a higher gain than white ones, but the price to pay for this is they are highly directional; if you have a wide auditorium then the picture will be very dim when viewed from the sides. Silver screens are also subject to 'hot spotting' and are very sensitive to marks, fingerprints etc., on the surface which are almost impossible to remove. A silver screen is probably not really suitable for a temporary installation.

Somebody, I think it was Steve Guttag but I'm not certain, made a post recently in which he described each of the currently-available 3-D systems, but I can't find it at the moment.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 04-26-2011, 09:23 AM:

Kirk - how much people will the auditorium in question take?

Some of these systems have no license model for a short time rental.

If the auditorium does not have a silverscreen yet, I would recommend an active shutter system like XpanD or Volfoni. They only need a simple emitter box to be installed plus the glases. No big changes or attachments on the projector or screen like with RealD, MasterImage, Dolby 3D.

- Carsten

Posted by Kirk Futrell (Member # 5006) on 04-26-2011, 03:13 PM:

{UPDATE: I spoke to someone at Boston Light and Sound and they say they do this sort of thing on a regular basis. But if anyone has other options I would love to hear them.}

Its a 300 seat auditorium. Our current screen is 34ish ft by 14ish ft. It has fully adjustable side curtains. Are there special requirements of the projector for the xpand system? We have a newish Epson z8000wu, but I am of the impression that 3d requires a certain level of refresh rate, or something simliar, basically the speed at which it can produce frames of image needs to be doubled to show two images (sorry for the lack of knowledge, looks like I have a lot of research to do and little time)
Can I make my own media server that will play a DCP file? Is this just a crazy dream? [Confused]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-26-2011, 05:43 PM:

Contact James Bond at Full Aperature Systems in Chicago. He also does this sort of thing and he is within a reasonable driving distance to get to you... Sorry, I not have his number handy as I am on the road...

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 04-27-2011, 08:19 AM:

Kirk: This Epson is not a DCI system. You will proably have a hard time to make this projector display 3D other than Anaglyph.

There is a strict separation between DCI projectors and Servers (players) and non-DCI systems.

You can play 3D on non-DCI systems, but it's a completely different business gear- and media wise.

You will not be able to play Werner Herzogs 'Cave' DCP on a non-DCI system.

If you have non-DCI material to show, you should also look up 3D BluRay and HDMI1.4 3D projectors.

- Carsten