Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: What scalers are you using?

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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 10-16-2012, 08:43 PM:

We have a Gefen Scaler for our alternate content and it produces pretty good results...most of the time.

Problem is, it's just not reliable. You can test a show and it all looks and sounds great until there are 500 people in the auditorium and it's showtime. Sometimes you open up and have just a blue screen and other times the image is there but it's alternating between green and blue pictures. This is the second one we've had and this one is no more reliable than the first.

So what is everyone else using and what do you recommend?

Posted by Peter Castle (Member # 1997) on 10-16-2012, 08:50 PM:

We use an Onkyo domestic receiver.
This allows us to switch between DVD, BluRay, STB and computer, scaling all to 1080. It also allows us to direct the appropriate audio into our CP500.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 10-16-2012, 09:15 PM:

To the Barco projector (DP2K-32B) we are using a Barco ACS-2048.

We also have a Folsom (Barco) ImagePro HD.

Both are great.

Posted by Bajsic Bojan (Member # 4928) on 10-17-2012, 01:38 AM:

We use the Barco DCS 100

Its great. Still have trouble controling it through Doremi (anyone that can control their ACS unit, please tell me the command string you are using), but made a custom .net program to do the automation.

Other than an occasional freeze when i try to do 5 things at once, it is rock steady. Options are pretty much limitless, would like an extra HDSDI input on it tho (we feed 4 HDSDI sources to external Kramer HDSDI switcher).

Posted by Jason Burden (Member # 6364) on 10-23-2012, 06:52 AM:

The Gefen pro 2 Is a reliable and cost effect solution for the display of alternative content you can also use it to convert analog to digital , similar to the Dolby DMA 8. The blue and green screen issue could be a firmware problem or a potential cable issue ?

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 10-23-2012, 07:55 AM:

I have worked with the Folsom Image Pro HD (the original ones are not HDCP compliant; the new ones might be), the Analog Way Pulse LE, the Gefen Cinema Scaler, and various Extron units (most recently, the ISS 408), and maybe some others.

The only one that I really did not like was the Gefen, which seems to be too limited for most uses. The Extron works fine, but only handles analog video and cannot scale the monitor output differently from the projector output. The Folsom (now Barco) and the Analog Way are fine.

For Blu-Ray (or anything else that uses HDMI) with D-cinema projectors, I have had the best luck running the signal directly into the projector's DVI input. Scalers and switchers all seem to have "issues" with HDCP, to the point where I basically don't trust them.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 10-23-2012, 11:13 AM:

Kraemer VP-437 (I think the new version is the VP-439).

Good price point (better than Barco for sure) and rock solid scaling of ALL inputs (does passthru for HDMI at 1080p), super simple RS-232 control interface and does all from Composite video up to HDMI and VGA.

All in a 1 rack unit chassis.

So John, shitcan the Gefen and get a Kraemer. You'll be glad you did. [Smile]

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 10-23-2012, 12:26 PM:

Kramer VP-437 by far is the best I've ever used. Nice options. Perfect picture. Never had any glitches.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 10-23-2012, 02:58 PM:

Many thanks to everyone for the responses. I'll take a look at the options you've suggested.

Posted by Per Hauberg (Member # 529) on 10-23-2012, 06:39 PM:

Always trusting Kinoton, I of course use a Kinoton scaler (DMS 1). That little black box - in the sales brochure praised over the top as the way to the perfect alternative shows, seems to be the test of our relationship. From day one - one and a half year ago - it has never delivered as promised. I'm quite often running special shows from BluRay on a Philips BDP 9600 ( pain-in-the butt slow, but otherwise fine).
When connecting via HDMI, picture is perfect, but when starting a show, just five minutes after testing (OK) and pausing the player, all I get on the screen is oldfashioned black and white "TV-snow".
Connecting via VGA/DMI, I get pictures every time, but with a lack of picture quality (especialy contrast/glow)so bad, that I can't even use it for a free shorts program for children...
The techs have been trying again and again, and switched scalers (several models), and I have trown in three different BD players - It's all the same.
Lately, I have used a home-video model beamer Panasonic PT-AE 4000, which gives better results than the same BR player can deliver through the expensive Kinoton DCP.

The Kinoton, I should say, gives me great pleasure day after day, when running "the real thing" from dcp-drives. Really top !
But - remembering the text from the brochure - the "small stuff" should be perfect, too.

Any advise would be applaused greatly !

Per

Posted by Hordur Valgardsson (Member # 5482) on 11-14-2012, 04:02 AM:

i´ve been using
http://www.dvdo.com/EDGE.aspx (an older model that is not listed)

rock solid for 4 years.

Posted by Ian Parfrey (Member # 5122) on 11-14-2012, 04:58 AM:

John.
We have found this to be the most reliable and cross-format compatible scaler available.
Never had a glitch, no blue screens and faultless operation.

Nuthin' fishy about how good this thing is. Give this one a whirl.