JNIOR Corner

[Bruce Cloutier]

Since you say you will be at CinemaCon...

Well... Just this morning...

INTEG has decided to forego exhibiting at CinemaCon 2021 next week. The main reason being COVID related health concerns.

In a list of Pros and Cons the latter greatly outweighed the former. And, even though there is a significant cost impact we have decided to move to protect the health of our employees, their families, and everyone else.

[Sean McKinnon]

That's really a shame since I know they have put in VERY rigorous controls for testing, vaccinations, and on-site testing. They have been working extremely hard to make this a safe event and I personally have zero concern being out here already "boots on the ground" and seeing what they have put in place and how committed they are to their covid policies.

[Steve Guttag]

They said that my scanned copy of my vaccination card was sufficient (and I was prepared to provide them an advance copy, if desired).

[Bruce Cloutier]

Of course the decision has nothing specifically to do with CinemaCon and anything they have or have not done. And as with anything else it is complex. Allowing me an over-simplification, COVID isn't going away and there remains considerable risk in the travel, lodging, and everything else off and on the show floor. Add to that the political environment both in the literal sense and as it relates to the home. None of us wants to sleep in the garage for 2 weeks upon our return.

We are also running lean on staff in the office. Our absence is enacting a cost and the risk of any of us getting ill represents a serious impact.

Hopefully no one takes it too personally. We do miss the CinemaCon from the Before Time.

[Steve Guttag]

Whereas I will, pretty much, only be around other vaccinated people (everyone at the show will be vaccinated or tested negative), I'm not worried about COVID on this trip. Everyone will be masked or duct-taped (or so I've heard) on the plane...so that is covered too.

It's going to be a lite-show, for sure. I'm primarily having meetings, not seeing new things. I was, certainly, going to check out Integ a bit since that is a product I'm less familiar with but you should do what makes the best sense for you and your company. There will be other shows...why CinemaCon 2022 is what...7-months away? ICTA's technical seminars are January (if you go to that). ShowEast might even still be happening (not going this year...again).

[Marcel Birgelen]

Bruce, I can fully understand your decision, I hope you can recoup some of the expenses you probably already made or committed to. As a small company you really need to focus on what keeps you afloat those days. While trade shows usually bring in new business opportunities, I don't think CinemaCon 2021 will move much ground. Like Steve indicated, it will be a "light" show, many overseas exhibitors and visitors will have to bail on it, so I don't think, as a business, you'll be losing much by not showing up.

I've decided for myself that I won't be attending any large-scale events in 2021. Not because I'm afraid to contract COVID-19, but mostly because the hassle isn't worth it for me. All the extra paperwork, often inconsistent requirements between countries, flight operators, event organizers and whatnot... sorry, I'm opting out of that. Stuff also changes on a whim and before you know, you're stuck in the middle of a lockdown in a far-away place, where the hotel room is your best friend for the next 10 or 14 days...

I guess the worst part of this is that we're losing some good old human interaction. I've never been a very social person, but I did have my social routines. They've been mostly "asleep" for more than a year and a half now. Some kind of social isolation is kicking in and is slowly showing its toll...

[Sean McKinnon]

Bruce, not at all questioning or decision or saying that it was the wrong one for you, just simply disappointed not to have the opportunity to meet you and wanting to let others know how seriously they are taking it here.

[Bruce Cloutier]

I am betting that our 10 x 20 foot space will still be marked out there with our cardboard company name. If you want to rub it in, post a selfie in front or that and we'll send you the Book of JANOS that we were going to be handing out. That assumes that we get them back. We pretty much had everything already there in the warehouse or on the way. We had to turn that all around and get it headed back here. Not that the books are anything special. We could make those signed copies. You would have to decide if that increases or decreases their value.

You can download the v2.1 All-In-One from the website and update any Series 4 JNIOR. Then through the WebUI you can generate your own book and print it to a PDF. Okay... without cover (or autograph).

Meanwhile, we are going to make the best of the fact that we are back at the office next week and do something worthwhile. It's a challenge. I know.

[Marcel Birgelen]

Did you pay for the exhibition space already? I guess it's a bit too late now, but if so, why not have somebody put some posters up there? Take a picture here, twitter it to #WeWishedWeWouldBeThereToo and receive a free, autographed copy of the Book of Janos.

Also, you could have one of you on stand-by to take some Zoom calls or other calls for a virtual tour of the JNIOR and JANOS?

[Tj Hopland]

A 'did you know' Jnior feature that could be handy when changing out things like audio processors.........

A Jnior can be set to trigger a macro based on one of its relays being activated.

Where this could be useful? Say the original audio processor was setup to be controlled using Jnior relays. Maybe because it was a legacy film processor? Or maybe the current (or original server that is now gone) could not control a processor by any other means? Now you are installing pretty much any of the current CP's and they don't have the legacy contact closure control options. Maybe the current server can do direct network controls? IF so that's an option but if it can't or if there is a reason not to modify the existing cues in the server this relay trigger could be a great solution.

For this to work you do need to be running the Cinema Jnior app on the Jnior and depending on the server in use that could require changes in the cues just to maintain the original basic relay operation. For that reason this may not be the easy or even possible route with every combo of server and TMS and such so you will want to do further research if the CInema app isn't already running.

So IF you have Cinema up and running and the server in question isn't one that requires any changes for basic operation you are done with the server, your NS cue is still say relay 5 like it was before and your 5.1 sound is relay 6. You now go into the Jnior and set up the new CP as a device and build your NS and 5.1 commands and macros which can be pretty easy compared to some of the servers 'raw' device config. That process can be covered separately and is in the manuals and I'm sure if you contact Integ support they can help with that. Once you have the macros you just go into the registry similar to how you trigger macros with GPI's or a control panel but now assign them to look for the relay operation.

Server is still firing relay 5 for NS and the relay is still actually operating in the Jnior so you can't use it for anything else but like I said this is a work around for a server that can't for one reason or another talk direct over the network with new toys. I suppose maybe if you got some fancy new network controlled lighting but still had a relay controlled light dimmer you could use both. The relay would still run the old dimmer but the macro would do network talk to your new additional fancy lights. Server and TMS won't know or care, as far as they know they are still firing the same cues like they always did.

Yes at some point when that old server or what ever was holding things back gets replaced someone will be very confused as to why it was done this way but at least it got you out of a jam and worked for a couple months or years. And that jam was probably the ability to switch to non sync to run non DCP ads.... but hey we all know why people come to the movies, to see AND hear the ads!