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Topic: TI DLP Projection - Coming Soon

Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-15-1999 01:52 PM

Here is the company press release.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/991112/tx_texas_i_2.html

The "print" is supposed to arrive today (11/15). The projector soon after.

Since this is being installed in the theatre that I work at (Cinemark - Legacy 24, Plano TX), I will supply details about "print" delivery, etc.

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Ky Boyd
Hey I'm #23

Posts: 314
From: Santa Rosa, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-16-1999 12:22 AM

Guess I'll have to visit the AMC 1000 in SF again. Can't wait to see how AMC manages to apply digital dirt to the "print."

FYI, as a matter of principle I don't usually attend the AMC 1000 since it has (as I've said before) the dirtiest movies in town. Within two days after getting a print, it'll have visible dirt strewn from beginning to end and lets not even mention the splices. I quit seeing movies there because I got tired of seeing more dirt than movie. After TS2 opens, I'll check it out and report back.

Thanks for the news.

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Scott Ribbens
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 118
From: Los Angeles
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 11-16-1999 02:19 AM

Hey Paul. If you can get any of the technical info on data compression (or lack thereof) that they are using, and if the projector head is one of the prototypes that has been tweaked six ways to Sunday, or a production model, lets us know. Also let us know how often they come in to test,(or tweak) the system, ect., ect., ect.. All information is appreciated.

------------------

Scott

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 11-16-1999 06:55 PM

And be sure to upload the service MANUAL!

Tim

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George Roher
Master Film Handler

Posts: 266
From: Washington DC
Registered: Jul 99

posted 11-17-1999 12:23 AM

It'll be interesting to see if they let it run by itself this time, or if they have a highly paid tech sitting on that one show again.

I'm gonna wager that the DLP presentation at the AMC theatre will completely blow away their film presentations. It's kind of unfair comparing film and video in such a venue. You have an experienced tech with a big budget for parts and supplies running a single show (DLP) and an AMC "projectionist" with a booth budget of zero running multiple screens. That's like a road test where an expert driver is driving a Honda and a drunk is driving a Porsche. Which car performs better? And which is really better? The drunk ran into a barn and peed in the Porsche. I guess those cars are no good. That's AMC style logic.

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Erich Loepke
Film Handler

Posts: 43
From: Ft. Worth, TX, USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 11-17-1999 04:14 AM

I suppose if AMC used enough digital compression in their DLP system, there'd be enough digital "dirt" in their DLP presentation that it would look like their lousy film presentation. And because more compression translates into lower costs, I wouldn't be at all surprised if AMC took that route with DLP if it becomes established. As long as theater chains like Regal and AMC continue to provide low-quality film presentation to the moviegiong public, there will be cries for something better. We all know that film will always blow the doors off DLP, but with dirty prints that have poor splicing, the public will embrace DLP even though it's only "near 35mm quality". I'd bet the public would accept something that was "near 8mm quality" or even "near NTSC quality". Film presentation will never be all it can be when the AMC "projectionist" doesn't give a damn about putting on a good show. It's much easier with DLP to get something acceptable with the same poor operator attitude as there is no film to scratch or get dirty. I have to applaud those of you here on this forum who obviously take the time and care so much about giving the moviegoer their money's worth. Unfortunately, there are so many more "projectionists" and theater chains out there who don't, and they'll be the ones digging the grave for film technology. LONG LIVE FILM!!!!!

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-17-1999 06:52 AM

New product Digi-Guard (patent pending) to clean and protect raid arrays and to remove all bits and bytes of dirt so that you to can present a digital image close to film
coming soon to a theatre near you

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-17-1999 08:02 AM

So...are they going to have an armed guard at this screening? There was one in the projection booth at Secaucus, NJ during the DLP screenings of SW. Anyone who entered the booth had to sign a log book. Obviously, there was great concern over having a near-full-resolution digital "print" of the "film" outside of a studio vault.

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-21-1999 11:07 AM

I have been travelling for my "regular" job and have not been able to get all your answers but as life returns to somewhat normalcy after Wed (11/24) and I'm back in the booth I'll let you know.

We are being allowed the choice of running the DLP print by itself or in conjunction with a "real" print. I think our choice is to run by itself. (Still in the air).

Anyway, We have one projector. The head says Prototype 13. It does have a little display with a couple of buttons on it. Don't know what they do yet.

No manuals either to speak of.

Projector is booked through mid 2000 although it probably won't be in use all that time. After Toy Story 2 comes Bicentennial Man.

Management has said NO and they mean NO booth tours. Codes on Doors will be changed before Wednesday.

Can't comment on anything else about tech's being around but I am sure they probably will be here for All of Wed and possibly Thurs. (Hey, maybe we can have a SuperBowl showing come January, Daytona 500, etc).

When we had SW-EP1, they was not a security guard or anything on-site.

I will keep ya'll informed as more come to DLP, I mean light.

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-28-1999 10:41 AM

Ok, playback machine is called Qu-Bit. It is a proprietary (not by TI) machine that does the playback. The print is loaded from DVD into a mirrored disk array. Only 4 hard drives contain the show and sound. Qu-Bit is no taller than a standard amp but slightly longer for the Christie sound racks, so we had to take off the door.

Compression is 17:1. It does NOT use any mpeg compression which is a differential of frame to frame, instead it uses a compression technique of compressing each INDIVIDUAL frame. I don't remember the exact name.

Sound is going through the external 6 channel portion of our CP500, which means basically that it only job is being a fader.

They have added some extra ports to the projector head. Interface from the Qu-Bit to the head is through standard coax cable carrying the High Definition (HD) signal. It was fiber before. One thing that they need to work on is scrambling the signal across this interface because if you had a HD Recorder, you could, today, tap the coax and record your own copy. This could go back to fiber because of bandwith problems of doing the HD signal in a scrambled form. They also have diagnostic software built in also.

Oh yea, the Christie lamphouse also has a special reflection mirror. It is not just a bowl but a bowl with the color spectrum spread as part of the mirror.

As I said in the other thread. The TI techs have been non-existant. The only time I saw him was to tweek the print with a watermark in case of piracy.

We start the projector using our normal film projector. We don't run the normal film. It is sitting safe and sound under the dust cover on the platter.

That is about all that I can remember for now. I will supply more when I can.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-29-1999 12:12 PM

I noticed a posting on the rec.arts.movies.tech that was from someone who saw DLP in Burbank of Toystory and said it was very pixeled
Iwas supprised there wasn't more noticable artifacts with 17:1 compression

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 11-29-1999 03:37 PM

I think these guys need to shoot for more than HDTV resolution, which is what they have been doing up until now. Going to the movies should provide an experience that cannot be duplicated at home. Hell, HDTV would look sharper at home anyway with the smaller screen.

Resolution must be at least 235,000 x 100,000 pixels (for scope). No less will be accepted.

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