my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Anyone at all familiar with MEO 5X projectors? (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Anyone at all familiar with MEO 5X projectors? David Rigby Expert Film Handler Posts: 134 From: Chorlton, Manchester, UK Registered: May 2002 posted 11-23-2002 06:46 AM                     There are a couple for sale cheap and since they're current models I'm wondering about them - but since I can find no mention of them on film-tech, I'm wondering even more!! Are these Czech Kinoton clones (they look similar)? David  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 11-23-2002 08:32 AM                     The unit is still being made and I saw them in service while in Prague last year. I used to service older models many years ago since some where sold to universities and government agencies. The factory website is.... www.meopta.cz  |  IP: Logged Gerard S. Cohen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 975 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 11-23-2002 03:07 PM                     I used to operate Meopta projectors in the '70s and 80's at the Quad Theatre in Greenwich Village, showing fine foreign and art films. The managers insisted on high quality presentation. The meoptas were rare in the US. One of the regular projectionists told me the only other known installation was in Ossening, home of Sing Sing Prison. The Meoptas had a feature I have never seen on other projectors: an optical window that showed a magnified image of the sound track, and a knurled adjustment to enable the operator to make micrometer adjustments to the reading of the soundtracks. I suppose this was an accommodation to prints from various countries where standardisation was not achieved. The projectors worked well and gave good images onscreen. They appeared to be well made, steady and durable.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 11-23-2002 03:18 PM                        You still find a lot of them in Germany as they were a standard projector in the eastern block. So many east German theaters still have them. They are quite sturdy and since they are still manufactured, I guess you will be able to get parts. If the price is right and the individual pieces of equipment are in good shape, you could buy them. I haven`t seen the feature Gerard described. It sounds very interesting and is probably found on older machines. They don`t strike me as being similar to Kinoton projectors at all. If I remember correctly, the MEO5XB only runs at 25 frames/second as this was the standard speed for film and television in the eastern block countries. The picture on the website shows the MEO rewinding the film, another nice feature - which doesn`t work with platters of course! They don`t strike me as at all similar to Kinoton.  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 11-23-2002 04:30 PM                     The audio site window allows the track to be centered and works well in the SVA mode. The Dong Feng projector of China uses the same set up under license. The most recent models are now set up for Dolby analog and digital basement readers. They use a drag sprocket or roller to create back tension on the sound drum ( like the Ernemann ) which requires adjustment every few hundred hours. The previous models prior to the "5" series used aluminum castings which where well machined but soft in hardness, so you had to be careful not to cross thread screws in assembly.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 11-23-2002 06:31 PM                        I have never heard of the Dong Feng projector! Do you have any info material about it and the audio tracking window systems? Pictures would be nice.  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 11-23-2002 07:15 PM                     Dong Feng is one of the brands manufactured by the four projector manufacturers in China. It has been sold under the Spectra name in some English speaking countries. On the solar cell box on both machines is a circular window with a reference grid and just below it is micrometer controls to center the sound tracks; works surprisingly well.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 11-23-2002 10:07 PM                        Is there a magnifying glass incorporated in the device?  |  IP: Logged David Rigby Expert Film Handler Posts: 134 From: Chorlton, Manchester, UK Registered: May 2002 posted 11-24-2002 05:23 AM                     The reference to Kinoton was simply because the machine looked similar to a Kinoton 'studio' machine I briefly saw a picture of some time ago...not being an expert in these matters I could be completely mistaken Physical appearance doesn't imply mechanical similarity of course, but I just wondered if it might be a clone. David  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-24-2002 10:48 AM                     Of course Philips pioneered the magnified soundtrack window on their soundheads that were used on the FP5, 6, and 7. As well as on the DP-70/AA-2 projectors. One could view the soundtrack magnified about 5X or 6X on the actual scanning slit itself! I seem to remember that MEOPTA once had a display at Showest a number of years back. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-24-2002 11:21 AM                        Looking at their web page, I can see why one might think that the Meo 5 resembles a Kinoton. Both have an exposed film path (not shielded with a door, like on American-made machines) and both are designed such that the projector head, soundhead, and reel arms are all part of the same unit (I'm leaving the newer Kinotons out of the discussion here). I doubt that the similarities go beyond these design elements, however.  |  IP: Logged Robert Throop Master Film Handler Posts: 412 From: Vernon, NY USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-24-2002 11:41 AM                     I was once told that the Meo5x was a copy of a Bauer U4.  |  IP: Logged Serge Bosschaerts Film Handler Posts: 70 From: Schoten, Belgium Registered: Jan 2000 posted 11-24-2002 12:54 PM                        Not only Philips, also Bauer on the B12 in 1951 had this standard on their optical soundreader.  |  IP: Logged Patrick de Groot Expert Film Handler Posts: 161 From: Sprang-Capelle, Netherlands Registered: Apr 2001 posted 11-24-2002 05:23 PM                     The soundtrack system is called macroprojection. The Philips FP5 used it also. You magnify the soundtrack and that way you can also increase the splitwidth. So the macrosystem uses lenses to magnify the soundtrack itself. (the microsystem uses lenses to produce a small narrow light bundle which goes through the soundtrack) You can view the position of the soundtrack through a window and you can correct it. You can also sharpen the soundtrack image. Why isn't this system used anymore? It is easy and more practical then aligning a solarcell. Or is the macrosystem not precise enough?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-24-2002 06:39 PM                     It tends to also magnify any errors due to weave  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.