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Author Topic: WHICH CYAN READER IS BEST Frank Jerkic Film Handler Posts: 77 From: Ayr Queensland Australia Registered: May 2004 posted 06-03-2004 09:31 PM                        Now the some of you have run a cyan print, can anyone say which reader works best, are Jaxlights/reverse scan etc as good or bad as I have read, I have been in contact with Atlab Australia and film distributors trying to obtain some cyan film to make a test loop. As some of you know I own Century's which are fitted with the TR4B sound reproducer, one has never been converted to stereo (same as it left the factory) the other was changed to stereo by moving the exciter light to the end where the solar cell was originally fitted. The Kalee soundhead is the 890 which is stereo for the drive in, the solar cell runs straight into a preamp-FM STEREO transmitter, The Drive in went Stereo years ago and our first Stereo movi was WILLOW Regards Frank  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 06-03-2004 11:03 PM                     Jaxlights are crap designed for super cheap theater owners. My personal favorite is the BACP reader. Hands down it is the easiest to install and I get the best performance out of it. Second (and a pretty close second) is the Kelmar. I'm not a fan of the CE readers, due to their unnecessarily complex design.  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 06-03-2004 11:18 PM                     Even though we are in 100% compliance in our theaters, we still not have seen one cyan print come through our houses. As far as what we have, they are all from Component Engineering. They have excellent performance with the standard run-of-the-mill optical soundtrack. As for how they perform with cyan soundtracks, I cannot comment on that at this time. When we finally start running they cyan prints then maybe I can give some feedback to you all. But as for now, that's all I can say.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 06-04-2004 01:50 AM                        Brad, what do you mean by "complex design", and how do you feel it makes the CE readers inferior to the others? I haven't used "the others", but have plenty of CE's around. They're all over the NorthWest... possibly due to the location of their factory!... Just curious... I was under the impression that the performance of the Kelmars, CE's and BACP's were reasonably comparable.  |  IP: Logged Dean Kollet Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 591 From: Florida State University Registered: Jul 2003 posted 06-04-2004 02:27 AM                     We have Component Engineering as well, and with two Cyan-track films in the past year at our theatre ( Soul Plane and Anything Else ) they have proved to be just as good playing the Cyan track (or damn close)  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 06-04-2004 02:44 AM                     Performance-wise they are similar. Have you never seen a Century converted with a CE reader?  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-04-2004 06:14 AM                     Brad, This oughtta be good...Yeah, I've done Centurys with CE readers...what is the problem? In fact, only the CE reader can overcome mis-machining of the Solar Cell surface (now used by the LED bracket)...all the others use a fixed LED bracket that provides for no lateral adjustment. The Kelmar reader, if a basement digital reader, requires one to use hole-saws to carve out the septum between the exciter compartment and the film compartment...the CE does not. All three systems listed though have done a fine job but only Kelmar and CE can do basement Dolby Digital (of the retrofits). Steve  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-04-2004 07:40 AM                     "All three systems listed though have done a fine job but only Kelmar and CE can do basement Dolby Digital (of the retrofits)." _________________________________________________________________ BACP has kept out of the basement for very good reasons.... because they have developed a far superior way to read data from on top of the projector, in fact far better than any other penthouse reader can read back with the exception of the latest incarnation of the Dolby penthouse that also uses BACP's technology. Now I know that knows this but I just wanted to be sure that everyone else does . In fact all three manufacturers use the same LED and solor cell in their analog scanning devices but that is where the similarities end. The biggest difference between them is in the power supply design, then in the audio circuitry. BACP's design, with all circuitry including the power supply integrated onto one pluggable PCB at the pickup end is to me a far superior overall design than any of the others. It is also the best made of the bunch with machining quality second to none. Any of the others COULD have gone the integrated route as well if they had spent the time and effort to do so. All of the readers available out there work very well but there are advantages using some over others. Ya just have to know which one to use for what set of circumstances and why. I will say though that 96% of out reader sales are BACP with the other 4% going to other manufacturers for certain reasons such as which Steve mentioned in the above post or because the larger BACP pickup will not fit into a fixed wall exciter compartment. Also, some manufacturers make readers for some projectors and others don't. One other small note is that the BACP readers are by far the easiest and guickest to install properly. This is most helpful for those that have a large plex in need of conversion. It is also the only manufacturer which has a USER REPLACABLE LED ASSY. Mark  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 06-04-2004 08:36 AM                     I agree with the other Steve, Kelmar & CE are the best I've heard. Good frequency response, & clarity with our Ultra Stereo processors especially.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Worthing Master Film Handler Posts: 384 From: Hereford, UK Registered: Apr 2001 posted 06-04-2004 09:58 AM                     quote: Jaxlights are crap designed for super cheap theatre owners Brad When the hits the fan on cyan tracks (in the UK especially) The Jaxlight will come in handy as a fast solution for converting a lot of Systems. The prices of updating to cyan stops a lot of owners upgrading now. To a lot of owners Cyan has become some sort of a myth, so when it does come so many cinemas will not be ready. To dismiss Jaxlights off the cuff because you don't like it may make owners who are looking for conversions, decide that they will look at more expensive systems which will delay there decision to upgrade. In my experience I have not had a bad result from Jaxlight.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-04-2004 10:06 AM                        What is the approximate cost of the BACP reader for Century R-3 soundheads? Last I checked, a pair of CE readers was just under $1k, which is more than I really want to spend in order to reproduce sound. How long does installation usually take? Does it really require a tech or could I do it myself if I buy/borrow the proper test films, scope, RTA, etc. to do a new A-chain? This is for private home use; I won't be doing the "upgrade" until (and if) I get a cyan print, which is probably several years away, if ever. Since I have no interest in digital basement readers, is there any reason not to go with the BACP?  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-04-2004 10:22 AM                     The problem with JaxLites is that, for the trouble they cause, it's probably worth it just to get a full reverse scan conversion and be done with it. If you add in the cost of "Pain-in-the-ass Value", the price for a full conversion isn't that much more. I've installed a bunch of the Component Engineering LED systems (Into Simplex 5-Star sound heads) and they really aren't that difficult to put in. Finally, once you get them installed and running, they are virtually trouble free. If you do a proper installation and a good A-Chain on them, all subsequent A-Chains are reduced to the level of running a couple loops of test film. When I was in charge of 120 projectors that was a godsend! I could go to each theater and do an initial full-on A-Chain. Once it was done to my satisfaction, every following visit was nothing more than a check-up. (As far as sound head maintanence.) Simply choosing the JaxLites because they have a lower initial price tag is a false economy.  |  IP: Logged Christopher Seo Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 530 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-04-2004 11:20 AM                     Right, and in some cases the Jaxlight is hardly less expensive, to begin with, than other options. For example I priced out the Kelmar reader that uses the existing exciter lamp supply, and the price was perhaps $150 more. Not a whole lot if it means far better sound with less installation problems.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 06-04-2004 02:01 PM                        quote: Brad Miller Performance-wise they are similar. Have you never seen a Century converted with a CE reader? Yes... I have 4 of them here & several I "watch over". quote: Jonathan Worthing When the hits the fan on cyan tracks (in the UK especially) The Jaxlight will come in handy as a fast solution for converting a lot of Systems. Maybe... but how likely is it that a theatre operator will then go back and retrofit AGAIN to a superior reader? If this is the prevailing mentality, I'd bet a lot of you will wind up with permanent Jaxlight installations.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 06-04-2004 02:28 PM                       Jack hit the nail on the head. You can bet your bippy, if they put Jerxlights in, that'll be the last anyone hears of it (literally and figuratively). It's false economy. Too many owners drop dimes to pick up pennies.  |  IP: Logged

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