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Author Topic: Video Projector for Pre-Show Questions Chase Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Troy, Alabama, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 07-30-2003 08:54 PM                        We are looking into getting video projectors for our preshow ads. The model I've decided on is the Sanyo PLC-XT15A which is at 3200 lumens. How can I turn the lamp on and off with our automation which is a Component Engineering TA-10. Thanks for your help. Chase Taylor Continental Cinema 5  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-30-2003 09:27 PM                     Here are two possibile avenues to explore: 1. Does the unit have a (hardwired) remote connection that can be latched on/off via your automation? 2. If you tied an AC outlet to your automation, would the unit wake up on its own when power was reapplied? Or would you have to manually turn it on again? I'd start there. I did a quick search but I don't see enough information (yet) to answer any of these questions. Maybe you have access to one?  |  IP: Logged Chase Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Troy, Alabama, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 07-30-2003 09:45 PM                        I'm getting a demo unit in Friday. There is control box called a PJ-Net Organizer that will come with it that is meant to go to your computer through cat-5, I don't know if you could use that some how. I don't see a hard wired remote but there is a inferred (?spelling?) remote with it. I though of some type of ir blaster rigged up with the automation but have not looked into it that much. Chase Taylor Continental Cinema 5  |  IP: Logged Michael Cunningham Expert Film Handler Posts: 186 From: Anchorage, AK Registered: Nov 1999 posted 07-31-2003 04:59 AM                     The ones at my theatre (Christie Roadrunner L7's or some such) rely on an electrical outlet for their auto-off. This outlet is somehow wired to the film projector motor and kills power whenever the film projector motor is running. We used to use these to shut down the slide projectors when the movie started but they have been pressed into service for the digitals. I'm not sure what the plug actually powers, but it would be an option to look into that does work quite well... - Mike  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-31-2003 07:21 AM                     Michael, So when the outlet goes dead, does the projector go dead? As in, is the lamp allowed to cool? Upon, firing up, does the projector automatically wake up or do you have to turn on the projector? Steve  |  IP: Logged Edward Jurich Master Film Handler Posts: 305 From: Las Vegas USA Registered: Jul 2003 posted 07-31-2003 09:20 AM                     If you just kill the power to the video projector you may shorten its life. You need to check with the projector supplier to see if it needs to "cool down".  |  IP: Logged Chase Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Troy, Alabama, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 07-31-2003 09:26 AM                        I know that you do have to let the lamp cool down. Chase Taylor Continental Cinema 5  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-31-2003 09:28 AM                        In almost all projectors, the "cool down" is very important. Likewise, many of the mid-range projectors take a few minutes to come up to full output and stabilize for color temperature.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-31-2003 10:41 AM                     This is the problem with using video in place of slides. I haven't seen too many projectors lately but the ones I have played around are not designed to be automated. I'll be watching this thread closely.  |  IP: Logged Tom Sauter Expert Film Handler Posts: 163 From: Buffalo, NY, USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 07-31-2003 10:46 AM                        Lamp life will be greatly decreased without the "cool down" period, the manual for this projector indicates 5 minutes is necessary. Its none to good for the light engine, either. While this projetor will turn on automagically when plugged into an electrical outlet, controlled by your automation, you still need a way to turn it off. Many projectors keep an internal log of cool down cycles that can be accessed by a service technician...you will probably void your warranty. The proper way to control a video projector is with a third party interface such as AMX or Crestron that can interpret relay closures from your automation and send the appropriate IR or RS232 commands to your projector. Extron electronics makes simple projector interfaces for this kind of thing.  |  IP: Logged Chase Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Troy, Alabama, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 07-31-2003 11:42 AM                        Tom do you have any idea of what these products are called or model numbers. Chase Taylor Continental Cinema 5  |  IP: Logged Tom Sauter Expert Film Handler Posts: 163 From: Buffalo, NY, USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 07-31-2003 02:11 PM                        The Extron product I had in mind is an MLC206 which would work but would require a bit of "field modification" to make it work...list price around $1200 and would only work for one screen. I'd suggest an AMX Axcent3 which could be programmed to control up to 6 or 8 video projectors in as many auditoriums and lists for around $1800. This unit will accept commands from your automation in the form of contact closures and can be programmed to send the correct commands to the video projector. Try to find an Axcent2 at an auction site they're old but not obsolete and sell for peanuts. This stuff isn't cheap but there is no really easy way to do what you want (I've tried.) There are projectors on the market that will accept contact closure inputs but they're few and far between. You could always rip apart the projector's remote and wire up some leads to the power button, and connect them to a momentary relay in your automation or something. Ugly but it could work.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-31-2003 09:55 PM                     I have seen several installations that someone has programmed a pic chip to address the RS232 port on a contact closure  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 07-31-2003 10:54 PM                     This is the solution used in most theatres with digital preshows. The outlet previousely used for the slide projector connects to a white box manufactured by Christy. When the slide projectors outlet powers off at start, the box signals the L6 to shut down properly. The box can also send a signal to a central server on the network logging the start times, current projector status, as well as flagging any missuse of the L6 projectors (big screen x-box after hours).  |  IP: Logged Michael Cunningham Expert Film Handler Posts: 186 From: Anchorage, AK Registered: Nov 1999 posted 08-01-2003 06:55 AM                     Ah, the above diagram looks like what I was talking about. The digital projector doesn't just die completely, the bulb shuts down but the fans keep running and allow for a cool down period. That's what I meant by not being sure what the outlet was connected to as it was obviously not just main power for the digital, heh. - Mike  |  IP: Logged

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