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Topic: Portable digital projector that will work at a drive-in

Justin Hamaker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 344
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 10-23-2008 03:02 PM

I'm hoping someone might be able to give me some direction on this. I'm working on a special event at our drive-in that would require a digital projector.

The throw from the projection room is about 400'. I know that is way too long for any consumer grade projector. But I'm wondering if anyone knows of a commercial projector that might work. Alternately, we might be able to place the projector out in the field as long as it can run off 110v.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Also, if you know of some place on the West Coast (ideally in the Bay Area) where such equipment can be rented, that would be great.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Film God

Posts: 11444
From: Bountiful, Utah
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-23-2008 10:50 PM

Well, some of us know that any projector IS portable... [Eek!]

But nothing like that exists that can run off single phase 120 volts with sufficient lamp power to light a drive in screen. You'd need a projector with a 6kw lamp minimum and three phase 208VAC to power the projector. Lenses would be another problem all together!

Mark

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Cameron Glendinning
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 529
From: West Ryde, Sydney, NSW Australia
Registered: Dec 2005

posted 10-24-2008 04:44 AM

Firstly how big is your drive in screen?
Next question what sort of quality is required, is it a DVD powerpoint or 2k? 4.3, 16.9 or scope?

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Bill Gabel
Film God

Posts: 3074
From: Times Square, NY, USA
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 10-24-2008 09:56 AM

quote: Justin Hamaker
where such equipment can be rented

What's you budget for rental?

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Justin Hamaker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 344
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 10-24-2008 01:14 PM

I'll have to check on the screen size. If it helps, I can tell you the scope picture fills the screen side to side and leaves about 1' top and bottom.

I don't know what the budget is. At this point I'm more concerned with finding equipment that will work.

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Sam D. Chavez
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 610
From: Martinez, CA USA
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 10-24-2008 02:57 PM

Justin,

There are a number of rental outfits in the Bay Area and Sacramento but like us here on film-tech, they are first going to ask you all the same questions; screen size, power available, throw and size of your wallet.

Panasonic has some very bright 3 chip DLP projectors and I believe they will run on a 20 Amp., 110 Volt circuit.

You'll never get even minimally acceptable light level without a real screen surface and frame so unless you can place the projector close enough to a for real screen so an in stock lens can be used, tell your boss to fuggedaboutit.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 4253
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 10-24-2008 02:58 PM

What wattage is your bulb in the lamphouse?

Then digital will require almost twice the wattage to fill the same screen since the light has to bend, and reflect off the arrays just to get the light out through the lens. It's not like film projection where light is a straight shot to the screen - to get the most light out..

Light doesn't like to be reflected for it loses so much luminance when it's either bent or reflected..

And, you definitely need that 3ph/208 to run such a device.

good luck in your search anywhos - Monte

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Bill Gabel
Film God

Posts: 3074
From: Times Square, NY, USA
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 10-24-2008 03:11 PM

The people we use on the West Coast their Christie Roadster digital projectors (5000 to 20,000 lumens) will run you $1,750.00 to $4,500.00 a day on rental depending on the model. The Lightning 28sx (14,000 lumens) rents for $3,500.00 a day.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 5528
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-24-2008 03:20 PM

I don't know how true this is, but I've been told that 10k lumens is roughly equivalent to a 2kw xenon with 35mm (presumably this implies a standard 2-blade shutter, f/2.0 lens, etc., etc.). Subjectively it looks similar (maybe slightly brighter than film), all other things being equal.

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Julio Roberto
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Registered: Oct 2008

posted 10-24-2008 07:50 PM

Perhaps something like the Sanyo PLC-XF47 with a long throw lens (like i.e. LNS-T01 or LNS-T03) would do.

It will do 120v (about 1700w, IIRC) and put out about 15.000 lumens.

It can often be bought for around 19k, just to give you an idea of how much rental could be.

With the LNS-T01 lens, it should give you an aprox. 40' by 53' image from a distance of 366 feet at 7fL on a 1.0 gain screen.
With the LNS-T03 zoom lens, it should give you a 35' by 47' image from 421' distance at 7fL on a 1.0 gain screen.

There are other models by Sanyo, Panasonic, Eiki (LC-XT5 runs at 200v single phase, so you could just use a step-up transformer, at 1800W), Sony, Christie, Digital Projection or Barco that could also, perhaps, do the job. Also some old machines by JVC, perhaps.

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John Hawkinson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1830
From: Cambridge, MA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 10-24-2008 08:26 PM

So, Justin, what's your 35mm lamp like (wattage), and what's your 35mm focal length?

It seems odd to me that you can have 120V in the field but can't manage to get 3-phase...

--jhawk

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Justin Hamaker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 344
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 10-24-2008 08:51 PM

The 35mm is a 4K bulb in a Christie lamphouse. The focal length is about 400'. We can do 110v in the field by running an extension cord.

Just to be clear, this is for a one time only event so a 'Micky Mouse' option would be ok.

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John Hawkinson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1830
From: Cambridge, MA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 10-24-2008 09:00 PM

No, the throw is 400'. The focal length is a characteritic of your lens, like 120mm or what-have-you. If you don't know your screen size, the combination of throw and focal length with let us calculate it [Smile]

(Err, tell us whether its your scope or flat lens)

No reason you can't do extension cords for 3-phase...

--jhawk

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Julio Roberto
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Registered: Oct 2008

posted 10-24-2008 09:46 PM

Well, if you want something cheaper that could save the day (at around $10k street prices) you could try the EIKI LC-X7 or the Sanyo XF42.

It should give you about a 7fL brightness 27'x36' image on a 1.0 gain screen at about 321' throw distance with the LNS-T03 lens option.

You really shouldn't go much below that for your intended location.

But if you can get closer to the screen (about 60ft), you could just rent 2 or 3 identical small projectors with standard lenses and use them simultaneously to overlap the screen (make sure they have lens shift option and digital keystoning correction and place them as close as possible).

I.e., a couple of $4500 Sanyo PLC-XT35 in dual projection should give you about 8fL to a 28' by 37' 1.0 gain screen from 80 feet away with the standard lenses.

Other alternatives, like a single $4500 NEC NP3150 or EIKI EIP-5000 could give you 30'x40' image at 6fL (on 1.0 gain) from around 60' on the standard lens. If you can find a focal length convertion lens (teleadaptor) to rent for the NEC's diameter, you could extend that distance (usually by 50%, so about 90') with an aprox. 15% loss of light and some small loss in image quality.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Film God

Posts: 11444
From: Bountiful, Utah
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-24-2008 10:47 PM

quote: Justin Hamaker
We can do 110v in the field by running an extension cord.

You can also run two extension cords connected to two different circuits on different phases and have 230 volts just as easily. Just be sure to properly ground the piece of equipmeny no matter what voltage you decide to use... Safety First, especially outdoors!

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