Dual Screen DCP playback.. is it possible ?

[Gordon McLeod]

Find some Altec A2's

[Kenneth Wuepper]

When providing sound to vehicles from outside, rmemeber that the picture is accessed through the windshield while the external sound comes through the open windows on the sides of the vehicle. Playing the sound across the field would eliminate the bounce off opposing screen surfaces while getting sound where it can enter the vehicles.

Lip sync will be nearly impossible with the distance factor.

[Marcel Birgelen]

Last year when we were doing "live" concerts, we tried having patrons on both screens (one with live sound, the other listening via car radio) and it ended up being a garbled mess. The sound would instantly come out of the radio, then 2 seconds later it came "live" (but delayed) from behind from the opposing side, then hit the screen and bounced back again. It was horrible.

I'd say, make sure you get yourself a bunch of line arrays and a bunch of people who know how to aim them correctly. That should get rid of most of the reflections and accompanying echo and distortion. Since you're aiming your PA at cars, there will always be some reflection, but due to the shapes of them, I expect them to get diffused quite efficiently.

As for the delay, there is nothing much you can do, as there isn't an easy way to speed-up sound. If both fields are about equally sized, I'd say that the half-way point of the largest field should be your "zero" reference for your delay settings, in order to keep the sync in somewhat acceptable ranges across the field.

[Leo Enticknap]

Two SR-1000s can by synched together, using IP multicasting. The feature is intended to enable separate left eye and right eye projectors for 3-D, but I can't see any reason why it couldn't be used to ensure simultaneous projection of a 2-D CPL by two systems. The bummer is that you need to buy a license from GDC to enable it. The dealer from whom you bought the SR-1000s could give you a quote. Assuming that the audio delay is set the same on both, that should sync the audio playback.

[Barry Floyd]

We have brand new GDC SR-1000's. Projectors are Barco DP2K-23B's, and USL JSD-60's for sound processing.

[Carsten Kurz]

What servers do you use? Some allow syncing. Also, it would probably be best anyway to feed both PA systems the same signal from only one server.

[Barry Floyd]

I have a unique situation where we have been offered the opportunity to premiere a major motion picture in the month of October at the drive-in. The studio and their marketing partner want to buyout the entire theater (both screens) and have an invitation only audience in attendance.

The catch is.. none of the attendees vehicles will have radios so we will need to setup some type of outdoor live PA systems. Being 35 miles from Nashville, an outdoor PA system isn't going to be an issue.

The draw back to outdoor PA systems would be that our theatre layout is configured where both screens face each other, and I don't know of a way to synchronize both screens so the sound traveling from the opposing side doesn't affect the other.

Last year when we were doing "live" concerts, we tried having patrons on both screens (one with live sound, the other listening via car radio) and it ended up being a garbled mess. The sound would instantly come out of the radio, then 2 seconds later it came "live" (but delayed) from behind from the opposing side, then hit the screen and bounced back again. It was horrible.

Anyone know of a way to either play one movie on two projectors exactly in synch at the exact same time?