Small Barco 2k Introduced

Thanks for sharing Peter,
I love the overall package and small form factor. Now if you have contact with these people, please tell them to make one with 4K chips inside and keeping all the other specs the same. I've seen their 4k units and they are like tanks!

What's the advantage over the HDX-14K, your favourite small factor from last year? Presuming the integrated media server is not required? The HDX has bigger DMDs and a high-contrast mode.

Barco, Christie, and NEC are all shipping the Ti S2K based projectors end of this year/beginning of next year for $28-$33k street with the built in server.

I saw this news item in my inbox a few weeks back. I'd like to take a look at it some time. My screen is spec'd at 13-14ft wide and is perf'd. Not extremely large, but the projector will be in it's own projection room 30-34' back from the screen. I need to make sure there is enough light for 2D and 3D.

Peter, do you know if this device will also have a 4K upgrade path when available like some of the other 2K Barcos?

Am I also understanding correctly that the lens on this projector is not as "clear" as the other 2K models?

The S2K units have no 4K upgrade path.

I am just getting into all this and am wondering how one would get this machine to work with active 3D? I've tried googling, but no joy.

Thanks all!

/B

The lenses for those small chassis are not the same as the DP2k/DP4K correct? they look similar to the Minoltas used by said Titan. Have you seen these in action yet, Peter? How are they? We're tinking replacement of the T with either a DP2KP or DP2K-15C. Thoughts?

Dan

I too wonder how they perform. These should also allow some small mom and pop cinemas to be able to convert easier to digital being more affordable. The industry has been needing these.

HeHe

Avielo by Barco he he.

Any early word on consumer size 4K machines from Barco or Projection design? I did hear that the first PJ Helios models were not very good, this was a couple of years back....

Wouldn't using a lower gain screen help increase contrast ratios?

Just give me 4K DLP, a smaller foot print that doesn't have to housed in a entire seperate room, 5000:1 on/off and I'll be happy

Has there been any recent news on the laser module upgrade to the 4K projector?

I suspect they still have problems with laser speckle and the high cost of the lasers. Also I guess that the first roll-out will be for Imax screens and other extra large screens that need a lot of brightness, second will be slightly smaller screens that uses the 6-7kw lamps that needs to get bulb costs down. The Red projector could put some pressure on them to release an upgrade for smaller projectors but the redray projector is by Red's own estimate 4-6 months away and with their reputation you can probably double or triple that estimate, it also remains to be seen if it is any good or if it is going to be DCI certified if not then it will hardly be competition for Barco d-cinema line of projectors.
It's also questionable if there is any demand for an upgrade for the smaller 2kw projectors unless it's really cheap, a 2kw bulb will last about 12-18 months for most cinemas and cost 700-800$ so the laser module would need to be less than 4000$ and last 5-10 years for it to raise any interest among cinema owners. A laser upgrade that could replace a 6,5kw bulb would start to look good already at a 30-40k price range.

There's also legal issues since lasers are in many countries highly regulated.

Alex. You are right on the money particularly re speckeling and the high cost of the lasers. And because of these reasons I think a Red consumer laser is a long way off.

The only thing that the general FP consumer things about is the overblown published on/off specs. Room treatments do not affect the on/off one bit. Wall etc treatments will improve ANSI contrast but ANSI numbers are always low and telling a consumer that OUR machine has an ANSI of 200 and theirs only an ANSI of 110, just doesn't mean anything to them.

I thought the laser module upgrade to the Barco 4K was very close to release

They've only demoed prototype systems with no estimates when it will available. I'm not saying there couldn't be an announcement next Monday with time estimates when they will be shipping but there hasn't been much indication that there will be a ready product anytime soon. I would guess maybe cineeurope convention in June could be a good event for an announcement.

IMAX Launches Institutional Upgrade Initiative; Signs Agreement with Smithsonian for Next-Generation Laser Technology.

It's definitely coming, but at least a year away.

http://newsdesk.si.edu/releases/imax-launches-institutional-upgrade-initiative-signs-agreement-smithsonian-next-generation

What is a machine like this running cost wise? Lumens?

Lamp and power cost mainly, filters are washable metal mesh. 2kw xenon bulbs are usually warranted for between 2000h-3000h and prices are around 800$. A yearly visit from a service technician is also recommended. Barco claims it should output 9500 lumens with a 2,2kw bulb.

I don't think it's fair to say that is all consumers care about. Some features like being able to physically align the chips to address convergence are very attractive. Other things like CR specs that match projectors many of us have long since upgraded from raise some concerns. The projector being discussed has on/off CR of 1850. Wouldn't that result in noticeably poor low light level performance in a HT setting?

Very poor indeeed. Wrong projector unless all you want to watch is sports in torch mode.

Barco doesn't try to exaggerate with made up on/off CR values. They still probably have a bit lower on/off CR than on some high end consumer projectors but if you would compare the ansi contrast I would bet there is not much difference. Go to any properly set up cinema screen and you will see that it is for much more than watching sports.