Digital video Projection for feature showing at DVinfo.net

Jack Celli · August 8th, 2003, 10:02 AM

need some help here... I have a feature film looking to showcase for a group of people who helpped to create it... Need to project a dvd in a theatrical enviorment. Any suggestions on lcd projectors to rent in order to get the best image possible.
Please dont boggle me with tech talk.. i have a simple mind...
group of about 100 people... small theatre with EXCELLENT sound....and I have a QUALITY dvd
I need a bright clean crisp as close to film like picture as possible.

MY DVD looks like a film on a television...
please help
thank you
Jack celli

Keith Loh · August 8th, 2003, 10:36 AM

Many modern theatres already have digital projection already in place to play advertising.

Mike Rehmus · August 8th, 2003, 10:51 AM

If you have to bring your own, you need to learn a few tech tricks or your shiny video is going to look absolutely awful.

Most LCD projectors are optimized for Powerpoint, not video. At the least you need to get the manual and send the projector color bars to set it up semi-properly. Even then you may need to further adjust contrast, and brightness, gamma if the projector is so equipt, just to get a reasonable image.

You also want to preview the quality of the image during slow, medium and fast movement. Some of the recent line-doublers that are use to increase the resolution of the video image up to the resolution of the projector, cause some really unpleasant artifacts. Several I have used make it look like the video is being 'bump-mapped' by an image of small waves.

If you have a choice, get a DLP rather than a LCD projector. The DLP technology tends to be kinder to video. All other setup issues remain.

Even in a dark theatre, I'd go for 3000 lumens or so, a high contrast ratio and a fast response so you don't get motion trails generated by the projector.

Probably more than you wanted to know but if you want the video shown to its best, you have to know enough to project it properly.

Sumesh Thundathil · August 11th, 2003, 11:49 PM

I think pretty much any projector from Runco would do the job. I saw a Runco DLP projector used in a small movie theater once and it looked pretty good. Marantz and Dwin also make nice projectors, but I'm not sure if they'll work in a movie theater type of setting. Of course, these are really expensive projectors and probably hard to find, but since you said you wanted to rent and you wanted the best, here they are.

~Sumesh

Ken Tanaka · August 11th, 2003, 11:58 PM

I'd be surprised if a good rental house couldn't help you make a selection based on the size of the room/projection distance and your need to display video rather than computer screens.

Rob Lohman · August 12th, 2003, 02:27 AM

As said earlier most theaters will probably have at least one
room with an LCD/DLP projector in it. A guy I know made a
two hour movie which was projected by something they had
inhouse there together with a DVD player they already had
there.

Check with the cinema first. Otherwise, as Ken pointed out,
a rentel house should be able to give you good advise if
you give them the roomsize and source format etc.

August 8th, 2003, 10:02 AM	#1
Jack Celli New Boot Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: leominster Posts: 5	Digital video Projection for feature showing need some help here... I have a feature film looking to showcase for a group of people who helpped to create it... Need to project a dvd in a theatrical enviorment. Any suggestions on lcd projectors to rent in order to get the best image possible. Please dont boggle me with tech talk.. i have a simple mind... group of about 100 people... small theatre with EXCELLENT sound....and I have a QUALITY dvd I need a bright clean crisp as close to film like picture as possible. MY DVD looks like a film on a television... please help thank you Jack celli

August 8th, 2003, 10:36 AM	#2
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	Many modern theatres already have digital projection already in place to play advertising. __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

August 8th, 2003, 10:51 AM	#3
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	If you have to bring your own, you need to learn a few tech tricks or your shiny video is going to look absolutely awful. Most LCD projectors are optimized for Powerpoint, not video. At the least you need to get the manual and send the projector color bars to set it up semi-properly. Even then you may need to further adjust contrast, and brightness, gamma if the projector is so equipt, just to get a reasonable image. You also want to preview the quality of the image during slow, medium and fast movement. Some of the recent line-doublers that are use to increase the resolution of the video image up to the resolution of the projector, cause some really unpleasant artifacts. Several I have used make it look like the video is being 'bump-mapped' by an image of small waves. If you have a choice, get a DLP rather than a LCD projector. The DLP technology tends to be kinder to video. All other setup issues remain. Even in a dark theatre, I'd go for 3000 lumens or so, a high contrast ratio and a fast response so you don't get motion trails generated by the projector. Probably more than you wanted to know but if you want the video shown to its best, you have to know enough to project it properly. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

August 11th, 2003, 11:58 PM	#5
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	I'd be surprised if a good rental house couldn't help you make a selection based on the size of the room/projection distance and your need to display video rather than computer screens. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

August 12th, 2003, 02:27 AM	#6
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	As said earlier most theaters will probably have at least one room with an LCD/DLP projector in it. A guy I know made a two hour movie which was projected by something they had inhouse there together with a DVD player they already had there. Check with the cinema first. Otherwise, as Ken pointed out, a rentel house should be able to give you good advise if you give them the roomsize and source format etc. __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

August 11th, 2003, 11:49 PM	#4
Sumesh Thundathil Tourist Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Cincinnati, OH - USA Posts: 3	I think pretty much any projector from Runco would do the job. I saw a Runco DLP projector used in a small movie theater once and it looked pretty good. Marantz and Dwin also make nice projectors, but I'm not sure if they'll work in a movie theater type of setting. Of course, these are really expensive projectors and probably hard to find, but since you said you wanted to rent and you wanted the best, here they are. ~Sumesh