Hello Folks,
We all know talk ultimately is cheap..every company will tell you they are the best..(*though unlike Projectiondreams they cannot prove it.)..
Nevertheless,there are folks out there who had *cinemas* from other companies years ago,most no longer trading now..before Projectiondreams opened their Install division.
The choice before for the customer WAS limited..inasmuch as there were no qualified companies around..there were companies that sold cheap and cheerful kit that was passed off as a cinema amidst a nicely interior designed room,there were companies that sold very expensive kit that WAS NOT optimised so therefore no better performing than well setup mid range kit.
In 95% of cases (*a lot of which iv`e revamped and cured now) there was zero thought given to light control,equipment placement or acoustics ..or seating placement for screen size,brightness levels,viewing angles and so on...
The other 5%,who realised there was nobody good enough to meet their total needs,imported Projectiondreams type qualified companies from the U.K....and of course paid through the nose for this remote install...
..But that`s the past..now a qualified company-who understands and masters in all the above is here..
Projectiondreams...
I`m not interested in offending the sensabilities of the unqualified,i`m interested in giving folks the BEST experience..and telling the TRUTH.
Anyone who has had a cinema 5 years ago or more has an out of date cinema,probably wont have 3d..or full HD...may not even have a Blu Ray player...may have a poor-by comparison to what we can do-designed Cinema..or the wrong screen,or poor acoustics...and so on....
In fact,I will go one step further and say this..IF you haven`t had one of a handful of top notch U.K. qualified company do your cinema...it may suffer in some respect..it could mean your kit isn`t performing to optimum and your not getting your moneys worth....
So,we will put our money where our mouth is...and state the following.....
Projectiondreams WILL come to your home F.O.C...make the requisite suggestions to improve ...F.O.C.....and/or re setup your existing equipment to perform at its best and provide you with the equipment to revamp your cinema cost effectively...this wont be F.O.C...:-)
I can assure you in ALL instances your cinema will be improved..WHOEVER originally installed.
But here is where I throw down the gauntlet...anybody with a projector ..I will setup their projector for free and improve in 30mins the previous setup..
IN OTHER WORDS..to all you older cinema owners..there is no cost to gaining the advice to improve your cinema or your projector display picture..
What will happen afterwards...is that ABSOLUTELY,UNEQUIVOCALLY,100% ...you will have gained something for nothing...and have a better setup..or indeed an upgrade path...that`s how passionate I am about ensuring folks get the best from their audio visual setup..whoever has done it in the past..thats the past...Projectiondreams are the future..the best..and we have no fear putting our money where our mouth is and proving it..
Vincent Myers..M.D.
.
Tuesday 30 October 2012
Saturday 27 October 2012
THE A.V. CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN THE ALGARVE PART 2
Hello Folks!
Well,the new Almancil showroom is coming on really well,iv`e delayed my opening to probably end November/December because I want to do something unique in every area,to tailor for all tastes in both design,equipment and lifestyle...I`m happy now, I have EXACTLY the right mix...:-)
The first comment from a major developer who was intrigued to see the progress and popped intoi the showroom was..."..MY GOD VINCE! ....this is going to blow people away!"
I`m already very pleased because I want the most special for my customers,new and existing...and of course..my showrooms will continue to evolve..I will take the bar as far as it can be taken....in every facet...not least of course,the provision of the ultimate Audio Visual experience and performance.
Be prepared for a wonderful surprise..;-)
Best Regards,
Vincent Myers M.D.
Well,the new Almancil showroom is coming on really well,iv`e delayed my opening to probably end November/December because I want to do something unique in every area,to tailor for all tastes in both design,equipment and lifestyle...I`m happy now, I have EXACTLY the right mix...:-)
The first comment from a major developer who was intrigued to see the progress and popped intoi the showroom was..."..MY GOD VINCE! ....this is going to blow people away!"
I`m already very pleased because I want the most special for my customers,new and existing...and of course..my showrooms will continue to evolve..I will take the bar as far as it can be taken....in every facet...not least of course,the provision of the ultimate Audio Visual experience and performance.
Be prepared for a wonderful surprise..;-)
Best Regards,
Vincent Myers M.D.
Wednesday 24 October 2012
STRANGE GOINGS ON IN THE ALGARVE A.V. WORLD?
Hello Folks!
I recently had an email from a chap I know well in the A.V. community in the Algarve.
Very cordial-indeed Iv`e helped this guy with designs and setup in the past.
One end statement was a little bizzare..:-)
In essence,it said that by my stating my companies qualifications and pedigree etc..I WAS MAKING THE OTHERS LOOK BAD..
Eh?????....:-).......
I replied to this mail that I state Projectiondreams qualifications,capabilities and achievements..because i`m proud of all of this-and I won`t dumb any of this down to make other companies feel "better about themselves"...
If they take this as a "pop" against them..so be it,but it isn`t...I begrudge nobody a living and respect anyones right to trade ,but by the same token..I do have a reservation that companies with little pedigree in my trade openly tout themselves capable of this,that and the other...
In the same manner as Gordon Ramsey would raise an eyebrow at someone whos once boiled an egg calling themselves a chef..:-).
Beyond that,I give others in the *A.V.trade* over here-little thought...
Ultimately,the customer is not a fool,they i`m sure will make an informed choice..and thats good enough for me.
What does annoy me,is companies that take cinema pictures from the web ,and display them on their site as their own..this is lying to the customer and leading the customer to believe its their work-when it isn`t...there are other companies-decent enough in HA (*home automation) that state they do cinemas-when I know for a fact they have never done one...this is lying to the customer as well...
ALL pictures of cinema installs on the Projectiondreams site are OUR installs...and i`m proud of them.
..Another recent Algarve A.V. horror story,iv`e had to *tidy up*...
large project we are on,where we gained the project agains`t another company....now this company had proposed lesser quality kit but had promised the builder and electrician on this project *kick backs*....
In the end,this inflated the final total price for the client..a developer...so he was paying top dollar on average kit...
Of course,he chose our quote..better kit,better price..better project organisation,better time scale....
This meant that the electrician and the builder lost out on their *....kickbacks*...so the electrician walked off site as the builder hadn`t given him his money because he was relying on this....
We had to step in on behalf of the client and resolve this..we got the electrician back on site..and *squared* the builder...
This was achieved using decent dispute resolution skills-and indeed the client said to me he wished he could put us in charge of the whole build project..which had taken over a year when it could have been done in 6 months!
*For all this developers future projects we now have a far broader remit...
This is a perfect example of business professionalism over the *old pals act*...
We all know that having a few beers with someone in the Melting Pot doesn`t necessarily make them the best man for the job...the *best man* for the job is the best company..plain and simple...
This should be judged on merit.
Thankfully,this is happening now,Projectiondreams are being seen for what they are..easily the best..really,the choice is clear now..whereas in the past it wasn`t...and that bodes well for developers and customers alike that can be confident of a great job..and heck,i`ll have a couple of beers AFTER the job to celebrate something done well..:-)
So to those loyally comitted to an individual/ mechanism that may not be the best in a business sense,I urge good sense as i`ll probably have to tidy things up at some point anyway..so we may as well do it right from the start..:-)..let us do it right off the bat,save you money and deliver you a better performance is all i ask..
Projectiondreams-clear choice..
Best Regards,
Vince
I recently had an email from a chap I know well in the A.V. community in the Algarve.
Very cordial-indeed Iv`e helped this guy with designs and setup in the past.
One end statement was a little bizzare..:-)
In essence,it said that by my stating my companies qualifications and pedigree etc..I WAS MAKING THE OTHERS LOOK BAD..
Eh?????....:-).......
I replied to this mail that I state Projectiondreams qualifications,capabilities and achievements..because i`m proud of all of this-and I won`t dumb any of this down to make other companies feel "better about themselves"...
If they take this as a "pop" against them..so be it,but it isn`t...I begrudge nobody a living and respect anyones right to trade ,but by the same token..I do have a reservation that companies with little pedigree in my trade openly tout themselves capable of this,that and the other...
In the same manner as Gordon Ramsey would raise an eyebrow at someone whos once boiled an egg calling themselves a chef..:-).
Beyond that,I give others in the *A.V.trade* over here-little thought...
Ultimately,the customer is not a fool,they i`m sure will make an informed choice..and thats good enough for me.
What does annoy me,is companies that take cinema pictures from the web ,and display them on their site as their own..this is lying to the customer and leading the customer to believe its their work-when it isn`t...there are other companies-decent enough in HA (*home automation) that state they do cinemas-when I know for a fact they have never done one...this is lying to the customer as well...
ALL pictures of cinema installs on the Projectiondreams site are OUR installs...and i`m proud of them.
..Another recent Algarve A.V. horror story,iv`e had to *tidy up*...
large project we are on,where we gained the project agains`t another company....now this company had proposed lesser quality kit but had promised the builder and electrician on this project *kick backs*....
In the end,this inflated the final total price for the client..a developer...so he was paying top dollar on average kit...
Of course,he chose our quote..better kit,better price..better project organisation,better time scale....
This meant that the electrician and the builder lost out on their *....kickbacks*...so the electrician walked off site as the builder hadn`t given him his money because he was relying on this....
We had to step in on behalf of the client and resolve this..we got the electrician back on site..and *squared* the builder...
This was achieved using decent dispute resolution skills-and indeed the client said to me he wished he could put us in charge of the whole build project..which had taken over a year when it could have been done in 6 months!
*For all this developers future projects we now have a far broader remit...
This is a perfect example of business professionalism over the *old pals act*...
We all know that having a few beers with someone in the Melting Pot doesn`t necessarily make them the best man for the job...the *best man* for the job is the best company..plain and simple...
This should be judged on merit.
Thankfully,this is happening now,Projectiondreams are being seen for what they are..easily the best..really,the choice is clear now..whereas in the past it wasn`t...and that bodes well for developers and customers alike that can be confident of a great job..and heck,i`ll have a couple of beers AFTER the job to celebrate something done well..:-)
So to those loyally comitted to an individual/ mechanism that may not be the best in a business sense,I urge good sense as i`ll probably have to tidy things up at some point anyway..so we may as well do it right from the start..:-)..let us do it right off the bat,save you money and deliver you a better performance is all i ask..
Projectiondreams-clear choice..
Best Regards,
Vince
Wednesday 17 October 2012
WHAT MAKES PROJECTIONDREAMS UNIQUE?
PEDIGREE IS EVERYTHING,REPUTATION IS PARAMOUNT.
We haven`t been around quite as long as the James Bond DB5,but Projectiondreams have had the same trading name for 14 years and are well known worldwide in the A.V. community.
Here are some of the industry firsts we have achieved along our journey!
1. First A.V. company in Europe to advocate and sell 2.35.1 true cinema ratio setups with anamorphic lens`s.
2.First A.V.company in Europe to sell customised CRT projectors in Europe with modified hdmi boards,video boards,custom cases etc.
3.The ONLY A.V. company in Europe with real movie world experience (7 years),with our M.D. having worked at Twickenham film studios and ARRI-aquiring knowledge of 35mm setup and lighting.
4.The first A.V.seller in Europe to self manufacture important elements of a cinema setup including-cables,screens,media servers and Blu Ray players.
5.First A.V. company in Europe with their own ideology-Cinema 360.
6. The only A.V.company in Portugal with THX and ISF professionals onboard.
7.First A.V.company in Europe to construct a completely circular cinema using the Cinema 360 criteria.
8.The only A.V.company in Europe to have devised/implemented a trailer screening room for a major movie company.
9. First A.V.company in Portugal to design and build a themed cinema-the Stargate.
10.The first A.V. company in Europe to have 6 demonstration areas in a showroom.
11. The first A.V.company in Portugal to build THX baffle sound walls into installs.
12. The first A.V. company in Portugal to demo a 4k projector.
13. The A.V. company chosen by Sony Europe to setup their demonstration 4k projector for Europe.
14. The first A.V. company in Europe to install fibre optics into walls in cinemas
15. The first A.V. company in the world to have built a replica/working Stargate and inserted into a ceiling.
16. The ONLY A.V. company in Portugal with 15 years solid project management background.
17. The first A.V. Install company in Portugal-to, from concept to execution,prepare their own designs and acoustic treatments .
18. The only A.V. company in Europe with such a long association with all things Audio Visual..40+ years.
19. The first A.V. company in Europe to define Audio Visual Environments.
20. The ONLY A.V. company in Europe affiliated with Kipnis Studio Standard of the U.S.
Monday 15 October 2012
PROJECTIONDREAMS RAISE THE BAR AGAIN!
Hello Folks!!
Us busy chaps at Projectiondreams have a lot on at the moment-not complaining mind-what with the refit of our new Almancil showroom and a large house project involving Home Automation in 9 zones,cinema,entertainment area,kitchinette,outside audio video system,video entry,security,multi room audio..you name it..
In addition we have a number of other projects taking shape with Juventino-the interior design company.
Now Juventino has traded in Europe for over 15 years and is recognised as one of the best in Portugal..his work is STUNNING....
Never before in Portugal,from inception of design to completion, has equal thought been given to both the aesthetic and technical attributes of a project..with Projectiondreams never has an interior design been planned with acoustic and visual considerations from the get go...
I dont have to tell you the benefits of this,but to know that your audio visual environment has integrity within a world class aesthetic brings an incredible peace of mind to clients and developers both,who traditionally had to accept a nicely decorated room with a few bits of kit lobbed in as an afterthought with little acoustic or visual consideration contained...
This is no longer the case..we can design a cohesive total solution with the skill of a world class interior designer and our own Cinema 360 ideology that builds on ISF and THX technical skills..its the best of both worlds in one package..:-)
...And...I will have some other very special anouncements coming very soon..:-)
Us busy chaps at Projectiondreams have a lot on at the moment-not complaining mind-what with the refit of our new Almancil showroom and a large house project involving Home Automation in 9 zones,cinema,entertainment area,kitchinette,outside audio video system,video entry,security,multi room audio..you name it..
In addition we have a number of other projects taking shape with Juventino-the interior design company.
Now Juventino has traded in Europe for over 15 years and is recognised as one of the best in Portugal..his work is STUNNING....
Never before in Portugal,from inception of design to completion, has equal thought been given to both the aesthetic and technical attributes of a project..with Projectiondreams never has an interior design been planned with acoustic and visual considerations from the get go...
I dont have to tell you the benefits of this,but to know that your audio visual environment has integrity within a world class aesthetic brings an incredible peace of mind to clients and developers both,who traditionally had to accept a nicely decorated room with a few bits of kit lobbed in as an afterthought with little acoustic or visual consideration contained...
This is no longer the case..we can design a cohesive total solution with the skill of a world class interior designer and our own Cinema 360 ideology that builds on ISF and THX technical skills..its the best of both worlds in one package..:-)
...And...I will have some other very special anouncements coming very soon..:-)
Wednesday 10 October 2012
UNIQUE A.V REVAMP OF OLDER SETUPS
Hello Folks!
There is nothing worst than spending a lot of money on an Audio Visual system or environment only to have it become outdated in 4/5 years necessitating expensive upgrades...Invariably,if you havent originally purchased from the company that does the upgrade-they are not interested in PXing your older kit..or if they do..offer you peanuts...Even with companies that have originally supplied,a usual method is that the company over price the new goods to compensate for the amount they give you on the old goods..so you get nothing for your old goods..
At Projectiondreams we have ONE Upgrade Policy.
(1),,For ALL customers we offer them 30% of the original R.R.P. price for their old kit in trade up..ALL Projectiondreams prices NEVER exceed R.R.P.
On any older system we will recommend exactly what you need,you may for example be able to keep the speakers but the A.V. receiver needs updating...in most cases of systems over 4 years old,the projector will need upgrading to full HD/3d or indeed in high end systems..4k (*4 times the resolution of 1080p).
We will give a FREE site survey and advise exactly what you need to revamp your system..
We will explain exactly how you can benefit from the newer sound codecs found on audio equipment and resolution advances in projectors..
One little tip I will give you..IF..you have a full cinema,your screen aspect ratio should be 2.35.1...this is the widescreen aspect found on most blockbuster movies..if your staple diet is movies..this is the screen you should have...NOT 16.9...16.9 is a compromise aspect ratio designed for t.v...SKY is 16.9...and not ONE blockbuster movie has ever been made in 16.9..
This is why when you watch a blockbuster movie on a 16.9 screen you have black bars top and bottom ...now in those black bar areas you are losing a lot of the projector panels resolution..so that 1920 x 1080 projector you have?.....your not watching all the panel resolution available..your losing about 33% of the possible resolution...in the black bars..
At a cinema you dont have this problem,they employ a constant height system..so only the sides move in and out depending on how wide the image is...
In short,5 years ago and more you could have had a setup that ensured that no resolution was lost in black bars top and bottom-but this was expensive and ONLY achievable with anamorphic lens ` and Auto masking CH (*constant height) screens....now?..you can buy projectors with the ability to have *lens memory* and different aspect ratio setups available at the touch of a button, or in some cases-automatically....
..But..IF your purely sourcing for a cinema where SKY wont be employed...do not buy a 16.9 screen..do not accept ANY company that suggests such...because they havent got a scooby..:-)
At Projectiondreams we suggest the *punishment to fit the crime*..our aim is that you get the best system..and the right equipment for the environment..we are not interested in short term gain ..we want long term customers-as such its always R.R.P.s....and contrary to opinion not ALL a.v. kit in Portugal is more expensive than the u.k...(*not from us anyway)..we regularly beat u.k. prices through careful buying and the right distribution channels/partners.
So to all projectiondreams customers-current,new and old..be secure in the fact that you can upgrade/optimise your setup cost effectively..:-)
Best Regards,
Vince
There is nothing worst than spending a lot of money on an Audio Visual system or environment only to have it become outdated in 4/5 years necessitating expensive upgrades...Invariably,if you havent originally purchased from the company that does the upgrade-they are not interested in PXing your older kit..or if they do..offer you peanuts...Even with companies that have originally supplied,a usual method is that the company over price the new goods to compensate for the amount they give you on the old goods..so you get nothing for your old goods..
At Projectiondreams we have ONE Upgrade Policy.
(1),,For ALL customers we offer them 30% of the original R.R.P. price for their old kit in trade up..ALL Projectiondreams prices NEVER exceed R.R.P.
On any older system we will recommend exactly what you need,you may for example be able to keep the speakers but the A.V. receiver needs updating...in most cases of systems over 4 years old,the projector will need upgrading to full HD/3d or indeed in high end systems..4k (*4 times the resolution of 1080p).
We will give a FREE site survey and advise exactly what you need to revamp your system..
We will explain exactly how you can benefit from the newer sound codecs found on audio equipment and resolution advances in projectors..
One little tip I will give you..IF..you have a full cinema,your screen aspect ratio should be 2.35.1...this is the widescreen aspect found on most blockbuster movies..if your staple diet is movies..this is the screen you should have...NOT 16.9...16.9 is a compromise aspect ratio designed for t.v...SKY is 16.9...and not ONE blockbuster movie has ever been made in 16.9..
This is why when you watch a blockbuster movie on a 16.9 screen you have black bars top and bottom ...now in those black bar areas you are losing a lot of the projector panels resolution..so that 1920 x 1080 projector you have?.....your not watching all the panel resolution available..your losing about 33% of the possible resolution...in the black bars..
At a cinema you dont have this problem,they employ a constant height system..so only the sides move in and out depending on how wide the image is...
In short,5 years ago and more you could have had a setup that ensured that no resolution was lost in black bars top and bottom-but this was expensive and ONLY achievable with anamorphic lens ` and Auto masking CH (*constant height) screens....now?..you can buy projectors with the ability to have *lens memory* and different aspect ratio setups available at the touch of a button, or in some cases-automatically....
..But..IF your purely sourcing for a cinema where SKY wont be employed...do not buy a 16.9 screen..do not accept ANY company that suggests such...because they havent got a scooby..:-)
At Projectiondreams we suggest the *punishment to fit the crime*..our aim is that you get the best system..and the right equipment for the environment..we are not interested in short term gain ..we want long term customers-as such its always R.R.P.s....and contrary to opinion not ALL a.v. kit in Portugal is more expensive than the u.k...(*not from us anyway)..we regularly beat u.k. prices through careful buying and the right distribution channels/partners.
So to all projectiondreams customers-current,new and old..be secure in the fact that you can upgrade/optimise your setup cost effectively..:-)
Best Regards,
Vince
Thursday 4 October 2012
BETTER SETUP-THE HOLY GRAIL
Within the A.V. world its long been known that you more you spend the more you enter into the laws of diminishing returns.
In other words,a 10,000 Euro amplifier wont sound 10 times better than a 1,000 Euro amplifier..a 20,000 Euro projector wont have a picture 4 times better than a 5,000 Euro projector..
For a lot more money kit will only offer a smidgen of improvement and that smidgen will need to be carefully brought out with a great setup.
..This is where it gets tricky for most,BECAUSE if you dont have a great understanding of setup and are not -at the very least-THX and ISF qualified,how could one know where something wasnt performing to optimum?
..And this has been the common thing on the Algarve for many years,people have been sold 30 grand projectors that perform no better than a 5 grand projector because the person thats sold it has not had the requisite skills to really eke out that extra bit of performance available that would justify its premium..
..It gets even more *complicated*,because the de facto picture standard for projectors is to setup to D65-as defined by ISF (Imaging Science Foundation)..this is defined criteria to ensure *the accurate science of the image*...
So,the bottom line is..the guy that installs/sets up your projector must at least.be ISF qualified to understand what he has to achieve by way of setup...
IF he is not,he probably wont have the requisite skills to make your expensive purchase worthwhile...this is what sets Projectiondreams apart from the crowd..we have these qualifications and can make your equipment perform to absolutely optimum.
There are other factors too...lets consider this..IF your projector image has to be composed of certain scientific criteria to adhere to defined standards by ISF..then it would figure that every projector once setup, would look exactly the same?
It should....kind of,,,but having the correct colour balance and greyscale is one thing..its how the projector presents that also influences the final picture...for example brightness levels differ from projector to projector ..projectors under 5k seldom produce more than 1,000 ansi lumens calibrated..(*and the calibrated figure is normally 50% of the manufacturer stated..) ...this is fine for screens upto a certain size..but for the really large screens you need more than this...for ambient light conditions you may need more...BUT..what holds a great picture in ambient light for example may look horrible in blackout conditions...
So matching is critical..you want...the right brightness projector + the right screen/screen gain material/correct throw ratio + angle of view calculations..this must be determined by the room size..
My aim is always to get close to d65,but using knowledge to *punch things up a tad* to achieve a better overall dynamic-this is part of Cinema 360 criteria..
Because D65 can look a tad muted,whites a little creamy..things a little too much towards red for me..
So,this D65 knowledge is but one step of the journey and not enough in my view on its own..consider it a fairly level playing field to start though..
For example,because I worked at ARRI,the company that supplied the 35mm cameras into the movie industry-i know exactly how the camera is setup to perform..how the movie lights are setup before they go to a film set..thats what the camera man shoots blockbusters like Star Wars and LOTR with..so i know what kit they are using to film the movies and they are not rigid to D65...there are some subtle differences which i cant reveal for obvious reasons..:-)
What none of us know is how the lighting is set up for that specific film shot...yet,most film makers attempt to capture what they see..reality..so there are certain things at Projectiondreams we consider in ensuring the projected image is as accurate as possible to what it is attempting to convey...
Ideally,one would have different picture presets for different sources because video output levels can differ..material can differ and so on...their are industry standards for hd and standard def..and they are different..colour range is greater in hd..and the standard is rec709..recommended..this may be an applicable level in all projectors IF this preset was accurate..so really,that should be determined...and i havent even begun to discuss gamma curve..again their is an ideal here..if this is wrong for the given projector things can look too washed out or too dark....
There is a limit to how much one should apply sharpness/detail controls...too much and everything is sharpened destroying sense of depth...too little and things can be defocused almost...dependant on the projector...and of course sense of depth can be greatly increased by CR (contrast ratio)..but most CR figures quoted by manufacturers are nonsense....
Contrast ratio is defined as the ratio of the luminance of the brightest color (white) to that of the darkest color (black) that the system is capable of producing. A high contrast ratio is a desired aspect of any display. It has similarities with dynamic range of course...
Many display devices favor the use of the full on/full off method of measurement, as it cancels out the effect of the room and results in an ideal ratio. Equal proportions of light reflect from the display to the room and back in both "black" and "white" measurements, as long as the room stays the same. This will inflate the light levels of both measurements proportionally, leaving the black to white luminance ratio unaffected.
Some manufacturers have gone as far as using different device parameters for the three tests, even further inflating the calculated contrast ratio. With DLP projectors, one method to do this is to enable the clear sector of the color filter wheel for the "on" part and disable it for the "off" part.. This practice is rather dubious, as it will be impossible to reproduce such contrast ratios with any useful image content.
Another measure is the ANSI contrast, in which the measurement is done with a checker board patterned test image where the black and white luminosity values are measured simultaneously. This is a more realistic measure of system capability, but includes the potential of including the effects of the room into the measurement, if the test is not performed in a room that is close to ideal.
It is useful to note that the full on/full off method effectively measures the dynamic contrast ratio of a display, while the ANSI contrast measures the static contrast ratio.
..Then of course there must be accurate shadow detail.. which is-surprise,surprise.. the amount of details in the shadows..so say for example your display/projector is setup incorrectly..you will not see all the details in the image which can also destroy the sense of depth of the image...
Now a company that does not understand this criteria..what is a great picture and how to achieve it..cannot do the following...
1..Suggest the correct projector for the room..(*For example ive seen many 30k Runcos installed over here on small screens which is utter madness as these Runcos are meant for huge screens and their premium is based on this ..i.e. their increased brightness...but as brightness goes up...CR performance goes down...so again,the ideal balance for that screen and room are critical lest you get a too bright image that will give you huge headaches and a poor black level perfromance..)
2..Get the optimum performance out of that projector.
At Projectiondreams..we will suggest the projector and sized screen that is right for that sized room taking the conditions into account and setup accordingly for your sources...
Its the exact same scenario for audio setup and acoustic preperations..again having a THX professional with Projectiondreams ensures that the same fastidiousness is applied to accurate solutions for the given area as video setup.
.
In other words,a 10,000 Euro amplifier wont sound 10 times better than a 1,000 Euro amplifier..a 20,000 Euro projector wont have a picture 4 times better than a 5,000 Euro projector..
For a lot more money kit will only offer a smidgen of improvement and that smidgen will need to be carefully brought out with a great setup.
..This is where it gets tricky for most,BECAUSE if you dont have a great understanding of setup and are not -at the very least-THX and ISF qualified,how could one know where something wasnt performing to optimum?
..And this has been the common thing on the Algarve for many years,people have been sold 30 grand projectors that perform no better than a 5 grand projector because the person thats sold it has not had the requisite skills to really eke out that extra bit of performance available that would justify its premium..
..It gets even more *complicated*,because the de facto picture standard for projectors is to setup to D65-as defined by ISF (Imaging Science Foundation)..this is defined criteria to ensure *the accurate science of the image*...
So,the bottom line is..the guy that installs/sets up your projector must at least.be ISF qualified to understand what he has to achieve by way of setup...
IF he is not,he probably wont have the requisite skills to make your expensive purchase worthwhile...this is what sets Projectiondreams apart from the crowd..we have these qualifications and can make your equipment perform to absolutely optimum.
There are other factors too...lets consider this..IF your projector image has to be composed of certain scientific criteria to adhere to defined standards by ISF..then it would figure that every projector once setup, would look exactly the same?
It should....kind of,,,but having the correct colour balance and greyscale is one thing..its how the projector presents that also influences the final picture...for example brightness levels differ from projector to projector ..projectors under 5k seldom produce more than 1,000 ansi lumens calibrated..(*and the calibrated figure is normally 50% of the manufacturer stated..) ...this is fine for screens upto a certain size..but for the really large screens you need more than this...for ambient light conditions you may need more...BUT..what holds a great picture in ambient light for example may look horrible in blackout conditions...
So matching is critical..you want...the right brightness projector + the right screen/screen gain material/correct throw ratio + angle of view calculations..this must be determined by the room size..
My aim is always to get close to d65,but using knowledge to *punch things up a tad* to achieve a better overall dynamic-this is part of Cinema 360 criteria..
Because D65 can look a tad muted,whites a little creamy..things a little too much towards red for me..
So,this D65 knowledge is but one step of the journey and not enough in my view on its own..consider it a fairly level playing field to start though..
For example,because I worked at ARRI,the company that supplied the 35mm cameras into the movie industry-i know exactly how the camera is setup to perform..how the movie lights are setup before they go to a film set..thats what the camera man shoots blockbusters like Star Wars and LOTR with..so i know what kit they are using to film the movies and they are not rigid to D65...there are some subtle differences which i cant reveal for obvious reasons..:-)
What none of us know is how the lighting is set up for that specific film shot...yet,most film makers attempt to capture what they see..reality..so there are certain things at Projectiondreams we consider in ensuring the projected image is as accurate as possible to what it is attempting to convey...
Ideally,one would have different picture presets for different sources because video output levels can differ..material can differ and so on...their are industry standards for hd and standard def..and they are different..colour range is greater in hd..and the standard is rec709..recommended..this may be an applicable level in all projectors IF this preset was accurate..so really,that should be determined...and i havent even begun to discuss gamma curve..again their is an ideal here..if this is wrong for the given projector things can look too washed out or too dark....
There is a limit to how much one should apply sharpness/detail controls...too much and everything is sharpened destroying sense of depth...too little and things can be defocused almost...dependant on the projector...and of course sense of depth can be greatly increased by CR (contrast ratio)..but most CR figures quoted by manufacturers are nonsense....
Contrast ratio is defined as the ratio of the luminance of the brightest color (white) to that of the darkest color (black) that the system is capable of producing. A high contrast ratio is a desired aspect of any display. It has similarities with dynamic range of course...
Many display devices favor the use of the full on/full off method of measurement, as it cancels out the effect of the room and results in an ideal ratio. Equal proportions of light reflect from the display to the room and back in both "black" and "white" measurements, as long as the room stays the same. This will inflate the light levels of both measurements proportionally, leaving the black to white luminance ratio unaffected.
Some manufacturers have gone as far as using different device parameters for the three tests, even further inflating the calculated contrast ratio. With DLP projectors, one method to do this is to enable the clear sector of the color filter wheel for the "on" part and disable it for the "off" part.. This practice is rather dubious, as it will be impossible to reproduce such contrast ratios with any useful image content.
Another measure is the ANSI contrast, in which the measurement is done with a checker board patterned test image where the black and white luminosity values are measured simultaneously. This is a more realistic measure of system capability, but includes the potential of including the effects of the room into the measurement, if the test is not performed in a room that is close to ideal.
It is useful to note that the full on/full off method effectively measures the dynamic contrast ratio of a display, while the ANSI contrast measures the static contrast ratio.
..Then of course there must be accurate shadow detail.. which is-surprise,surprise.. the amount of details in the shadows..so say for example your display/projector is setup incorrectly..you will not see all the details in the image which can also destroy the sense of depth of the image...
Now a company that does not understand this criteria..what is a great picture and how to achieve it..cannot do the following...
1..Suggest the correct projector for the room..(*For example ive seen many 30k Runcos installed over here on small screens which is utter madness as these Runcos are meant for huge screens and their premium is based on this ..i.e. their increased brightness...but as brightness goes up...CR performance goes down...so again,the ideal balance for that screen and room are critical lest you get a too bright image that will give you huge headaches and a poor black level perfromance..)
2..Get the optimum performance out of that projector.
At Projectiondreams..we will suggest the projector and sized screen that is right for that sized room taking the conditions into account and setup accordingly for your sources...
Its the exact same scenario for audio setup and acoustic preperations..again having a THX professional with Projectiondreams ensures that the same fastidiousness is applied to accurate solutions for the given area as video setup.
.
Tuesday 2 October 2012
DIRECTIONAL SOUND-SNAKE OIL?
First,let me state there is no such think as directional sound to the effect where you can sit in one area and only hear sound in that area and no where else (*unless you have complete sound proofing to studio standards around that area.)
Some speaker manufacturers advertise *directed sound* and imply that the sound only goes where its directed...and elsewhere you hear nothing-this is incorrect unless they have found a way to defeat the laws of psyhics.
For sound to be truly directional it would have to travel in straight lines and sound doesnt behave like that it travels in waves which spread according to the size and amount of speakers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directional_sound
So,,its snake oil I`m afraid..:-)
Some speaker manufacturers advertise *directed sound* and imply that the sound only goes where its directed...and elsewhere you hear nothing-this is incorrect unless they have found a way to defeat the laws of psyhics.
For sound to be truly directional it would have to travel in straight lines and sound doesnt behave like that it travels in waves which spread according to the size and amount of speakers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directional_sound
So,,its snake oil I`m afraid..:-)
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