Technical support group meeting at Barco, Kuurne, Belgium on 19 th February 2013

Transcription

1 Technical support group meeting at Barco, Kuurne, Belgium on 19 th February 2013 The meeting chaired by Peter Wilson. Thank you to Barco our hosts. All attendees presented themselves to the group and completed an list. These notes were kindly captured by Barco. The meeting was particularly rewarding with great contributions from all the attendees. Although rather long and detailed I think the information contained within these notes is too valuable to just briefly summarise. Meeting At a previous EDCF Board meeting while discussing future technologies Gerald Buckle Head of Digital at Odeon suggested it might be a good idea to fix current issues before moving on. I asked Gerald to send me a list of the top five technical issues that affect Odeon and he did. Odeon top 5 issues are all coincidentally listed on previous meeting report. Of course they are common issues to most operators. Brightness on screen lamp costs/performance (particularly with 3D) HFR requirements - where is this going in the medium term? Alternative content - consistent approach to delivery DCP delivery options Alternative content (delivery): Open discussion Many people are packaging small movies into DCP s but many of these DCP s exhibit poor compatibility. This is partly because although standardized, the packaging process has been tweaked to solve problems in the field and unless the packaging software provider is in the

2 centre of the business they may not follow the updates to the process. Live events: Live events are often not made for cinema (but TV). The sound mixed for a 5.1 Broadcast will not be compatible for the cinema as the channels are not used in exactly the same way. Ideally if there is budget available there should be a second sound mixer and desk for the cinema distribution. Low cost set top boxes have On Screen Displays which become visible to the patrons if adjustments of settings need to be changed during the show. Low cost set top boxes have poor frame rate compatibility so the feeds need to be standards converted at the send end or uplink if the program originates on a 60Hz continent. Discussion: Comment from Stuart Bolt: The reliability of consumer hardware is indeed low. We converted to Landsat; reliability is important since the chain is running 80 screens. There are 2 dishes on the roof (self-owned and different from Arqiva). The business model behind it varies: pure content, or also full service (guarantee full quality of live content, through the chain)? DCP delivery typically is excluded and is a different service than guaranteeing perfect live content. PW Note: There has been for the last fifteen years a move towards a file based tapeless presentation evolution in TV, this was started by On-digital in the UK. Although the original implementation worked well this technology can lead to artifacts such as flashes and glitches. The BBC alone has spent close to 100M trying to get this right and still has lost service. How does it work inside cinema: You have dishes and decoders, do you use IP-based (can lead to collisions with other content/actions), or dedicated connectivity? Mixing live events and DCP delivery needs careful planning to stop them interfering with each other. TV is typically interlaced or segmented scan; this typically requires external box between the Set Top Box and the projectors. How do you manage different formats locally? E.G. 3D drama can be re-used in cinema: but currently using 1080i converted to 720p side-by-side at 60 Frames per second leads

3 to the quality degrading too much by the time it gets to cinema. This can be solved with appropriate investment from the hardware manufacturers. Rugby has worked (commercially), but the quality wasn t up to expectations Olympics showed improvements. Next step will be commercial models for exhibitors. BluRay3D uses 2D+ encoders; same quality as 2D but not available in Set Top Boxes. What about new standards that enable high-quality content over IP? The cost/business case is 1 st priority, exhibitors have just invested a lot in digital equipment. PW: In house expertise is not always present to work with IP-based content/connectivity. EG: The Siemens and BBC collaboration on trying to merge IP/Broadcast was very painful and costly. Different priorities, backgrounds, expertise, etc. What about screening on multiple screens? Kramer can split to 2 screens (over CAT6); more is currently not possible. (CAT6 is computer network cable) Total systems limits (switches, connections, ) are important to take into account Isochronous data streams (guaranteed data availability, not statistics) can fix bottlenecks but is hated by IT as it wrecks the statistics. Limitations in IT throughput can lead to freeze frames. The Doremi Live Event player specification supports 4 screens. JPEG2000 is not feasible for live distribution, the compression factor is too low. Similar for online content: Online is based on best-effort and statistics. If too many users are on the network best effort may not be good enough. Broadcast television and cinema are based on constant capability. Belgium has Digital TV over IP network: 9MBps is OK for MPEG, JPEG2000 would need many times the data rate. There are US examples where classic movies are delivered with MPEG compression but this is only accepted for the back catalog of some studios and the data rate used is far higher than Broadcast. Bulgaria has 100MBps available in some regions but this is still not enough for JPEG2000; good enough for HD 60fps. Still need complete facility to guarantee 100MBps constantly.

4 Are cinemas willing to invest in dedicated setup, or comply to existing standards? It will all depend on the business case. Putting new/dedicated fiber in can be very expensive. Scandinavia has fiber network being deployed: DCP distribution will become possible. Germany/UK is much more scattered: only big cities have the bandwidth available where its needed. Hybrid solutions will co-exist for some time. Norway and Holland have network delivery in place: during quiet times. Sweden also has an extensive network in place. Small cinema solutions: New, smaller, affordable projectors are available. Combined with an IMB the package is better and cheaper but still too high for some. A two-tiered distribution will co-exist. The problem with HD based systems is that no color-calibration/standardisation exists. Content availability for village hall cinemas? If there s an audience, it will work. Some audiences don t expect DCI quality. Cinematographers won t accept an un-calibrated chain. This does not change when or if the content is not recent. Significant changes to the story can happen; it s not just the details. A possible workaround could be shutting down local user controls. Prevent changes by untrained staff. Travelling cinemas in France have a 30 setup time typically. Not an issue if the projectionist cannot un-calibrate an ISO-compatible setup. Can EDCF support this area with, for example, a calibration and installation guideline? If it s too difficult, it will not be followed. It s also not always allowed to check and enforce certain configurations (CNC has rules in France) There are examples of Rec709 colour space projectors available at ~$9k and ~3000 lumens. Are these feasible for the smallest screens? It s wider than just the projector/equipment, there is a need to leverage the full business case: eg: local advertising. Some small cinemas don t want to become too commercial. If small cinema is compared with the (high-end) home cinema market there also calibration is made. Budgets are different: installers and technicians are an integral part of the system.

5 How to measure color in installations? A System from Doremi exists, as well as new product by CJ Flynn. EDCF could support with a FAQ / selection guide: how to choose correct equipment, how to install with test patterns etc. Community cinema could have a need to be more flexible than DCI: not just movies, also events, presentations, pictures. Automated KDM delivery: PW: A KDM naming bug was recently released by a projector manufacturer, problem to be fixed shortly. Saul, Disney: We are fully automated in the bookings and generation system, which is a rarity. After that it s , 2 systems with direct delivery. There s Unique s system used by Odeon. Over 100K keys a month across Europe, only a handful of issues. We do want to look for more direct feeds, ultimately the way to go. PW: Fox is apparently unhappy about internet distribution of keys though it may be impossible to avoid. The number of DCP s shipped from Deluxe Burbank is huge. BW: Parts of Europe are still lacking broadband Who s involved with a NOC? 20% of cinema s not connected to NOC? Germany is behind, due to politics, a faction wanted to buy cheaper equipment. The structure in Germany is very stratified? TB: We have big groups in Germany with 40-50% large chains Saul: The more the system is networked, the more automatic. Key retrieval would be great, seems like natural next phase, but a fair old way down the line BW: Are you looking at doing this? CPL goes and gets the key, are you looking at that? Saul: Putting the Key URl in the CPL makes perfect sense, either way you need connectivity. PW: ISDCF looking at standardized directory structure (vs xml packing list) -> simplify. Sony recently changed policy to mandatory validation of package as requested by the compliance test plan temporarily resulting in a lot of black screens due to operator unfamiliarity with the updated procedure. PW: Trusted Device List: No agreement, Is the TDL in France not working very well?

6 BW: who s going to collect the data? Deluxe and Technicolor have databases Saul: Disney s TDL is maintained and updated from the deployment data. Beyond an automated feed, there is not a lot of manual work. TB: Sending an to 30 people at posthouses to get information is crazy. There is a need for a European wide TDL. PW: who pays, it is more expensive than you think GTNB: 2 or 3 people could do it for all of Europe, now a lot of duplication and a lot more people are working on it. Nordisk Film: There is a lot of gatekeeping, some laws make it more difficult as well, you can t privatize that information Saul: The system has to be open GTNB: If its ed to one mailing list who distributes? BW: One address, Deluxe would do this, forward to all s registered. We need some way of doing it. We ve put it into servers with FMLX, but we need something else, maybe the studio s can operate the system. PW: There are IT management issues. Saul: automation of communication between key generation and servers PW: European TDL, if you add US or China you also have time-zone issues BW: So it needs to be regional? PW: Don t confuse 1 system with territories Angelo: How do we check the physical container is ok? There are a lot of problems, this is very important. How as EDCF can we be sure WYSIWYG? Which procedures, guidelines, tools? DCP Test Tool? Server companies: When I do the ingest and run the movie 10 or 5 seconds after logo, and if I ingest another logo before I want to edit start points in the list so I can run smoothly from one to the other. BW: Are you talking about intermissions? A: Yes

7 I want preview from the server? In if I am in trouble with some projection, how do I diagnose? PW: It comes back to the same issue as the low cost set top box, the projectionist should not need to look through window to see what box on screen display says. BW: Intermission. Doremi is bringing intermission programming to servers, it is much demanded and it will be included in the next version of Software. This feature needs to be validated with VPF entities: what is (un)acceptable? Frame-rate switching glitches when switching 24fps/HFR: It was not allowed to package 24fps in the HFR container with Hobbit to avoid visible artifacts (by Warner; was approved by Park Road). What about switching frame rate within a movie? Imago (Kommer) is supporting it, supported by packaging in the max frame-rate the movie uses. PW: The Hobbit: I watched the Hobbit twice and noted double edges on single DLP projection; side-by-side smaller PJ s for 3D could solve this: one for 2D; two for 3D.SXRD has time synchronous projection so doesn t suffer from this motion distortion. Barco presentation Barco arranged for us lunch followed by an Auro Sound System demonstration. The system is very impressive although there seem to be issues with standardisation to solve with new competing audio systems. Supplementary questions arising: Is there a way for automated flat/scope lens switching? Currently not: has to be foreseen in the projector macros. Should be foreseen via metadata, but is not available today. What is impact of motorization on lens/projector cost? Expected to be small. Screen brightness & performance PW saw a comparison of Xenon verses mercury; no visible difference even though 2.5kW verses 2x450W UHP. Is UHP truly a more efficient setup? Barco have no plans to deploy UHP. Lamp disposal of mercury lamps should not be different than home lamps (and CCFL in backlights).

8 UHP lamps in DC projectors have dedicated reflector to reach DCI gamut Lifetime UHP 450 is 2000hrs: Sony is negotiating with lamp manufacturer to have the same warranty conditions as Xenon. Lamp dimming (20% UHP) is an important argument when switching 2D/3D. It Is somewhat covered by a shutter system for dimming; Sony is working on solution to switch off some lamps (6 down to 2). Every UHP lamp fills the fly-eye integrator; so you only need to replace 1 lamp at a time. Any expected higher color shift of mercury lamp technology is not noticed by Sony. Lamp purchase price Xenon vs UHP is similar. There is a need for even smaller lamps; for the smallest screen. 1.2kW is too much for some screens. 35mm went down to 500W. 800W Xenon for digital is coming this year. Laser will only impact biggest screens (and might help bring down lamp cost). It will take some years before mass deployment starts. Saul Disney: Lasers are interesting for studios for premieres we are today spending a lot on upgrading screens and bringing in extra equipment to reach he higher light levels expected there. Could the small number of premiere screens justify early Laser Illumination? Barco would be ready to provide specialist laser based equipment for cinemas that regularly host premieres if studios would co fund the investment. Kommer: Laser for cinematographers is extra interesting to get to brighter 3D. 3D Is currently underspecified and projected: cinematographers find 4fL far too low. Laser and higher brightness could help break chicken & egg problem: content creators will start producing more 3D if high quality images are available/guaranteed. 3D audio & standardization What is the difference for the exhibitor? What kind of package does he receive and what else does he need to do? For Auro: No extra settings are needed. DCP package also does not grow: existing bits are reused.

9 Link this with Interop verses SMPTE DCP packages: SMPTE audio-rerouting depends on correct wiring diagrams. Audio Systems could re-configure on the fly in theory. An urgent approach to standardisation is necessary to minimize the disruption caused by competing systems. Berlinale presentation Some Issues with DCP data rates exceeding 250MBps. No root cause identified (yet) Many other random issues with DCPs PW: An excellent presentation was made on the issues at the Berlinale. I have asked for permission to circulate this and I am currently waiting for an answer. HFR: The SMPTE study group on HFR has test production planning and compression testing on the agenda. Agreement on which speeds are needed and additional frame-rates for cinema: 96fps, 100fps and 120fps latest additions. 72fps, as proposed by DCI, has been dropped. In general, issues remain with adopting European frame rates in some available equipment. Peter Wilson30/04/2013 Attendees Angelo D'Alessio Cam Kommer Kleijn IMAGO Morten Lynge Nordisk Film Thomas Casperson Nordisk Film Jean-phillipe Jacquemin Barco Tom Bert Barco Tim Sinnaeve Barco Radoslav Markov Camera Ltd Michiro Tobita Sony Gavin Nichol Real-D

10 Stuart Dyke Cineworld Saul Mahoney Disney Brent Watson Doremi Ove Sander Berlinale Tammo Buhren Zweib Thomas Ruettger ECCO Jimmy Deridder Barco Goran Stomenovik Barco Theodore Marescaux Barco