Thoughts on Dying of Light article in recent Cinema Technology Magazine

Thanks to Peter Knight, Graham Lodge and Mark Foreman for their article Dying of the Light article in this months Cinema Technology Magazine. They have expertly examined the factors that contribute to the death of digital cinema projectors.  While this was an exhaustive examination, the article didn't address one key action that can extend the life of Series 1 and Series 2 projectors.

Upgrading Xenon based digital cinema projectors with RGB laser light sources can extend the life of older projectors. There are several ways that RGB laser light source upgrades can extend a projectors life:

• The article address Xenon lamp heat and it's effect on optics- specifically the reflector. The article reminds us of a test conducted by Mike Bradbury at Odeon performed where a reflector can loose 25% of it's selectivity over time. Upgrading a cinema projector with a RGB laser light sources eliminates this problem by eliminating the reflector.
• The heat from the Xenon lamp can also cause heating in the electronics. A good electronics engineer can tell you how high heat environments cause electronics to age faster. Lower temperature environments always help electronics last longer. Some RGB laser projection upgrades (like Power Technology's Illumina laser light source) relocate the light source completely from the projector. By doing so, the heat associated with the light source is also completely removed from the projector. As a result the projector runs cooler and the electronics last longer. Even IF the laser light source was located inside the projector, the heat inside the projector would be drastically reduced by 50%. Quite simply, the laser light source produces the same number of lumens by using half the amount of electricity.
• The magazine article touches on ventilation. As a by-product of the lasers more efficient light generation, there will be less heat to ventilate. This means reducing the ventilation demands on the building which can lead to additional electrical savings.
• Accumulated projector operating time is addressed in the article - The number of operating hours accumulated by a Digital Cinema projector leads to the greatest opportunity for savings. As exhibitors know electricity and bulb cost are two of the highest operating cost for a theater. If you don’t know how RGB laser projection can eliminate or reduce the expenses, contact me and I will perform a free analysis for you. You will have a printable report to share with your team members that calculates the savings that an RGB laser light source upgrade can generate.
• Maintaining projectors by swapping circuit boards and other parts is a necessary reality when supporting series 1 projector. Swapping the RGB laser light source from one projector is an advantage should a projector finally reach the end of its life. This ability to transfer your investment in technology is a great way to future proof the investment in a laser based light source. In addition, the new and old projector can even be different brands or models of projectors. The RGB laser light source upgrade works with all four major brands of cinema projectors.

The benefit of RGB Laser projection is especially valuable to Series 1 projectors that need to be "nursed" along.

I have recently become aware of one other way to extend the lifetime of Series 1 projectors. Power Technology is partnering with DigiCine at CinemaCon 2018 to demonstrate two technologies that extend the life of Series 1 and Series 2 Projectors. DigiCine makes media servers that specifically addresses the media players found in older Series 1 projectors. Many of those media players will be rendered obsolete once new SMPTE standards go into effect. Exhibitors might choose to upgrade both the media server and the light source at the same time to reduce downtime and upgrade cost.  

Anyone interested in knowing more about RGB Laser Projection can contact me directly or visit our Demo at CinemaCon 2018. There will be hourly showings of Warner Brothers content in the Sorrento Room right across from the NEC and Christie demonstration suites (in Milano Rooms).