HDcam or Bluray for projection?

[Chris Pickle]

Screening a feature at an upcoming festival. As I understand it, they have an HDcam (not HDcam SR) deck with analogue stereo out that they can send through a Dolby processor for 5.1 emulation.

But I'm fairly certain they can do Bluray with full 5.1

Now I know that the projector is everything, and I'm not sure what they have...

but I wonder what the quality difference would be between projecting HDcam or Bluray.

(I've been in post audio past few days and the true 5.1 sounds killer)

Anyone have some experience with this?

Thanks!

[Jay Gannon]

I'd check with them on the Bluray option as many festivals are very picky over submission criteria.

[Chris Pickle]

I'd check with them on the Bluray option as many festivals are very picky over submission criteria.

Word is that they use Bluray.

[Anson Fogel]

I have the same debate + currently, a film for outdoor fests - Banff will take D5 or HDCam, but not SR and no BluRay, so D5 it is. But then most other fests don't do D5, some BluRay, some HDCam, most not SR.

We showed a short on BluRay at a festival earlier this year where they also had an HDCam deck, and overall, BluRay was preferable - not only due to technical reasons with respect to formats, but because they had lots of BluRay submissions and almost no HDCam, and the projection folks put more time into making the BluRay films look and sound good.

The differences between HDCam well mastered and projected and BluRay well mastered and projected were not huge, but the audio difference was big (as you note, in favor of BR), and the cost and ease of use...no brainer.

[Jay Gannon]

Yep I'd agree with the above, if BluRay is there use it, but attempt to speak with the projectionist beforehand as if the majority is going to HDCAM and one ow two are going to be on BR the setup might not be as good as the HDCAM.

[Chris Pickle]

Thanks guys,

Yeah, I plan to be prepared with both and then hope to get into the booth well ahead of time and see what the projectionist thinks. If the bluray looked nearly as good, but had the 5.1... although I wonder what the stereo through emulation sounds like. Geuss I'll have to see. It becomes a trade-off between sound & picture.

[David Birdy]

We Premiered "Dale" the movie in Oven's auditorium in Charlotte 2006 using one SRW deck "single link" to a Christie projector. The movie looked fantastic!

The look on the screen is very much the effort of acquisition, colorizing, conversion and the final display or format.

If you shoot RED and use ProRes, burn to BRD and Play-out with a blue ray player and a good projector, your results should be very nice.

I would suggest you test the system before you make a final conclusion.

Once the Red Ray hits the streets you won't need that $92,000.00 SRW deck!

Dave

[Chris Pickle]

Is HDcam progressive?

[Cail Young]

What I don't get is why festivals (and more importantly festival venues) don't use Dolby E to provide 5.1 on HDCAM. TV stations do it all the time.

[Greg Huson]

Is HDcam progressive?

Either or. Some festivals specify 5994, and have strange rules, so be sure to check. Most of the festival submissions we've prepped are 23.98p