D-5 Studio Master Compared to D-VHS D-Theater Release
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#60 master pgs 26-48 3/30/02 1:45 PM Page 2 D-VHSD-VHS®® D-TheaterD-Theater™™ Universal’s “U-571” D-5 Studio Master Compared To D-VHS D-Theater Release Required Reading would be lost to a prerecorded tape com- petitor. That fear lessened over the years as When reviewing Editor-In-Chief Gary it appeared that the copy protection squab- Reber’s latest D-VHS® D-Theater® article, I bles, cumbersomeness of distribution, and could not help but ask myself the question double inventory in rental stores were insur- made famous by Jack Nicholson’s Joker in mountable. No more! That threat is made as the first Batman movie, “Where does he get alive today with D-VHS as the day it first all those wonderful toys?” But leaving my shook up the networks. drooling envy aside, I want to tell you that The attractiveness of it will overcome any this article cuts as clear a picture on the “cumbersomeness” and the double invento- immediate future of prerecorded HDTV pro- ry is already an acceptable fact of life with grams as you will likely ever have the pleas- DVDs leading. Innovators, like Reber, also ure to find. Once again, Gary’s passion for have new kinds of marketing outlets for such excellence has made a “must read” for all distribution, as you will also read about. The G ARY R EBER fans of the in-home motion picture experience. cost of consumer electronics is always Among those gathered around Gary's falling. It won't be long before these “won- “wonderful toys of WSR” were industry lead- derful toys” will be just as affordable as a ® ™ ers and a Universal Studios representative in quality DVD player is today. If this format D-VHS “D-Theater ” support of the JVC D-VHS D-Theater platform. wins big, even less. vs. D-5 Studio Master The feature event was a test between a pro- Another thing I learned from Gary’s piece Format Comparison fessional record/playback mastering system is that this paranoia on our part—the one —the D-5—and the D-VHS. “I think that D-VHS that believes the studios are unreasonable This article is a continuation of WSR’s is very close to the D-5 master. I just thought with maniacal demands made on debilitating exclusive in-depth reporting on the new D- it was incredible,” said one of the profes- copy protection systems is itself an exagger- VHS® D-Theater™ platform formally sionals you will meet in the following pages. ation. “From the studio’s perspective,” said announced by JVC (Victor Company of Like a bonus on a DVD, Gary’s let us in the representative from Universal Studios, Japan, Ltd.) on Thursday, January 31, 2002, on a candid conversation among these artic- “we are very happy about this. We’ve asked at the JVC D-ILA® Theater Zone in Beverly ulate professionals at WSR’s reference home for and gotten everything we need in rea- Hills, California. As previously reported, the theatre. Their comments are nothing short of sonable copy protection. And we are able to home entertainment divisions of four major enlightening. give people a good picture. We are able to Hollywood studios—Artisan Entertainment, I want to gush on about this article, but put our software out in the best possible way DreamWorks Home Entertainment, 20th the better thing I can do is to urge everyone to deliver it to your home, which is the best Century Fox Home Entertainment, and to read it from top to bottom, then pass it picture ever. I’m happy about it.” So am I. Universal Studios Home Video—have joined along to friends with the unalterable instruc- with JVC to support the new D-VHS D- tions to pass it on to two more, and those Dale Cripps, Publisher Theater software platform for high-definition likewise. Why? One of the original premises HDTV Magazine Widescreen Review’s HDTV Technical (HD) copy-protected prerecorded high-pro- that propelled broadcasters into the HDTV business was the threat that their audiences Contributing Editor file, high-value content. The support of these major content providers marks the next phase in the acceptance of HD as the several industry insiders who met on Monday, Fitzgerald, Vice President, Technical new standard for home entertainment and March 18, with our review staff and me at the Operations, who brought with him a digital television viewing. {Please see the 28-page WSR Reference Holosonic™ Home Theatre clone of the D-5 format studio master of U- coverage on this exciting new platform in Laboratory in Temecula, California (north of 571 to compare to the D-VHS D-Theater Widescreen Review Issue 59, April 2002.} San Diego and southeast of Los Angeles). release version using WSR’s state-of-the-art For our continuing coverage, I lined up Representing Universal Studios was Mike 9-inch CRT projection system. Representing 26 WIDESCREEN REVIEW • ISSUE 60 Page 1/12 #60 master pgs 26-48 3/30/02 1:46 PM Page 4 JVC was Takao Asayama, Vice President of New Business Development, JVC America Corp., and Pete Zeidler, JVC HM-DH30000U D-VHS® D-Theater™ HD VCR Director of Business Development, JVC will appreciate, we have always appraised Professional Products the 9-inch CRT projector as the “Cadillac” of Company. They projector technology, capable of resolving brought with them the the highest contrast, deepest blacks, and preproduction DLA- shadow delineation possible today, with full G150CL D-ILA® 1920 x 1080 progressive resolution capabili- JVC DLA-G150CL D-ILA® Projector CineLine Projector ty. While fixed-pixel display devices based that Managing Editor on D-ILA and DLP™ technologies have (For a comprehensive description of the Perry Sun and I saw improved dramatically over recent years, WSR Reference Holosonic Home Theatre demonstrated at the they are still no match for the high-resolution Laboratory, please see Issues 48 to 54 and d-cinema ShoWest capabilities inherent with 9-inch CRT projec- refer to the Reference System credits at the exhibition in early March, at Bally’s Hotel tors. In the WSR Holosonic Home Theatre, front of the magazine.) and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bob both a Runco DTV-1101 projector coupled The source machines used were the Rosser, President of Ultimate Entertainment, to a Runco VHD-4404 Ultra video processor Panasonic professional D-5 digital VCR a high-end custom home theatre installation and a Sony VPH-G90 coupled to a Faroudja ($75,000) and the JVC HM-DH30000U D- company based in Scotsdale, Arizona, and DVP-5000 were used in the comparison. VHS D-Theater digital VCR ($1,995). James Wellnitz, a co-founder with Bob and Primarily, we viewed the comparison pro- President of Accurate Imaging Technology jected by the Runco unit. The Runco and JVC’s DLA-G150CL (manufacturers of high-performance video Sony projectors are regarded as truly state- D-ILA Projector projectors and processors), brought the of-the-art, each costing in excess of professional D-5 digital VCR used as our $40,000. Projector switching between the The DLA-G150CL ($17,995) is a new D- source machine for two, as well as the JVC DLA-G150CL D-ILA ILA (Direct Drive Image Light Amplifier) pro- the A-B compari- projector, was accomplished with an Extron jector whose technology features a high- son. Both Bob and Matrix 128 HV/Crosspoint/Component density, reflective liquid crystal structure that James are industry Converter. The two 9-inch CRT projectors provides exceptional brightness, resolution, visionaries and high-end home theatre prac- are configured for rear-projection in a direct and color fidelity for big-screen projections. titioners who are well-known and respected no-mirror path projected onto a Stewart The DLA-G150CL incorporates three as industry leaders. WSR staff members Filmscreen 84-inch wide AeroView® 100 high-density 1.4 megapixel (1365 x 1024 present at this eye-popping event were screen with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (16:9). pixels) image reproduction devices. The Managing Editor Perry Sun, Film Review The AeroView 100 screen is fitted with projector is capable of a 600:1 contrast Editor Suzanne Hodges, Research Editor Stewart’s ElectriMask System, an electroni- ratio. Color temperature and brightness are and Staff Writer Michael Coate, and yours cally adjustable black felt masking system optimized with professional standard D65 truly. used to frame the picture’s aspect ratio (for gray scale reproduction and 1,000 ANSI This event represented the first time that example, 2.40:1). For D-ILA (and DLP) front Lumens at 6,500K a direct comparison of the D-5 studio mas- projection, the room is equipped with an 84- The DLA-G150CL in the direct compar- ter with the consumer release D-VHS D- inch-wide Stewart Grayhawk® ElectriScreen isons Perry and I witnessed at ShoWest Theater version was demonstrated to a System, which electronically lowers from rivaled the JVC professional d-cinema DLA- media publication. Except for Mike above in front of the AeroView. Audio was QX1G D-ILA projector ($225,000) when the Fitzgerald, no one at the event had previ- not a consideration in this particular com- DLA-G150CL’s image was projected on a ously experienced the comparison. For Bob parison, though the WSR Laboratory is 12-foot-wide section of the 40-foot-wide the- and James, it was their first exposure to a equipped with one of the finest multichannel atrical screen. The DLA-QX1G’s resolution D-VHS D-Theater prerecorded HD movie.