Barco Thor 4K 6P Residential Laser Projector the best in the World?

[MrPixels]

Nice to see Barcos speedy response time addressing the needed updates on a early product launch. It is obvious Mayers contribution is appreciated by Barco. Great teamwork and fun watching the product come together.
Thumbs up to Barco for being the first to deliver HDMI 2.0 for alternative content in a cinema product.

[MrPixels]

Nice to see Barcos speedy response time addressing the needed updates on a early product launch. It is obvious Mayers contribution is appreciated by Barco. Great teamwork and fun watching the product come together.
Thumbs up to Barco for being the first to deliver HDMI 2.0 for alternative content in a cinema product.

[w.mayer]

Tonight I found that the reported gamma adjustment was "only" for HDR UHD Material missing.

For full HD STB Broadcast as well 2D BD and 3D BD there was a new gamma adjustment that comes with the Software update from yesterday and this works perfect.
So even if you not have the Post Software on you can now adjust Gamma.

This is can be very helpfull as you can now select the value that fit to your projection room how dark it is and how you like it.
So only for HDR sources UHD this is still missing.

[w.mayer]

I have test the last few days 3 different 4K Video Cams with the Barco Thor Projector.

The 3.5 year old Sony AX1 the first Consumer 4K Cam that can record 4K at 60P.
The new Panasonic GH5 the first Picture Camera that can record 4K at 60P that just arrive some weeks ago.
And the big new Professional Sony FS7II that can also record 4K 60 in DCI Format and almost Rec. 2020 color with many other formats.
See Picture that show the size difference.

It was a big surprise as I have post already how good the picture from the 3.5 years old Sony AX1 perform with the Barco Thor Projector.
95% of the UHD Disc are show a less good picture than this old 4K Cam!

Now the new Panasonic GH5 beats picture quality wise the Sony AX1 as the GH5 have an almost 8 times bigger sensor (16:9 area) and there are almost 4 years between this cameras!

A surprise was that the big Sony Professional PXW FS7II perform not better than the GH5 in “how I use it”!
You must know that I cannot playback any of the formats that this camera record with the Oppo UHD Player like with the Sony AX1 MP4 files and the GH5 MP4 Files.

I can only use the HDMI Output from the Sony FS7II  that output 4K at 60 in likely 4:2:0  8 bit.
But this shows a very similar picture to the GH5 and beside handling for sample AF that works not very nice with the GH5 and Zoom (the GH5 have not any electrical zoom at all) the FS7II not show any advantage as how I can use them!
And all this is without talking about the weight price and sizes difference this 2 cameras have!
For sure the Sony FS7II will perform very good when you use this camera as they normally user use it to record in DCI and going to the post production and create a DCI Content with it.
But in my case I do not like to do this.
I prefer an easy playback solution and the Panasonic GH5 give me this see picture number 2.
Just plug the SD Card via a USB SD Card Reader to the Oppo UHD Player and playback the MP4 Files in 4K 60P 4:2:0 at about 150MB.

This give you a picture that beats 98% of all 4K UHD Disc!
And even more if you not need to record in 4K 60P and 30P is enough for you the camera can record AND store it in 4:2:2 10 bit at the SD Card!
I hear that it should be also possible to record the HDMI Output in 4K 60P in 4:2:2 in 10 bit via a separate recorder but I will not do it as the Oppo cannot playback such recordings.

The Leica Lens 12-60mm that comes together with the GH5 (full frame sensor 24-120mm) perform outstanding and the price for a lens like this if often more expensive than this whole
GH5 with the Leica Lens together!
I play 2600 Euro and that’s very cheap for what you get for it.


Record now with the Panasonic GH5 your kids growing or some other important moments as you can capture it easy cheap in an outstanding picture quality that 95% of all Hollywood UHD Disc so far not have.
Times is running fast do it now as this time will never come back.

So the Panasonic GH5 is an absolute insider tip to shot very high quality 4K 60P content and on top it shot also nice pictures.

[w.mayer]

The issue I report about the 18 meter long optical HDMI Cable that are not working with the Barco Thor Projector when you feed 4K UHD is not a Barco issue.

The manufacturer of the cable confirm today that they will upgrade this cable later this year.
Why this cable are working with other 4K Projectors was not 100% clear for me but good news was it was not the Barco that is wrong.

I try to find out if there is only both end pieces that have to be changed as they contains the electronic.
The fiber cable is already be laid to the walls and tubes and it will be a easy thing to just change the end pieces.

[w.mayer]

I got Info from Barco that I will get a new Software that contains some of the HDR Adjustments and also very likely parts or the full Auto HDR functions in 2 to 3 weeks from now.

Later today I will show this Projector to a Cinema Owner from US.
Lets see what he will say.....

[MrPixels]

Later today I will show this Projector to a Cinema Owner from US.
Lets see what he will say.....
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Sounds like a fun day, I am sure they will like what they see

[w.mayer]

Ray Hallett and his wife our good best friend from US just leave us today after they are joining a private event we had here in Germany over the last few days.

He is one of the very few Cinema Owners I know worldwide that “really” taking care about picture and sound quality in his cinemas and he is very technically.
http://www.hallettcinemas.com/
He told me that he had with his 57 Barco DLP Projectors that he have since over 5 years (15 double Stack 3D Setups) not one single issue with one of the Barco Projectors!

We saw 3 movies during his stay.
Two older 2D BD Movies in HD and 1 UHD Title in 4K HDR Rec. 2020 call "Lucy".

Both normally BDs in HD looks thanks to the high cr. (ansi cr. and on off cr.) and the sharp optic the Barco Thor Projector have very good.

Top was the movie "Lucy" in 4K UHD with HDR and Rec. 2020.
That looks like looking out to a glass window he told me after!

Last was the 10 still pictures in 4K 3D.
This pictures looks to him unbelievable.

I was glad that I can show him this finish setup finally as he was last June 2016 here with us but this time I just find out some days before that we can’t bring the Projector down the stairs and therefore we cannot setup the Projector at all.

But good was that he saw the final version with the high ansi cr. and the high on off cr. together with the new Alchemy input module and the latest Software.

[donaldk]

Is he considering upgrading one of his screens with an Barco HC DCi projector, now he has seen your Thor?

[w.mayer]

For sure he will consider how he can improve picture quality in the future but this is nothing that will be discuss public I think.

[donaldk]

Just wondering if commercial operators see sense in going with the premium HC projectors. For commercial operators commercial reasons drive decisions, not just the pure image and sound quality. The theater section, where one would expect the story on the capabilities and features, equipment used for each theater to be told, on his company's website, is still empty. So I have no clue what kind of Barco's he using at the moment. I am sure it is (way) better than average, looks like a small chain with an interested owner/operator, that cares for the exhibition quality. Taking the time and exerting the effort to go visit the state of the art demo, alone is proof of that.

[w.mayer]

I got new Thor Alchemy Plus Software today.

With it it is now possible to playback 4K 60P content in "4:2:0" that was before not possible at all.
So all consumer 4K 60P Cams like the Sony AX1 or the new Panasonic GH5 can playback the content now direct from the camera by using there internal 4K 60P HDMI output.

Next Software will be likely to add some functions about to adjust near black level in 4K HDR content and
also for all other content.

Not sure Art will see this when he visit me next week as this will likely need some days more but lets see.

[donaldk]

Wolfgang what 4K 'broadcast' sources do you have? You mentioned Sky Deutschland, any of the other (demo) channels on satellite, or cable? Is Sky offering only doing a number of Bundes Liga matches in 4K or has it started broadcasting movies and series in 4K, by now? Last year it said it would expands its offering this year, but I have no insight to current schedule. As broadcast and streaming sources are all 4:2:0.

[w.mayer]

Sky Satellite.

Yes main event was one time a week a Bundesliga soccer game + some Champions League games.
Most looks very nice with a big quality plus compare to there bad HD broadcast.
But I prefer to see movies on UHD 4K Disc so I not use Sky 4K many times.
So far I know all is in 4:2:0.
Since it was now easy to watch direct from the hdmi out from my cameras 4k 60p I will do this more often.
150MB 4K 60P content even if it was only in Rec. 709 looks very nice and as i say often better than a medium good 4K UHD Disc!

[w.mayer]

Good News!

There was not any HDMI Cable longer than 10 Meter that works with UHD 4K Disc in HDR Rec.2020 24P AND 60P.

I have try in the past a fiber wire cable 18 meters but it not works together with the Barco Thor and the new Alchemy Plus.

Now I found a new one 30 meters long with no USB Power supply at both ends only the normally HDMI Connector and it works without any problems even with 4K UHD Disc in HDR Rec.2020 in 24 AND 60P!

This 30 meters should cover 99.99% of all setups and looks like a perfect solution.

I will test this cable after Art was here with his Family a bit more in details over the next days and if this test runs well I will post here the details of this cable.