Aaron Rattner

This reply may be a bit late to help. The Cinevator can be fed a full range signal and not one that is limited to 100 IRE. It will also accept 16bit Tiffs as well as 10bit log and lin DPX files. If you do supply a tape or quicktime to a facility with a Cinevator be sure to let them know that the material is full range. The Cinevator requires new calibration LUTs to be built for each new film stock emulsion, color space and resolution.

One option coming hopefully soon will be the 4k upgrade to the Cinevator film recorder. Currently the Cinevator can record directly to 35mm print at 2K resolution with sound tracks. When the new 4K DLP chips are available, the Cinevator will be able to create a first generation print at 4k without resolution loss from the duplication and printing process. The difference between a 1st generation print and a print made from a negative is noticeable but not a dramatic difference for most viewers.

We have a Cinevator 5 film recorder at our facility in Santa Monica. The book rate for making a first generation print using the Direct to Print method for short format material is about $150 per running time minute. The cost is lower for feature length material. You will also need properly print mastered audio that is Dolby SR encoded. The quality of the print is excellent. It is limited to 2k but keep in mind there is no generation loss going from a negative to a print. Its a great solution if you only need a couple of prints. If you need five or more prints it becomes more efficient to do a traditional film out to negative. The Cinevator does that as well.