Video of new Pluto II direct vs standard Pluto II

[buffo]

Hey everyone;

Even though I still feel like crap (still fighting the cold that never seems to end), I did finally get some time to run two of my Pluto II projectors side-by-side to do some color tests.

In the end, I decided that the best way to show the difference between the new green (520 nm) and the new blue (462 nm) vs the old green (532 nm) and the old blue (445 nm) was to adjust the color palette in software so both projectors looked as close as possible, and then run the same show on each one at the same time. So that's what I did. Here's the result:



The video starts with some static frames first, and then the "gradient-moby" beam show from Pangolin's LD-2000 plays. The new projector is on top, and the old one is on bottom.

Unfortunately, the video camera didn't work out as well as I had hoped, but if you look closely you should be able to spot the difference. Personally, I think the new green is easier to spot, but the lighter blue is also apparent, even though at times the camera makes it look like the darker blue is on top. (It's not, it's just an artifact of over-exposure.)

In person, the two shows looked very similar. I don't think your average audience member would pick up on it unless they were displayed right on top of each other like they were in the video.

Adam

[AnthonyGarcia]

Hey everyone;

Even though I still feel like crap (still fighting the cold that never seems to end)

Pretty sure It took me two months to get over my Coachella Cough

[buffo]

Well, if I had been to a spectacle like Coachella, I wouldn't mind suffering through the cough so much! (Looks like a fun way to spend a couple weeks.)

But I caught this bug through the course of my every-day work, and it's been kicking my ass ever since. (Going on 3 weeks now.) Ugh...

Adam

[Bradfo69]

How about secondary and tertiary colors? I know video doesn't pick things up very well but yes, the difference in the green is quite evident. I'm wondering more about how oranges, fuschias, aquas tend to look from a side by side beam perspective. There is already some variation in my existing RGB Pluto's which drives me a little batty so If I mixed these with those, am I back to square one with a hodgepodge SELEM look?

[buffo]

If you adjust the color palette correctly, you can get the two of them (old and new) to look very close, but there will always be a difference that a trained eye will be able to spot. If you are really picky about color, you will be able to see it.

That being said, I think I prefer the colors of the new direct projector to the old one, especially for graphics work. The blue and the green just look more natural to me. As for the blends, they also look better in my opinion.

I will admit though that the older Pluto II's are capable of producing a much better white. That 445 nm blue makes for a very cool, very bright white. The newer projectors just can't hit that ice-white. (Or at least, I've been unable to re-create it so far. I might need to spend more time in the palette wizard, but I've run through it twice already and I still can't get there.)

In the end, I think I'll use my older Pluto's for beam work, and the new ones for graphics.

Adam

[drm916]

That's very encouraging. I was afraid the new all diode projectors would not have tight enough beams for graphics. Looks like the optics are doing a good job of taming them.

[edison]

That's very encouraging. I was afraid the new all diode projectors would not have tight enough beams for graphics. Looks like the optics are doing a good job of taming them

It depends on what you view is on "thight". Everything above 1mrd is not "thight". For beamshows a 1.2 mrd or 1.5 mrd beam is fine but for graphics it not that great. If you drove an old beetle for years then you probably think thats its great but wait until you do a testdrive in a mercedes. I,m used to single modes and for me that is the way to go for graphics. Besides the lower the mrd the higher the brightness but unfortunally the average guy doesn,t even know what divergence is or what the difference is between 650 and 637nm. 95% buys a projector as a toy to show off to their friends and don,t use it as a professional tool where it needs to work under all circumstances. Just the reallity how things are these days in the low end market. Single mode is the way to go since that will give the lowest divergence , the higest brightness and the best graphics

[drm916]

fair enough. But this is the first I have really heard of people wanting to use these multimode direct diodes as graphics. So I am hopeful that means things are getting better and can result in smaller projectors with bigger power.

[carlos3621]

any chance of getting a 520 vs 532 beam shot?
so as to get an idea of brightness comparison?

thx,
carlos

[buffo]

I should be able to fog up the living room tomorrow and get a couple pics. I'll post them here.

Adam