Alright.... I'll bite ETC....

[robartsd]

From a poster on the "everything stage lighting" facebook.

"So the official release of the ETC 4wrd is tomorrow, but here's a sneak peek I got today at a CITT event.
155W power usage, dimmable down to ~5% or direct DMX control which turns off dim-ability. (Electronics need a minimum voltage to operate hence the minimum dimming level)
..."

I think someone should develop a retrofit LED that modifies the dimming curve so that it has a smooth fade to black before the power is insufficient for to opperate the electronics. A profile on the control board or a curve in the dimmer could translate 1-100% control to 10-100% power and the fixture could translate 10-100% power to 1-100% light.

It will be interesting to hear shootout comparisions of a Source 4 with 4WRD to a Chavet Ovation ED. So far it looks like the Source 4 with 4WRD will be less expensive even if you have to buy a Source 4 new to retrofit.

 

[theatricalmatt]

Oh, I imagine within a month or three they'll have a S4WRD cap + fixture package available for sale. They might just be negotiating that price with vendors right now.

I wonder if, like the Lustr's, they'll be pushing EDLT fixtures. That seems to raise the price considerably. If I understand the situation correctly, the 'original' lenses are no longer protected by patent, but the EDLT tubes are, which might be why they're pushing them.

From what I see on the patent, it only has RJ45 inputs; somehow I think that means getting a lot of pin converters, rather than discovering all of the devices on a network. But I'll wait for more information from the manufacturer.

 

[sk8rsdad]

Be careful using a patent application in place of a design document. Patents are meant to secure the intellectual property and usually attempt to include all the obvious variants. Don't assume that the vendor is making that variant.

 

[Amiers]

@Pie4Weebl did you happen to get any close ups and cap off pictures?

 

[Pie4Weebl]

@Pie4Weebl did you happen to get any close ups and cap off pictures?

Not my photos, I just reposted them, I didn't see any others on the thread, I too am curious what the LED array looks like.

 

[ScottT]

Not my photos, I just reposted them, I didn't see any others on the thread, I too am curious what the LED array looks like.

On the version I saw, the array is identical to the one in the patent application.

 

[gafftaper]

NOTE: The side debate about Smartfade, Nomad, and low budget consoles was getting a bit out of control here and has been removed to it's own discussion thread here.

 

[Scenemaster60]

The first version of the spec sheet has been released. Here is a link to the ETC product page:
https://www.etcconnect.com/S4WRD/

Also, according to FB, my Twin Cities colleagues Bill Healey and Marcus Dillard are doing a shoot-out at the University of MN as I type this!

 

[Thetechmanmac]

Also, according to FB, my Twin Cities colleagues Bill Healey and Marcus Dillard are doing a shoot-out at the University of MN as I type this!

I will be very interested to see how S4WRD compares to tungsten. If it's at the right price, ths could really beneficial for a lot of venues with a high number of conventionals.

 

[MNicolai]

I'm curious if you do a hybrid setup where some fixtures are dimmed via AC dimming and some are dimmed via DMX how the dimming curves compare.

 

[Scenemaster60]

OK, here are the pics that got posted from the "shoot-out".
The left half is a traditional HPL 575 watt/115 volt/X (long-life) lamp, color temp 3050k
The right half is the S4WRD, 155 watts, color temp 3000k, CRI 80
ECT is giving an introductory list price of $599.

 

[zwolf59661]

This could also be a viable solution for venues with older systems. Like one venue I've been to, which didn't have a dedicated dimming panel, just a number of circuit breakers feeding into a bunch of 4-channel dimmer packs. Kept blowing fuses all through rehearsal, and had to station one of the tech crew backstage next to the panel in case something tripped during the show.

 

[RickR]

The retrofit is rated at 30,000 hours. If you pay .12/KWH you will save $558 in power over it's life. Other savings exist; HVAC, lamps, labor, (maybe) dimmers, etc.

They recommend 2 units per D20 in AC mode due to a 30A inrush. Also they approve using dimmers set to full if regulation is turned off. Important to know!

 

[Thetechmanmac]

Where's the DMX in on the unit? I think its RJ45 in/thru. I guess ETC will supply a RJ45 to DMX male/female?

OK, here are the pics that got posted from the "shoot-out".
The left half is a traditional HPL 575 watt/115 volt/X (long-life) lamp, color temp 3050k
The right half is the S4WRD, 155 watts, color temp 3000k, CRI 80
ECT is giving an introductory list price of $599.
View attachment 12877 View attachment 12878 View attachment 12879 View attachment 12880 View attachment 12881 View attachment 12882 View attachment 12883

That's actually a lot closer than I thought it would be. Especially with color in it. Just not quite as bright as a true S4. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Robert]

http://www.etcconnect.com/S4WRD/

 

[theatricalmatt]

I knew something was throwing me off in the pictures -- no more brass knurled knob!

 

[Thetechmanmac]

Is there any way to get a demo unit?

 

[Jim Uphoff]

The retrofit is rated at 30,000 hours. If you pay .12/KWH you will save $558 in power over it's life. Other savings exist; HVAC, lamps, labor, (maybe) dimmers, etc.

They recommend 2 units per D20 in AC mode due to a 30A inrush. Also they approve using dimmers set to full if regulation is turned off. Important to know!

Just to be clear, the reason we recommend 2 units per D20 is for dimming performance. More than 2 may cause the dimmer to misfire. If you are just powering them off of a D20 in switched mode and dimming with DMX, you can put 14 on a circuit.

 

[SteveB]

Where's the DMX in on the unit? I think its RJ45 in/thru. I guess ETC will supply a RJ45 to DMX male/female?



That's actually a lot closer than I thought it would be. Especially with color in it. Just not quite as bright as a true S4. Thanks for sharing!

Maybe it's me, but the LED has a color that looks like an Altman 360 with a 500w T12 lamp

 

[sk8rsdad]

It is very difficult to see the actual colour is from any picture. The CCD in whatever device was used to take the picture does not react the same way as an eyeball.