Z216-F & Z1458-F : Compare and Contrast in 500 words or less...

They are compatible parts, and one can be swapped for the other without any problem.  The 75LBC182 is somewhat more resistant to damage from electro-static discharge (note: this doesn't mean lightning, just the sort of ESD you get from mishandling things).  It also has a limited slew-rate (basically how quickly it can change from a 1 to a 0) which helps make it somewhat more tolerant of poor wiring and improper termination.

A quick search shows the 75LBC182 used in Smartpacks, Smartbar, Smartswitch, Smartfade ML, Ion, Gateways, CEM+, and the new Paradigm and Smartlink processors.  It would appear as though the plan is to roll it in to new products, but I'm not the person making those decisions so I can't say for sure.

Are they still mounted in socket for the new products or are some of them surface mounted? I thought the smart bars were surface mounted chips but i might be mistaken. Being from Florida I hate seeing surface mount Chips.:)

This is where quick searches can sometimes be a problem: the Smartbar does use a different chip that is surface mounted.  The Z1458-F is a standard 8-pin DIP package and is socketed in everything I've looked at.

This is from memory, but IIRC the DMX IC is socketed in all ETC-branded products except the SmartBar and SmartModule.

In IES-branded products, the DMX IC is surface-mount.

The reason for the SmartBar and SmartModule being SMT is because those used to be IES products, and were brought under the Smart umbrella as they are perfect for small, portable lighting systems.

The DMX IC is socketed in all ETC manufactured consoles (Congo, Ion, SmartFade etc) and most Gateways. (Not certain about the one-port Gateway as I've not taken one apart yet.)

In the older, leaded version of the SmartPack and CEM+, the opto-isolators were also socketed. These were moved to SMT in the lead-free version as someone would put an opto chip into a DMX chip socket or vice-versa more often than the opto would actually fail - the DMX chip protects the opto pretty well!

As to the two ICs - they are almost identical.

Only difference is slew-rate and ESD protection.

This is from memory, but IIRC the DMX IC is socketed in all ETC-branded products except the SmartBar and SmartModule.

In IES-branded products, the DMX IC is surface-mount.

The reason for the SmartBar and SmartModule being SMT is because those used to be IES products, and were brought under the Smart umbrella as they are perfect for small, portable lighting systems.

The DMX IC is socketed in all ETC manufactured consoles (Congo, Ion, SmartFade etc) and most Gateways. (Not certain about the one-port Gateway as I've not taken one apart yet.)

In the older, leaded version of the SmartPack and CEM+, the opto-isolators were also socketed. These were moved to SMT in the lead-free version as someone would put an opto chip into a DMX chip socket or vice-versa more often than the opto would actually fail - the DMX chip protects the opto pretty well!

As to the two ICs - they are almost identical.

Only difference is slew-rate and ESD protection.