If these theaters were to put in a DLP projector beside a 35mm house and put up signs saying "see it in 35mm film", people would not go to the DLP auditorium.

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To their credit, the "split screen" is how Texas Instruments showed their DLP Cinema projector at ShoWest in March. Most felt that film looked better for tone scale and color in the clips from films like "Snow Falling on Cedars" and "American Beauty". The film images were very good for sharpness, steadiness and cleanliness. If you sat in the front section of the Celebrity Theatre, you noticed the pixels and "jaggies" on the digital projector. But IMHO, the prototype TI DLP Cinema projector did "win" for the digitally originated "Toy Story 2" material. For the "Toy Story 2" clips, Texas Instruments chose to show a "typical" worn release print that had severe base-side scratches, hoping to leave the impression that this was the norm.

Rumor has it that TI asked Boston Light & Sound not to use their "top of the line" Kinoton film projector for the demo, but BL&S did a fine job with an older Century projector. Perhaps Larry Shaw can verify.

"Rumor has it that TI asked Boston Light & Sound not to use their "top of the line" Kinoton film projector for the demo..."

This (if true) is the kind of stuff that drives me crazy. If theater owners would just take care of what they already got...

I did NOT mean to imply that Texas Instruments "rigged" the tests. There ARE more Century projectors than Kinoton in the United States, and prints can be mishandled and scratched. My friends at TI were naturally trying to show off their projector in the best light.

Rather than "rant" about digital cinema, we "film people" need to make film and film presentation as good as we know it can be. Poor film presentation is an excuse for digital cinema. Good film presentation is a major challenge to them. The future is in our hands.

I think distributors are now more interested in controlling their product than improving it- somewhat like Microsoft. While still a bit far away, they can "smell" the advantages of digital distribution for piracy, preventing box office "undercounts,' and other information logging. (There also seems to be a standoff over who's going to pay for it.) I wouldn't be surprised if the majors have a loose "gentleman's agreement" to not release anything new in 70mm- it might look too good and de-rail e-cinema.

Why not turn all the small houses into e-cinema houses. That way, we get the best of both worlds and the public WILL accept it. I mean, if we're to assume that a "typical" print is trashed after a couple of weeks anyway...

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quote:

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Originally posted by Mike Blakesley:
Paul's comment about the TI DLP standee got me thinking. I read in Film Journal about how when a film plays in two houses, one digital and one "film," the digital house has WAY more patronage. They are trumpeting this as an advantage of digital. Well, HELLO!! If you put up a big sign saying "see it in digital," OF COURSE the people are going to want to check that out, what with digital being the "buzz word" of the new millenium!

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I'll always go out of my way to experience digital projection. This has nothing to do with any buzz words about our new digital society. The reason i prefer digital projection is that it just looks better. More accurately, it looks a sh!t-load better!

My eyes are sensative to screen flicker. I can usually see dirty prints, scratches, and just the annoying flickering of the projector during bright scenes. DLP got rid of this. Even though the resoluation was not as sharp as film, i think the overall presentation was vastly superior in DLP.

I think trying to argue that film projection is better by comparing resolution ratios is like trying to compare LPs to CDs using frequency responces.

I was so impressed with the smooth, flicker free and scratch free movie projection that i'll go way out of my way to experience it for any other movie. As an avid movie goer, i look forward to the demise of film projection.

-Zach Tomcich
aka Ziggy
Audio Engineer
Berkeley Repertory Theatre

And LP's sound MUCH beter than CDs, and ANYTHING sounds better through tube amplification...

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