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Author Topic: Your Dream Booth David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 07-29-2004 10:37 PM                        Joe, forget the RCA DVD player - Get an Apex!  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 07-29-2004 11:37 PM                        quote: Mike Olpin Allthough a lot of people on here don't like them, but I'm really comfortable with the Christie package. Have you ever worked with different equipment?  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 07-29-2004 11:53 PM                     Post edited to reflect why I chose the equipment I did. *Kinoton PK60D projector head, with integrated Dolby Digital basement reader. This projector is the easisest to maintain and keep clean, provides the steadiest image, and is the kindest to film of all the projectors I've worked with. *Strong Highlight II (now replaced by the IIA) console. Easiest to change a bulb and focus. *High reactance rectifier. With Strong consoles, it's either high reactance or switchers. Switchers fail way too often. At a 12-plex I worked at, we would have at least three or four failures a year, and this theater is only four years old. (Was two years old when I left. Equipment was purchased new.) *CNA-150 automation. Most flexible, feature-rich, and easily programmable automation I have used. Also like the fact that it only uses one cue position, so you don't have to place any cues in the image area. *Component Engineering FM-35 failsafe/proximity cue detector. Much more reliable than the FP-350, which somes with the CNA automation. If money were no object, I'd purchase one for each screen and set the FP-350's aside (or sell them). *Strong SCDC platters. Perfectly smooth feadout compared to the AP platters, even the phase control versions. I like the design of the brains and the platter decks themselves much better than Christie platters. *Dolby CP500 or 650. Both of these are highly flexible processors, and are customizable, easily by the user. They both include built-in Dolby Digital decoding, so they don't require an external DA-20. I prefer the 500 because of the screen, but the 650 has a few more options. This list is based on equipment I have actually worked with. I have never used the CA-21, so I don't personally know how it compares to the CNA, although I hear it's better. I'd also love to get my hands on a Kinoton platter. [ 07-30-2004, 07:47 PM: Message edited by: Ken Lackner ]  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 07-30-2004 12:30 AM                        Here's mine:  |  IP: Logged Matthew Bailey Master Film Handler Posts: 461 From: Port Arthur,TX Registered: Sep 2000 posted 07-30-2004 08:12 AM                     Is that a spotlight or projector to the right of the DP70'S? I cant remember what encyclopedia it was but one of the volumes showed a photo of a Strong/Simplex package consisting of two PR1014's with 5 Stars,Strong peds with Lume-X or Super Lume-x lamps running only changeovers with 6K reels. I can't remember was it a Cineplex Odeon or another theatre? BTW the booth floor had gray carpet with everything being brand new.  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 07-30-2004 01:10 PM                     quote: Michael Schaffer Have you ever worked with different equipment? No. But I don't think that makes me unqualified to give a thumbs up for this equipment. I've been working with it for two years without incident. I never experience the problems so many people talk about on here. Our machines are kept clean and have regular preventative maintenance work done on them (as should every projector, regardless of it's make or model). Take care of the Christies and they'll take care of you.  |  IP: Logged Dan Suomi Film Handler Posts: 53 From: Aurora/Oswego, IL Registered: Jul 2004 posted 07-30-2004 02:39 PM                        I would have to agree, the Christie package is really good, I never had a problem with them and they were really easy to maintain.. Although, the Kinoton's would be really the ones to get if you could afford them. Also, don't forget to get soundproof port windows as not to hear the projector in the theatre when a film is running.  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: California, U.S.A. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 07-30-2004 03:06 PM                     For what it's worth... My 35mm favorites are: Century SA's or Simplex 35 heads with R3 or 5 Star respectively on Strong Highlight II lamphouses and consoles. TA10 automation FM-35 cue detector SDDS and DTS digital in the big houses and Dolby Digital and DTS in the smaller houses. Of course this depends on the type of movies the theater plays. At the indie theater I'd forget the SDDS and DTS since most of the prints that come through there ever have a digital track other than Dolby. Christie AW3 platters with moveable centerfeeds. I prefer CP650's in my dolby houses but I'm open to others. All QSC amps. Competent projectionists who wont screw up the equipment and will keep it clean without being told to do so...Ahh what a dream.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-30-2004 03:12 PM                        quote: Stephen Furley To accommodate four machines without putting some of them at horrible angles (I'm sure you know where I'm thinking of Leo) Oh yes. I saw a film there for the first time in several years last week, and thanks to a packed house had the misfortune to be placed towards the front and at the extreme end of the horseshoe. Of course it had to be a silent (The Wind), and so the small picture didn't help; and neither did the pianist's head, which was pretty much directly between mine and the screen (I really like Neil Brand's playing - if not, I'd have been inclined to decapitate him so as to see the screen a bit better!). From what little I saw of her, Lillian Gish looked most fetching - not least when she did her Tony Martin stunt near the end - but one of these days I'll have to see the film 'properly' (on a DVD, perhaps)... quote: Stephen Furley ...a four plate 16/35 motorised Steenbeck would be nice. Agreed totally. A complete luxury but it lets you check for framing issues (quite common with archive prints contact printed from shrunk originals), out-of-sync soundtracks and a host of other issues that you could otherwise only detect by projecting the reel. quote: Stephen Furley No nitrate in the main theatre, but I'd have a smaller one, set up for nitrate... Noooooooo! If you're going to bother showing nitrate at all, put it on your biggest screen to show off the amazing silver density of a really crisp nitrate b/w print. No point faffing around projecting it onto something the size of a telly! quote: Stephen Furley Kinemacolor projectors would be nice, and some priints to run on them. I agree that it would be nice to experiment with different filter combinations, which would be possible if you had the projectors yourself. You could make subtle changes to the colour balance, taking account of the filters used to expose the panchromatic original in the camera, in relation to the ones you choose to use on the projector. But I'm not aware of any archive having struck Kinemacolor prints in the original format. The only person I'm aware of who has done any serious work on Kinemacolor restoration has printed through filters onto colour negative stock. The results look pretty impressive, though; and the colour fringing caused by the slight pulldown delay from the red to the green frame isn't anything like as noticeable as I thought it would be.  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 07-30-2004 03:14 PM                     -Century JJ or SAW on a Century R3 Soundhead -Xetron XCN or Strong X90 console (if I wanted to have the sound rack built in) or a Xenex lamphouse on a Century Base -SPECO LP-280 platter -CP200 or CP65-SR -DA20 w/ CAT.702 -DTS XD10 -Component Engineering LED analog -QSC DCM-1 Monitor/X-over -QSC 1400/1700 amps -EV Stage Speakers, Horns & Subs -JBL Surrounds -CA21/CNA-200 Automation -Kelmar/Goldberg Rewind -Schneider Lenses (35mm), ISCO Lenses (70mm) -Nemade 35SS & 70SS splicers *Yeah, my exposure's limited, I'll update thru the years as this topic inevitably comes up  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-30-2004 03:53 PM                     As it stands right now, this thread is pretty much useless. How about everyone posting here explain WHY they choose a certain piece of equipment? I have a feeling many here are posting based upon what they have worked with, and although that still holds water, there are many pieces of equipment out there in this industry that people have ignorance on because they don't know any better. For example, I used to always think a Simplex/Century put out a steady image. WRONG! That theory went down the drain once I started working with Kinotons. There are people out there who think CFS Super platters are good (because it's all they know). WRONG! And boy you couldn't be more wrong. Come on guys, tell us WHY or at least tell us WHAT you have worked with so your posts hold some meaning.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Jonsson Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Bromolla, Sweden Registered: Sep 2003 posted 07-30-2004 05:00 PM                       To Paul Mayer What a picture of those DP 70´s! What theater is it? Some information of the equipment, perhaps? Thomas  |  IP: Logged Matthew Jaro Film Handler Posts: 74 From: Gaithersburg, MD, USA Registered: Jul 2003 posted 07-30-2004 05:44 PM                        Brad --- When I run a print of Sleeping Beauty (IB) (scope) on my Simplex XLs, it looks like the frame line is painted on the screen. The new release prints do not maintain this quality of precision. It is certainly possible that the models after the Simplex 35 were not built as well. However, I see absolutely no detectable movement. So why should I spend a fortune on Kinotons? A major problem with Kinoton is also its best feature: the electronic intermittant. Think back only ten years ago when 5.25 inch floppy disks were the standard. They were the back-up medium of choice. Now they wouldn't fit in a modern computer's bay, and the modern controllers won't work with them. Same story with the DTS SCSI drives. They can only be obtained on eBay with luck. Consequently, how are you going to service the Kinotons, when the processor or stepper motors go bad in ten years? There is not a gigantic number of Kinoton units in service like the XLs which have been around since the 1940s. Consider a similar example: Bauer. This was one of the best built 35/70 projectors. Try getting parts today. Why would you think the situation with Kinoton would be different?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-30-2004 06:20 PM                     Matthew, head over to www.kinotonamerica.com and read up before you go claiming my electronic intermittents will not be serviceable down the road. Be sure to look up the exact model number so you don't post any other incorrect information (PK60D). Also, I have seen older Simplexes...and up until I started working with the Kinotons I also *thought* their picture was rock steady. Sorry buddy, but they don't compare in film handling or steadiness (and their SRD reader is incredible).  |  IP: Logged Matthew Jaro Film Handler Posts: 74 From: Gaithersburg, MD, USA Registered: Jul 2003 posted 07-30-2004 06:40 PM                        Brad -- Sorry --- I see that they use servo-motors rather than stepper motors. Further, it is there own design. Are they always going to make replacements? I still don't see anything that contradicts my argument that service might not be difficult in ten years. I'm not saying that Kinotons aren't great projectors, (probably the best on the market) but only whether the large price difference is justified. As regards to their SRD reader what would be the advantage over a Cat 700 reader? I get fairly low error rates. Besides, the Dolby error correcting codes should correct most errors, rendering the sound virtually identical. Are the frames read more than three times? If so, would this make a difference? Anyway, I'm not trying to be mean --- only to stir up some interesting debates.  |  IP: Logged

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