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This topic comprises 5 pages: 1 2 3 4 5
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Author
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Topic: Starting off with stereo sound
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Charles Greenlee
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 801
From: Savannah, Ga, U.S.
Registered: Jun 2006
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posted 09-15-2006 11:05 AM
Ack, Kintek. We still have the reacks for them. Heck, we still have the kintek amps, and monitors. The tech pulled our kintex processors a couple of years ago, mainly because ours were Mono-surround, and upgraded to CP55's and CP65's, and Smart Mod2B's for the 2 houses remaining mono-surr. He said he's even seen the old Kinetk's catch fire, literally. Worse, he said that it had happened here, even showed me the singed area in the sound rack. Scary.
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Martin Brooks
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 900
From: Forest Hills, NY, USA
Registered: May 2002
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posted 09-27-2006 08:28 PM
I'm going to disagree with the other posters here. Unless you're in a situation where there is no other theater around for at least 30 miles and you feel that consumers will attend your theater regardless of the quality of presentation just because they want to go out and there are few other entertainment options available locally, I think that you need to install digital sound now, not just Dolby analog.
Some will protest and say that a properly presented Dolby-SR analog print can sound as good or better than a digital print, but on average, a digital print is going to sound brighter, cleaner and have far more dynamic range.
People have had CD quality sound in their homes for over 20 years. The U.S. is converting to HDTV at a steady pace and all of those HD channels (and DVD formats) broadcast in 5.1 digital.
IMHO for any theater to survive, you have to provide a better experience in the theater than people get in the home. Dolby analog has been around for 30 years. Why would you install 30-year-old technology now?
You need to look at your proposed business from a consumer value proposition perspective. You need to list all the reasons why a consumer would attend your theater. What are you providing that they can't get elsewhere, including the home theater experience?
Also, I don't know how much you've studied about the economics of running a movie theater, but generally, from a financial perspective, movie theaters are food concessions that happen to show movies. So I would not forgo hot dogs at launch - you need to sell as much food as you can. If you can't afford a hot dog broiler, boil the things like New York street vendors do or if local building regulations permit it, buy a cheap home oven, buy franks in a blanket from some supplier and bake 'em. People love those and I've never seen movie theaters provide it.
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Charles Greenlee
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 801
From: Savannah, Ga, U.S.
Registered: Jun 2006
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posted 09-28-2006 07:22 PM
Sound is created in an alnalog wave, and your ears detect it as an analog wave. So it'd make sense that analog sould be superior, given perfect media and sound handling equipment, and that the media did not wear. Since this isn't pssible, digital provides for easier control, true copying (100th generation copy sounds just as good as the master), and error correction. "Hear it for the first time, everytime." Sound familiar? Film wears when you do 5 shows a day, 7 days a week, and runs that can last for months, no matter how well you try to take care of it. Digital doesn't care, to a point, about dirty film and dirty soundhead optics. And because of limitations of the analog sountrack's realestate of the film, dynamic range can suffer.
I'd definatly say go digital. DTS, or SR-D. I prefer DTS, personally, but there are those that are die hard Dolby Digital fans. If you have premium quality analog eqipment, and the track on film is recorded in extremely good quality, and you stay on top of your equipment, sure analog is great, and sometimes superior. But practically digital, hands down, and to boot has descrete channels. Analog has them matrixed and the emmersion doesn't "feel" as deep., though I'm sure one of the guys on here could help you fix. If you go didgital, don't neglect the analog, since not all films have digital tracks, and if your digital goes out, that analog back-up will sure save your bacon.
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Demetris Thoupis
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1240
From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 09-30-2006 12:30 PM
It is so sad that theater owners want to invest an extreme amount of money on the appearance of their theaters and don't give a damn about the heart of the theater. I am not saying Andrew is doing that but the go Digital now issue is a must. Don't even give it another thought. It is sad that people with a decent home cinema system have true 5.1 Digital sound which in most cases sounds much better even at the best equalised analogue cinema. Two things for my opinion. Bi-Amp and Digital. If cost is a problem, buy a B-stock DA-20 or DTS6D if you can find any. Do not spare expenses on the projection booth, the heart of the theater, and your presentation. You could chop a platter system and install a Tower to save some cash, put some descent 2 way screen speakers e.t.c. Good combination might be the 2 Way screen array JBL speakers (considering you will go bi-amp) with 3310's surrounds which is quite an inexpensive way to go. Still you will need the least 5 amps to drive the three screen speakers, your surrounds and the subwoofers. If possible, install 2 subwoofers. Good bass always makes a booming impression. Image quality is the next main thing. Whatever lamp your technician suggests to install to provide a good image, go for it. Do not try to cut down the cost on the projection lamp as that will not give you a bright shining image. From that on some tiny touches give a very good impression on the presentation and the "film done right issue". I always loved the way in one of our cinemas down here, where we installed a black thick curtain, and the film starts with the logo of the theater printed on 35mm for 15 seconds and appears beautifully on the screen which hides behind the curtain. Screen curtain gives a cosiness (don't know if I spelled it right) inside a theater. Frame always right, splice correctly and Long may you survive! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
D
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 09-30-2006 02:09 PM
Probably the best single piece of info I read in this thread...
quote: Martin Brooks
IMHO for any theater to survive, you have to provide a better experience in the theater than people get in the home.
Andrew, if you really want your theater to stand a chance in hell of surviving, either do it right the first time (preferred) or at least do it right in sections.
Let's pretend for a minute you started off with a Kintek processor and paired it with some Klipsch speakers. You now have achieved a shitty sound system...but at what price? At this point what you have bought isn't worth much of anything AND for you to upgrade properly later will mean that you won't recoup your money on this dumpster party so that is money down the drain.
If you just cannot afford to do it right in the first place, start with half of the items solid and the other half junk. For example, get yourself a CP65 and some good speakers, a quality lamphouse and projector with good lenses, but play cheapass on the amplifiers, booth monitor, platter and maybe start with a freebie used screen. The idea here is that only half of these items is money down the drain, because when you start upgrading to do things properly, you won't have to throw away that CP65 or your speakers or lamphouse, etc. Make sense?
With that being said, IMHO you are committing financial suicide by opening a theater without GOOD quality digital sound and top notch projection (which means no Coke bottle lenses or old lamphouse that puts out a dim, yellow image). The fact of the matter is that people can get a better show at home with privacy and probably much more comfortable seating. (If you are being cheap on the projection, you are probably getting uncomfortable chairs.) So why should people pay you top dollar to sit in your auditorium for 2 hours for a lackluster presentation? Think about that when you look at your numbers and realize the only time you put butts in the seat are for "event" movies that people simply cannot wait the 2 months to watch on DVD.
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I told him the same thing as mentioned above, about how people have better sound in their homes and cars, etc. and that he'd better not only install stereo, but digital sound too if he wanted to stay in the movie business. He did install DTS not long after that conversation, and he's still in business today. (I like to think I saved his bacon!) ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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