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Author Topic: Disney Approved Equipment Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-15-2008 05:08 AM                        Funny thing is, the letter says that once fully compliant equipement is "readily available," Disney will not service digital to theatres with non-compliant equipment installed, BUT, no where do they menition that they will not supply 35mm prints. And they are quick to add that after you've spent all that money to get your booth filled with fully DCI compliant equipment, Disney will STILL look at you as the same sorry schmuck as they've always looked at you and your huge investment will not give you any advantage over the guy who is still running film. Disney makes it very clear that even with all your money invested in fully compliant DCI equipemnt, they may STILL not book their pictures with you. Wow....how's THAT as an inscentive to make everyone run out and take a second mortage on their theatres! Seems to me this kind of thing would stop digital installs dead in their tracks. So all those Regal and Landmark and the rest who jumped on the not-so-terribly-compliant equipment "roll-out" may not be able to play Disney pictures (and I assume other studios will follow) unless they now eat a substantial additional expenditure to upgrade all those spanking new (but, alas, still not compliant) video projectors, computer servers and the rest yet AGAIN? Hmmmm....too bad the studios didn't make that crystal clear when they were all waxing orgasmic about how scratchless and fadeless and jitterless all that non-compliant equipment was....strange they didn't explain that in two years or less, they wouldn't be booking any product in a theatre who listened to their laudate's and invested in that equipment. And of course the kicker is, at least if you can read between the lines where Disney doesn't make any reservations at all in the letter about them not booking 35mm once DCI compliant equipment is in the market place. So, although Disney will NOT book their titles to the guy who still only has non-compliant equipment in his booth, evidently they WILL let the guy who hasn't spent a penny on digital play their product in 35mm. I hear some theatre owners laughing; I hear some theatre owners crying. [ 02-15-2008, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: Frank Angel ]  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-15-2008 09:26 AM                        Frank: That was pretty much my impression, too. Unless, of course, Disney is going to go all digital. Then the film guys are screwed. Disney is the company I can most see doing this. The first test will probably be the next regular classic re-release (let's say Bambi). Disney will re-release Bambi exclusively in digital and promote it as such. Probably even promote DCI they same way THX used to be hyped. Those not on board miss the boat. It then comes down to whether Disney can make money despite a few pissed off theatres (Disney has never worried about pissing off anyone). If it works, they rapidly go full digital. As an art house, it doesn't effect me unless Miramax goes full digital. If they do, I see them losing about half of their small venues. Which would cause them to lose, I dunno, about a minute's sleep some afternoon. I agree with Steve it is really about control. My paranoid fantasy is Disney, or some congregation of studios, will develop a proprietary system and the HD/Blu-Ray wars can play out on the movie screens of America!  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-15-2008 05:55 PM                     I agree on the control thing, if they would just control the fact that the majority of bootleg "screeners" actually eminates from the studios, labs, and editing rooms themselves things might be a little more leinient for exhibitors. As for upgrades to exisisting gear.. thats a ways off but not really that big a deal siince its thousands of units not hundreds of thousands like an auto recall... or stuff with lead paint being rounded back up by the millions of units to ssend back to the reds... this is small stuff comparatively. Mark  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 02-16-2008 07:11 AM                        Mark; all that matters is "Who gets the invoice." It will be bad if you (theatre owner) have to pay---twice or more. The same concept as if you wreck a car you are still in debt for and have to go in debt again for the second car. Now you have TWO car payments Sure makes the case for FILM (and keeping your money in your pocket until this settles out.) Louis  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-16-2008 10:17 AM                     I think that may be the case with some manunfacturers gear...BARCO doesn't seem to stand behind their stuff as well as others do... but take Dolby for instance... when things went to JPEG they went around and switched out all the Show Players, now they are sending out kits to replace the Promise drive bays with the more accepted CRU units. I think you'll see other manufacturers do the same... I don't think its a wait till its fixed sort of thing at all... I think its more like do buisness with manufacturers that stand behind their product. In this thing Access-IT may be the worst hit since they own all the Carmike gear and many others... Its actually a very wise move for medium to large chains to be installing "some" diigital systems now so they can learn to deal with its very differing aspects and problems before they are completely digital... things will go much smoother down the road for the ones that do this today.  |  IP: Logged

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