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Topic: Showplace Cinemas, Evansville, IN. Going Digital

Shane Cooper
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 232
From: Little Rock, Arkansas
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 07-31-2007 12:38 AM

Well said. Slow clap for Damien. [Big Grin]

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-31-2007 06:11 PM

quote:
One problem I've noticed with a lot of music CDs in recent years is they are extremely badly engineered -and done so on purpose!

I all goes down to listen before you buy. Places like Borders Books, certain Barnes and Noble stores, and Virgin Records have setups so you can hear the CD you're interested in owning. There's also this place called the Public Library where you can check out the latest CD's you like for free and make illegal copies [Big Grin]

.

I agree... Damien's post was to the point... One thing he said really doesn't hold true any longer though and thats

quote: Damien Taylor
So yeah, its all personal preference...

When it comes to CD's vs. Vinyl its hardly personal prefrence any longer... most folks don't have any acccess to nor do they know that new vinyl even exists any more. 99.8% of the stores out there sell only CD's. Most folks have no choice!

Mark

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-31-2007 09:18 PM

We'd sell vinyl, if anyone wanted it. If people actually bought records, they would be in stores in great quantity. You can't build a business on less than 1% of the market, it's not worth the trouble. The last time anyone asked me for an "LP," it was a Pearl Jam album from the late '90s.

I fully agree that records can sound better than CDs. But, you need to handle records with extreme care and have a system worth thousands of dollars to achieve that, and even then you only have so many "plays" before the record starts wearing out. With CDs you can put fingerprints on them and play them through a $19.99 "discman" and, as long as you have some good $50 headphones, they'll sound great.

As for the waveform thing and the clipped peaks, I agree with that in principle; but I think about 97% of people couldn't tell one from the other as long as the volume is the same from A to B.

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Lyle Romer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1400
From: Davie, FL, USA
Registered: May 2002

posted 08-01-2007 05:33 AM

quote: Mike Blakesley
With CDs you can put fingerprints on them and play them

You can actually put 5 evenly spaced strips of black tape (i think up to 1/8" thick) radiating from the center of the disk and it will still play (assuming the disk is in good condition) and sound the same due to the FEC scheme.

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Frank Angel
Film God

Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 08-01-2007 05:45 AM

quote: Brad Allen
Owner Paul Stieler also said Wednesday he's spending about $600,000 on a 180-seat Hollywood Bar & Grill that will adjoin his IMAX and 18-screen Showplace East theater on Morgan Avenue.

Bet ole Mr. Stieler won't be such a happy pup when he realizes that this digital revolution he's so thrilled about is going to cost him even more when IMAX, who evidently is as equally thrilled that they can have their movies look as good on the 5000000th showing as it did on the first rolls out THEIR digital-to-replace-70mm-film system?

Seems they too are determined to fully abandon 70mm film for IMAX screens and move to digital projection using two or possibly four Sony 4K projectors -- they are not sure which will be the final configuration.

Having to buy 4 Sony 4K digital projectors is a BIG chunk of money that he'll have to cough up above and beyond the millions he's already spent for his 35mm replacement digital projectors.

I wonder if he can sell his IMAX film projector on eBay....maybe recoup some of the capital he's already invested in IMAX FILM technology. If not, he's going to have to reeeeeally jack up the price on those hot wings and pizza slices. [Eek!]

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-01-2007 08:56 AM

quote: Frank Angel
Having to buy 4 Sony 4K digital projectors is a BIG chunk of money that he'll have to cough up above and beyond the millions he's already spent for his 35mm replacement digital projectors.

Frank,

Imax ONLY leases their equipment. So he won't be buying the Sony's... although in the long run that would be alot less expensive! Also, his Christie D-Cinema booths will cost him pretty close to zero. All he's responsible for is the service contract expense.

Mark

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Frank Angel
Film God

Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 08-02-2007 02:09 PM

So how does one get such a sweet deal? How do I get a D system for nothing plus the cost of the service contract. Sounds a little to good to be true. And since we run classics, I guess I'd be playing DVDs, on this free equipment, eh?

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-02-2007 06:54 PM

Frank,

You won't be getting a free system because the Christie/AIX contract is at a point where it has almost been fulfilled... 4000 units installed. I was told there is a new one being negotiated but it won't be the same deal.

On another front Christie is just beginning production on a new D-Cinema projector that will make D-Cinema more affordable. They have a new projector that has a 50K list price. Now all of a sudden we're getting into a price realm that many theater owners can actually afford. The neat thing and the bombshell is that this projector will work on about 80% of the existing screens out there... meaning those up to about 45 feet in width. Say good bye to seeing to the expensive $80,000.00 projectors on the smaller screens! And it only requires a maximum of a CDXL30 lamp to achieve standard brightness levels for that size image... and smaller lamps on yet smaller screens. The lamps are somewhat more expensive than a standard Ushio xenon lamp, not outragously so though and have the same warranted hours as the regular cinema lamps.

These CDXL short gap lamps also work well in cinema projector lamphouses and you can usually drop down a size in lamp and cut your power consumption by about 600.00 a year. The Osram short gap lamps just have not lived up to what the Christie short gap lamps can do in life span.

Mark

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-02-2007 07:03 PM

Cool, DC has gone from $100,000 per screen to $50,000 per screen in about 2 years. How long till it hits $25,000? [Big Grin]

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-02-2007 07:27 PM

I think you'll see it sit at 50K for quite a while. NEC is comming out with a competing machine in that price range but I think it'll be a while before you see it in production.

Mark

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 08-02-2007 07:59 PM

quote: Damien Taylor
Some of the RCA Living Stereo series for example are extremely well mastered and still stand up to their CD counterparts, if they are played on properly maintained equipment. And it pretty much has to be a sealed copy. Same with MFSL, some of their LPs sound absolutely incredible still.

Then there is the other end of the spectrum, John doe who bought a record player in the rejuvenation they seem to be having lately. Usually with a very low end configuration, usually consisting of an inexpensive magnetic cartridge and a roughish cut diamond stylus. Thats fine, it'll play Sgt. Peppers and Glen Campbell styrenes. But its not the capability that you can harness from a thoughtfully mastered, usually vintage LP.

(a little late to make comment on this, but I'll chime in anywhos..)

I have a open reel-15ips 2trk copy of the famous 1s/1s LSC-2436 Pines/Fountains of Rome with Reiner/CSO vinyl where Mohr/Layton pushed the envelope for vinyl stereo recordings...couldn't match up to the "Living Stereo" release. Plus, I have the original open reel release of the other famous Reiner recording - the LSC-1806 Strauss Zaratrhustra - which "Living Stereo" couldn't make a decend CD copy neither.

Then, Victor blew it all to pieces with their "Dynagroove" processing - to make John Doe's cheap phonographs sound great with over modulated pressings.

Then, it went to pot from there ... - Monte

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-02-2007 08:16 PM

Actually the SACD's released of all those famous Red Seal recordings are according to the engineer that did the SACD mastering a very very close copy of the original master tapes.

Mark

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 08-02-2007 09:01 PM

True about the SACD version of the "Living Stereo" releases for those are a complete turnaround from the '90's BMG "Living Stereo" releases - in which the above reference came from against the analog recordings - in which I make an apology from not being more clear on that topic.

.

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Matt Fields
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 545
From: Ohio, United States
Registered: Jun 2005

posted 08-02-2007 09:49 PM

50K for the projector. How much for the server and anything else you need to switch over?

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-03-2007 10:15 AM

There are servers under 20K now. I think the Doremi is around 15K depending on options. Or look at it as costing the same as a new Range Rover LSE for the entire D-System.

Mark

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