Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Showplace Cinemas, Evansville, IN. Going Digital

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Digital Cinema Forum » Showplace Cinemas, Evansville, IN. Going Digital (Page 6)

This topic comprises 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Author

Topic: Showplace Cinemas, Evansville, IN. Going Digital

Frank Angel
Film God

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

posted 12-03-2007 06:13 PM

Can those obsolete, discarded, good-for-nothing requiring DCI complianticity be fed say an HD or BluRay DVD signal and produce a watchable picture....say for a home theatre? Seems it should be, given that we were told THOSE projectors produced an image BETTER than film. I wouldn't mind buying one or two for cheap for our small theatres that are constantly needing to screen standard DVDs.

Where did those projectors wind up? Did TI buy them back? Did any theatres actually buy those or where they given to them. I recall Technicolor was handing 1000 of them out as a "seed" project.

| IP: Logged

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-03-2007 08:08 PM

Yes, with a proper scaler(about 350.00). Many are still sitting idle in theaters .

Mark

| IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 12-03-2007 08:17 PM

Depending on the DVD player and the projector, they could go directly so long as you had an HDMI to DVI cable.

However, at the AFI in Silver Spring, three (3) DP50s are still in use 7-days a week running HDTV (HDSDI sources like HDCAM, HDCAM-SR and D-5) on down to NTSC. They have an ACSAR 1 with suidable HDSDI, SDI, 5-wire and Composite/S-Vid input modules. They still do everything they did when new...just not DCinema features to feed them (but they have done screenings directly from D5 and HDCAM-SR).

I would say, don't skimp on the scaler...it could be your weak link in the picture. These projectors also have only HDSDI and DVI inputs so your scaler will need to output a suitable signal for them to be able to handle it.

Steve

| IP: Logged

Frank Angel
Film God

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

posted 12-04-2007 12:10 AM

I need to find someone who will sell us one first. [thumbsup]

| IP: Logged

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-04-2007 07:36 AM

Wouldn't you also need some way to delay the sound? There is usually a processing delay with the large DLP units that will cause unacceptable sound-sync issues. The small DLP units usually have a delay of about one frame, but that is actually ideal for a normal-size theatre (sync is usually correct about halfway back, just as with film).

Steve (or anyone else who knows): will an HD-SDI input accept an SD-SDI source (e.g. Digi-Beta, modified DVD player, etc.), or is the interface completely different? It's pretty easy to convert NTSC composite or component video to SD-SDI with an AJA box (or similar).

| IP: Logged

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-04-2007 08:25 AM

quote: Steve Guttag
I would say, don't skimp on the scaler...it could be your weak link in the picture.

I would highly reccomend the Geffen scalers... I've tried two different models at this point in time, they are inexpensive and they produce top notch results. The VGA to DVI scaler is right around $300.00 street price.

The new Christie ZX does not require a scaler. It is HDCI compliant and auto setects the incomming format and adjusts itself accordingly.

Mark

| IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 12-04-2007 09:04 AM

Gefen generally makes good stuff. Their VGA to DVI scaler/converter probably does a better job at converting than scaling/deinterlacing. That is, if you need to get your laptop plugged into a DVI port, it will do the job. It can take component 480i on up to HDTV stuff but you will likely do better by not using it for that sort of scaling.

Scott, HDSDI ports on these projectors will not work directly with SD-SDI signals. The the SD signals will need to be turned into HD first and there are many gizmos to do that...AJA being one of the popular brands.

As Mark points out, HDCP compliance is something the new crop of DCinema projectors are being aware. The Chistie ZX is already compliant, the new Barcos are slated to HDCP compliant and their switcher scaler ACS2048 is already compliant. The NEC NC2500 and NC1600 are compliant IF they use the MM2000B switcher/scaler since it is internal to those units and you buy the NEW DVI/HDMI module (less than 3-weeks old) that is HDCP compliant.

Of course, the big problem wiht HDCP is HDCP itself...when it doubt it shuts you off. With some cable boxes, I've had less than 20% success using all HDCP compliant gear. Your milage may vary but I always have a backup to HDMI with HDCP sources.

| IP: Logged

Stephen Furley
Film God

Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002

posted 12-04-2007 10:12 AM

quote: Steve Guttag
The Christie 2000ZX and the NEC NC800C both are the fastest out of the box to showtime projectors that are basically point and shoots. They are definately favored by rental houses.

I think the ZX is the small machine that seems to be aimed at pretty much the same market as the NC800c; is that correct?

Any thoughts on the replaceable 'lamp module' of the NEC Vs. the more conventional 'just replace the lamp' on the ZX? Both Christie and NEC seem to promote their chosen approach as being one of the advantage of their product. I've no idea what the lamp costs for digital machines are. Arts Alliance in the booklet that comes with their systems say that the cost of buying an exchange re-lamped module from them is about half the cost of buying a complete module, but I don't know what the cost is.

The NEC looks quicker to replace, but neither should take very long. If you happened to have a lamp fail, i.e. refuse to strike, unexpectedly during the day, and you had a spare module in stock, this might be useful, but if a lamp happened to explode then I suspect that more than just replacing the lamp module would be necessary.

The last time I worked a shift at the Clocktower the lamp on the NEC was up to about 550 hours in just under nine months of use. That's more than I expected, but still a long way to go before replacement.

| IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 12-04-2007 12:38 PM

With the NEC on the NC800, you are beholden to NEC for the continuation of the lamp. With the Christie, you are not so there is that factor.

The Christie CP2000ZX is capable of much larger screens than the NEC as it can go up to 3KW lamps and Christie has a super bright version of their 3K to eek out a bit more. Christie has a much broader market with the ZX than NEC with the NC800 but both have their fans. Note too, the NC800 is now considered an older machine (formerly the IS8) but has ties to the A/V industry too.

Steve

| IP: Logged

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-05-2007 10:59 PM

Christie has a new projector comming out soon that is about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of the ZX, I saw pics of it when at Christie U last week. It will cover screens up to 26 feet in width. Don't know the model number yet... or if there is even one for it. It will take a maximum of a 2kw lamp and will utilize the .98" DMD's while the CP-2000 and ZX employ the same light engine with the 1.2" DMD's.

I have not tried the DVI input on the ZX yet but will over the next few days. I can say the Gefen scaler actually works VERY well though I prefer the dedicated type of scaler... even having to have several of them for different jobs... makes more sense for most than the large do it all in one box type of converter. I think the all in one boxes have alot of built in compromise where's the dedicated purpose scalers are much easier for the designer to fine tune to do a better job. The Geffin VGA to DVI has alot of options in its menu that one would think. LIkewise for the ZX. Its capable if "locking onto" a wide multitude of incomming signals.

| IP: Logged

System Notices
Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi

Posts: 215

Registered: Apr 2004

posted 05-15-2012 05:26 PM

It has been 1622 days since the last post.

| IP: Logged

Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 05-15-2012 05:26 PM

I'm a little confused about the mention of Kerasotes and Showplace as competing chains because, here in Bloomington (Indiana), the Kerasotes theatres were called "Showplace" (and then AMC bought them in 2010).

quote:
Evansville's largest theater operation, Showplace Cinemas, is converting its 39 first-run screens in Evansville and Newburgh to digital at a cost of several million dollars.

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.

<snip>

Stieler's competition, the Chicago-based Kerasotes theater chain....

For some reason this website isn't allowing me to quote from the 2nd article. But I can't believe these points escaped:

1. If the projectionist (Knapp) was running platters, he never used the cues.
2. He could hear the projector in the auditorium.

| IP: Logged

Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 05-15-2012 08:10 PM

... and it was always obvious that the journalist's entire understanding of film came from watching Fight Club. [Smile]

| IP: Logged

John Rhoades
Film Handler

Posts: 2
From: Evansville, Indiana, USA
Registered: Jan 2012

posted 06-01-2012 09:44 AM

Hello Manny,
In Evansville, Indiana "Showplace Cinemas" official name is North Park Cinemas Inc. They have done business as "Showplace Cinemas" for years. When Kerasotes moved into town, they called themselves "Stadium 16" so it would not confuse the locals. North Park Cinemas also has a theater in Connersville Indiana because it was close to the "Kerasotes Showplace" at the time, they named that theater "Showtime Cinemas".

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.