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Topic: Rave's Christie/AIX Deployment

Frank Angel
Film God

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

posted 09-29-2007 05:24 PM

Well, I am not convinced that the entire world will go digital in 10 years, Mark -- there are a LOT of theatres out there where they don't speak English with 35mm equipment, without the economic resources that we have here. They may not be able to go digital even if they want too. Do you see the same kind of deals the US chains get with "virtual print fees" subsidizing digital equipment being extended to the Third World? Certainly demand in foreign markets for Technicolor to keep labs running will exist long after the majority of US screens go digital, no?

But the real downside, IMHO, of this seemingly unstoppable move to digital in the US is that if this conversion reaches a majority of screens here, then 2K is defacto the standard and 4K is pretty much dead in the water. Does anyone think after a Rave conversion to 100% 2K digital, they will any time soon have any inclination to RE-convert to 4K should producers want to release in the higher res? Me thinks people in Rave's markets are going to be stuck watching 2K for a long, long time.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-29-2007 05:28 PM

quote: Frank Angel
Do you see the same kind of deals the US chains get with "virtual print fees" subsidizing digital equipment being extended to the Third World?

Frank,
I don't reccall saying the entire workld will be "Digital" in ten years but the USA and Canada will be for the most part. Today, a good portion of the "Third World" has been showing films via DVD and CRT/LCD projectors for many many years. The cost to ship a single 35mm print around Africa for instance prohibited them from exclusively using 35mm film long ago. Ditto at many very remote locations in South America although the latter still has quite a bit of film for now.

quote: Frank Angel
then 2K is defacto the standard and 4K is pretty much dead in the water.

Well, I was told by pretty reliable sources that the Theater version of the Sony 4K is going to sell for around 189K dollars.... Now I don't think many chains are going to be very interested in it at that price. I have no idea of the deal between Muvico and Sony but I can guarantee you they didn't pay that much. No one here can uneviocably state that 4K will in reality be all that much better than 2K anyway although I suspect it will be.

The big three... AMC, Cinemark, and Regal have already pretty much decided on 2K anyway... that accounts for the majority of the screens in the US. 2K can look dam impressive even on a 70 foot screen.... I've seen quite a number of D-Cinema presentations(flat and scope) on that size screen. I think you'd also walk away impressed....

Mark

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Mark Lensenmayer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1605
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 10-02-2007 09:11 PM

Shane,

The release says that all screens have digital projection, but nothing is said about any also having 35mm. Was any 35mm equipment left in these locations?

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Shane Cooper
Expert Film Handler

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

posted 10-03-2007 12:45 PM

quote: Mark Lensenmayer
The release says that all screens have digital projection, but nothing is said about any also having 35mm. Was any 35mm equipment left in these locations?

Actually, no. All 35mm equipment was removed at the same time the digital was installed. We do not have any side-by-side units.

The equipment may still be on site, but it has been prepared for sale or storage. Are you in the market for 400 35mm? [Smile]

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 10-03-2007 01:37 PM

That's a somewhat risky move to take out all 35mm equipment at this point. Carmike is approaching the 2100 screens mark on Christie CP2000 installations, but they have maintained at least 1, 2 or more 35mm projectors at every d-cinema equipped location. Some movie releases are still going out as 35mm only. Those projectors are still getting some use. Perhaps in another year or two the situation may be different.

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Mark Lensenmayer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1605
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 10-03-2007 02:04 PM

Are there any major releases going out without digital? I can see why an art house or small theatre might still have 35mm, but if all you play are the most current releases, I don't think that would be a problem.

As for the "art" houses, the last show I saw of a very small release was on standard DVD (Chalk).

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Chris Slycord
Film God

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

posted 10-03-2007 03:12 PM

You're forgetting that even a lot of big chain multiplexes get independent releases.

But then again, even those are generally released under some larger studio.

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David Zylstra
Master Film Handler

Posts: 432
From: Novi, MI, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 10-03-2007 03:14 PM

I'm surprised Rave did a 100% conversion, unless they have plans to sell the 35mms why not have some dual systems "just in case".

Since the spring we have had almost no 35mm . . . . very few exceptions - currently we only have "Feast of Love" in 35mm.

A lot of advance screenings are still coming 35mm (unless they are the same week as the release).

Last year this time we ran about 50/50 film/digital so this year was a definite turning point in availability of digital content.

We will be 50% 35mm capable for a while - when we build again we plan to move 35mms over from our existing screens in order to have a few film capable auditoriums.

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Michael Schaffer
"Where is the
Boardwalk Hotel?"

Posts: 4143
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 10-03-2007 03:29 PM

quote: Shane Cooper
Actually, no. All 35mm equipment was removed at the same time the digital was installed. We do not have any side-by-side units.

Do you work in the Rave Col.Glenn in Little Rock?

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Mark Lensenmayer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1605
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 10-03-2007 06:06 PM

David Zylstra said:

quote: David Zylstra
currently we only have "Feast of Love" in 35mm.

I did a quick check of the RAVE locations, and none of them have FEAST OF LOVE.

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Shane Cooper
Expert Film Handler

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

posted 10-03-2007 07:24 PM

quote: Michael Schaffer
Do you work in the Rave Col.Glenn in Little Rock?

Yes.

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