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Topic: WB Hands Out Night Vision To Harry Potter Exhibitors In UK

Rob Butler
Film Handler

Posts: 91
From: Westford, MA, USA
Registered: Mar 2004

posted 06-01-2004 03:38 PM

I know that most of those rides have IR security cameras set up throughout the whole ride, this is nothing new, IR cameras are basically just like night vision scopes except that they feed directly to composite video, the ride can be completely dark and the operator can still clearly see every nook and crany of the ride. I found this out first hand once when I was 17 on the Haunted Mine ride at Canobie Lake Park in Salem NH, they had this miner who faded into a ghost, I was curious of how they did this, needless to say, paying 15 bucks to get into the park only to be kicked out less than an hour later just to get a look at an old Panasonic CRT video projector really wasn't worth it.

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Thomas Procyk
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1842
From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 06-01-2004 07:03 PM

quote: Mark J. Marshall
Surreptitious recording from cinema seats, sometimes interrupted by the head of the person in front shifting and blocking the action, has become a serious menace, according to the industry.

ACK! With this type of "real theater atmosphere" included in the copies which can now be reproduced at home, this will SURELY bankrupt cinemas if we don't do SOMETHING about this MENACE! [Roll Eyes]

Besides, there's "probably" a bootleg of the HP3 screener floating around "somewhere" on the internet already. [Razz]

=TMP=

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Andy Muirhead
Master Film Handler

Posts: 323
From: Galashiels, Scotland
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 06-02-2004 06:54 PM

We have one of the night vision scopes. When I took it into the hall just out of curiosity, I became all self conscious because I thought customers would think I was videoing the print.

They look just like camcorders. Great little toy but absolutely useless for the suggested use. These things cost £300 each, and If they are sent out to every cinema in the UK with HP3, that must be about 350-500 sites. Do the math. I wonder what precautions the studio's are taking with their screener DVD's? I would suggest fuck all, because everybody knows that all pirate copies are made in cinemas. [Wink]

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 06-03-2004 01:31 AM

quote: Andy Muirhead
I wonder what precautions the studio's are taking with their screener DVD's?

If they're sending out any at all then that's it as far as any security is concerned. All it takes it two programs, freely available for download from a bazillion sites, to strip out Macrovision, CSS and every other copy protection system in current use and then re-author the content into what is effectively a clone of the source.

And of course if the camcorder dupes are being made by cinema staff as distinct from customers, then the night vision goggles will achieve bugger all. It might be that Warners are attempting to find this out, but I suspect the real agenda is a publicity stunt.

quote: Dan Harris
The advice note from Warner with the print also tells us to "confiscate and erase tapes found in any recording device removed from the auditorium".

Again, this smacks of a publicity stunt. I imagine that Warners are rich enough to have corporate lawyers who have doubtless told them that any such action would incur criminal responsibility on a number of counts (ranging from straightforward theft to assault or GBH, if any attempt were made to relieve a customer of his or her camcorder involuntarily). Presumably the managers of all the big cinema chains have told staff to ignore these notes.

Put one of these night vision scopes in front of a camcorder and you could shoot some interesting footage of, err, 'activities' in the back row, though... [evil]

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Michael Harlow
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 170
From: Faversham, Kent, UK
Registered: Jul 2002

posted 06-03-2004 04:28 PM

I have the night vision stuff from WB. Not used it! Had the standard letter from WB about piracy. Ignored it!

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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug

Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 06-03-2004 06:10 PM

quote: Leo Enticknap was the last to post
I wonder what precautions the studio's are taking with their screener DVD's?

The last set of Screener DVDs I got had nightvision glasses packed with them.

>>> Phil

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Darren Briggs
Master Film Handler

Posts: 371
From: York, UK
Registered: Dec 2001

posted 06-06-2004 06:30 PM

We have the glasses and I would suggest you use them if you have a pair.
It would certainly F**K up your relationship with Warners if your site was found to have had a twat of a pirate in.

If people are not bothered about less people coming to see filmsin cinemas, feel free to take your camera in yourself and make your self job less!

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Andy Muirhead
Master Film Handler

Posts: 323
From: Galashiels, Scotland
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 06-06-2004 07:21 PM

So does anybody know which UK site the alledged camcordering of the last HP occured? Or is that, as I suspect, bullshit.

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Alexander Smith
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 128
From: Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 06-07-2004 11:39 AM

At the risk of adding further fuel to the discussion here.

A "friend of a friend" (and I trust the source) told me today
that illegal copies of Potter3 were available in the UK on the
day of the cinema release.

I've not actually personally seen one of these discs yet, so
I don't know if it's a screener or something that's leaked out
of the studio.

Alex.

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Rob Butler
Film Handler

Posts: 91
From: Westford, MA, USA
Registered: Mar 2004

posted 06-07-2004 04:03 PM

I'm pretty sure that night vision goggles give out a pretty large amount of infrared radiation, if so, wouldn't using one of them in a house with an IR hearing impared system be a bad idea?

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Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 06-07-2004 05:12 PM

Alex, I can vouch for the info from your friends friend, they are available at a well known market in Scotland, apparently the stall had one of those in car DVD players going, and my friends friends said that there was no way that this was camcordered........

Imagine my surprise....

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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug

Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 06-07-2004 07:21 PM

Actually Night Vision Goggles give out NO IR. They are different from IR viewers in that they rely on the electronic amplification of the existing light... like the "star scopes" used by the military and law enforcement.

>>> Phil

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Mark J. Marshall
Film God

Posts: 3188
From: New Castle, DE, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 06-07-2004 07:51 PM

Phil,

some night vision devices have an IR illuminator that floods the area with invisible IR light that can then be amplified. But this is only necessary in circumstances where there is absolutely no light at all... for example in the middle of a cave... at night... on the dark side of the moon. [Razz]

But that certainly won't be necessary in a theater while a movie is running as there's tons of light reflecting off the screen.

Mark

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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug

Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 06-07-2004 08:05 PM

Ummm, please spare me the lecture and go re-read my post...I thought we were talking about movie theatres and not 2 people f*cking in the park.

I have done TOO many venues and I certainly know the difference.

Thanks!

>>> Phil

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Mark J. Marshall
Film God

Posts: 3188
From: New Castle, DE, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 06-07-2004 08:16 PM

quote: Phil Hill
Actually Night Vision Goggles give out NO IR.

Ok...

List of features on an el-cheapo non-military style $370 set of night vision goggles called the Rigel 3300 Night Vision Goggles / Binoculars :

quote:
* Removabe night vision monocular
* Built-in sensor system protects image intensifier tubes from bright light
* Individual objective lens focus
* Built-in infrared illuminator for operation in total darkness
* Black metal housing
* 3-position rotary switch: all power off - system on - system on plus infrared illuminator on
* Comfortable and safe fully adjustable headmount with flip-up storage capability

Not trying to insult you, Phil, but I'm not sure what I'm missing either.

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