This is topic The curse of the loop end platters in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Miguel Angel Martorell (Member # 1110) on 01-29-2002, 08:08 PM:
In my new destination I have to deal with 4 Cinemeccanica loop end platters with 12 years old or so and itīs simply hell. Rarely is the show that we havenīt to go to the booth (in this stinky mini complex there are 5 independent booths and 8 screens))in order to make any correction or stop the show (it doesnīt happen very often, we are professionals 
) but Iīm loosing my patience.
Are this kind of platters present on many booths of the States or any other countries or they are products of the past?.
Does Cinemeccanica still making loop end platters or they quit?.
I only know one loop end platter which is really a non-threading system, the Kinoton but...left my alone with my Cinemeccanica CNR-35 "normal" platters and let me enjoy with my work.
Un saludo ------------------
Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 01-29-2002, 08:34 PM:
Hola,
you rarely see them in use in the USA except for lobby
display of coming attraction or museums. The projectionist role in maintaining the unit is important and situations where you interlock auditoriums with one print is impossible. They where to be a "labor savings cost device" but with the minimum wage usher operating most equipment in the USA is not neccesary. In Latin America where labor cost is low, I have seen situations where there is a projectionist for each cinema in a multiplex.
I have one in operation for seven years in one cinema but in
another we had to replace with video projection due to the different skills of the projectionists.
I wonder how Film-Guard would would on a print on an endless platter?
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 01-29-2002, 08:43 PM:
Regal used to use the Strong enless loop platter for it's rear-projection lobby screen. But from what I understand, most operators found it too much of a hasle to do trailer changes on it every week, and it didn't always work right anyway. So theaters that have these platters just use the top and bottom decks for normal operation. The lates lobby screens at Regal used VCRs.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-29-2002, 10:22 PM:
There is a theater chain up north that uses FilmGuard on a Christie endless loop platter. They played around with it and reported that the optimum performance was obtained by picking one day out of the week and running a freshly soaked set of pads ONE performance, and then not using the cleaner for the rest of the week.They said there was no more static, the film and projector was noticeably cleaner and there were no more brain wraps. I wish I had an ELF to play with for my own testing, but apparently this company got good results in this manner.
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 01-29-2002, 11:03 PM:
ELF - Endless Loop F____ ?
Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-29-2002, 11:25 PM:
Christie Endless Loop Film System.
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 01-30-2002, 12:08 AM:
thanks
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 01-30-2002, 08:01 AM:
Links to information:
Kinoton
Christie
Strong
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-30-2002, 09:57 AM:
Miguel,
I am pretty sure these can also run as regular two deck platter systems too if you prefer to do it that way. Its certainly better for the film. If you have a double feature have your theatre buy a couple of platter reels of some sort to keep the second print on the side.
Mark @ GTS
Posted by Wes Hughes (Member # 981) on 01-30-2002, 03:18 PM:
I have also seen some endless loops with the middle platter converted for regular use. I have never done it, but it seems you would have to drill holes for the hub ring, do a bit of rewiring, and replace the rewind followers with standard takeup equipment that the "normal" top and bottom decks use.
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-30-2002, 04:36 PM:
The Potts endless could run either way on the fly.
Mark @ GTS
Posted by Miguel Angel Martorell (Member # 1110) on 01-30-2002, 06:49 PM:
Thanks Mark and others, in fact all the ELF have two normal platters that are used too but the problem is that usually we have 2 films or in some cases 3 per screen and booths are designed for a kind of projectionist like Stuart Little so we have to work with the ELF in one show minimun.At least today they have worked correctly and, if thereīs no problem, on june I hope to return to my beloved 11 screen cineplex that has a couple of ELF too but reconverted to "normal" platters. I cross my fingers.
Un saludo.
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