Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: SDDS and AMC Theatres

This is topic SDDS and AMC Theatres in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 05-28-2002, 09:23 AM:

Is there any truth to the rumor that Sony cut a special deal with AMC?

I heard that AMC got all those SDDS players for some ridiculously low price (like $100 each) and their screen count alone put SDDS on the map.

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~Manny.

Some people can read "War and Peace" and come away thinking it's a simple adventure story while I, on the other hand, can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.
Lex Luthor, "Superman: The Movie"

Posted by Christopher Duvall (Member # 284) on 05-28-2002, 01:17 PM:

I do not know the details, but it is true. They have been using SDDS for quite some time. I am pretty sure John P. may be able to dig up the details somewhere...

Posted by Mark Lucas (Member # 791) on 05-28-2002, 01:27 PM:

I think AMC also has a deal on ceiling fans, cheap speakers that are mounted near the ceiling and those Torus screens that suck.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-28-2002, 03:22 PM:

Here's information from the Sony SDDS website:
http://www.sdds.com/tech/engserv/insidetrack02.pdf

And AMC's:
http://www.amctheatres.com/about/firsts.html

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-28-2002, 07:03 PM:

Sony has cut deals with other circuits as well. Some of their most aggressive dealings came in 1995 with companies like United Artists buying a lot of SDDS units at very seriously discounted prices.

If I remember right, Sony even ran a pricing special for "Batman Forever" where SDDS units cost $6,000 instead of the normal $15,000. Dolby ran a similar pricing special for Dolby Digital on their then-just-relased DA-20/Cat No. 700 reader packages. I can't remember if that special was just for "Batman Forever" or if it applied to new installations showing "Crimson Tide" as well.