Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Average price per booth in a new construction

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Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 06-19-2002, 11:48 PM:

I was wondering if there was some median price for all booth equipment in a new construction that can be used as a reference point. Also, assuming that all brand new equipment was being used and including speakers. Just looking on the internet, for top of the line new equipment (Simplex, Dolby, Kelmar), including speakers and set up for Dolby Digital it came to about $58,000.. does that sound to be about right? This is just me being curoius..no serious plans yet.

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Adam Fraser
www.pinestheatre.com

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 06-20-2002, 06:52 AM:

Good ballpark figure which would allow for installation and delivery and factoring raw Mulone frame and screen before the money runs out.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 06-21-2002, 12:14 AM:

You could do it with used equipment for about half that price per booth.

Used stuff can be very good if you shop carefully. Christie AW3 platters and MUTs are very reliable and easy to rebuild and maintain. Same is true for Century projectors.

I usually have to buy my Dolby and DTS out of "B-Stock" which is factory refurbished product. They can't legally sell them as "new" even though they only use new parts to replace the defective components. The only used processors I ever bought were Dolby CP-50's and they are still working flawlessly. I changed a fuse in one of them about a week ago. That's the only "emergency" I have ever had with one of them (and it was because a card was installed upside down when we were resetting the levels).

Oh...I did get some used processors by Smart. They worked fine but I just didn't like them (Mod IIB and IIC). I love their music distribution amplifier, though (DA-226).

I only buy JBL loudspeakers and I only buy new ones.

Lenses - I used to buy used, but I'm rethinking that now. Especially scope lenses. I don't think I'll ever trust used lenses again.

Amplifiers - Most of my QSC 1400s are used and I've never had a problem with any of them.

My automations are always brand new because I like the Christie/Pennywise CA-21 and there aren't too many used ones on the market. However, I'll bet you could find some really nice used ones by Strong. (I buy new Component Engineering cue detector/failsafes FM-35).

However - Get MATCHING consoles, projectors, platters, etc so you only have to keep one spare parts inventory and also it makes it easier to train new projectionists if there is a general similarity across the systems.

You could buy out an entire setup from a cinema that closes down and then modify it to suit your particular needs and/or tastes.

Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 06-21-2002, 02:22 AM:

Check out the "Advice on a 2 screen" about a week ago.

I got a lot of info from that.

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 06-21-2002, 06:17 AM:

Manny,
with the great advances in lenses and the trend to go with short focal length, it is better to buy new. Since you are technically out of the USA you should be asking your dealer for international pricing which is different than the USA pricing, if you are buying German products. Strong is also overstocked on lenses so good deals are available. Prior to the summer of 2000 practically all projection equipment we have sold was new.....now it is running 50/50 new and rebuilt.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-21-2002, 08:26 AM:

Richard Fowler said: "with the great advances in lenses and the trend to go with short focal length, it is better to buy new."

I agree. Lenses are one place that "oldies are not goodies". If used lenses are contemplated, be sure to test them in your theatre using the SMPTE 35-PA (RP 40) test film. IMHO, with today's "state-of-the-art" lenses, there is no excuse not to achieve the most critical resolution classification specified by SMPTE Engineering Guideline EG5 "Projected Image Quality of 70-, 35-, and 16-mm Motion-Picture Projection Systems". For "large appearing screen images" EG5 specifies a resolution of 80 lines/mm in the center, 56 lines/mm at the sides, and 48 lines/mm in the corners of the image. Old, used lenses may also have higher levels of flare than modern designs having better anti-reflection coatings.

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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 Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 06-21-2002, 12:08 PM:

Thanks guys for all the info. I was trying to figure out what it would cost to build a comparable booth to what we have in our one-screen today. Which is 2 Magnarcs converted to Xenon, 2 Simplex X-L's, 3 Ashly FTX-2000 amps for screen channels, 2 Altec 9444 (I think) amps for Sub and Surround. All JBL loudpeakers with Altec surrounds. Dolby Digital, platter, etc. I had not yet heard a discussion on what a new booth would cost and this hes helped out my curiosity a lot.

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Adam Fraser www.pinestheatre.com