Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 5 Deck Platters

This is topic 5 Deck Platters in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Ian Bailey (Member # 1752) on 01-15-2006, 05:14 AM:

Is Strong the only company who makes a 5 deck platter?
Is it any good? Have they sold many?
I'm trying to work out the best way to run a single screen theatre that has very limited space in the projection room for moving and storing prints.We also have a female projectionist who obviously can't drag heavy prints into a sleeve and lift them down from the top deck on a SPECO LP270.
Ian

Posted by Marin Zorica (Member # 1716) on 01-15-2006, 06:45 AM:

Posted by Marin Zorica (Member # 1716) on 01-15-2006, 06:46 AM:

Kinoton also makes 5 deck platter, and they are ok!

You can get 3,4 or 5 deck platter option!

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 01-15-2006, 08:18 AM:

They have sold a lot of them. They work fine. The top deck is high though.

Posted by Bill Langfield (Member # 818) on 01-15-2006, 09:36 AM:

Ian,

About 10 years ago we got a SPECO five plate platter, however the thing sucked it was TOO 'electronic' for it's own good.

They do however make a 4 tier LP270, we got a couple a few years ago.

Ring Hoyts and ask for the number for 'Girraween Store' in Sydney.
You might be able to pick up a used Cinemecannica 5 plate platter from them. They should have two of them, as the place I was fired from several years ago, closed down 12 months ago.
(Ask for Len. Don't mention me or the price may double! :-)

BTW: These platters can play into 2 cinemas at once (not interlocked, but the top two plates go to one cinema, the bottom two to another and the middle plate is shared. I'm guessing you could set all the rollers up to point to a single screen, not sure)

Bill.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-15-2006, 02:23 PM:

Christie also has the AW35, 5-deck platter.

Of course, with a single screen, I'd go with the 2nd projector option...then again, I'd go with that option for multiplexes too.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-15-2006, 03:26 PM:

There's also a rare 4-deck version of the Christie.

I think that Cinemeccanica also has a 5-deck model. The Pictureville Cinema in Bradford, UK has (had?) one, though it might have been a custom job.

Agreed with Steve, though, that the second machine would take up less space and provide more flexibility in a single-screen house.

Posted by Nick Scott (Member # 2850) on 01-15-2006, 04:22 PM:

Cinemecannica do make a 5 deck its the CNR 5-35 they have one at the manly twin cinema it services both screens it looks like it does a good job too.
The kinoton is also very good but very pricey.

Posted by Ian Bailey (Member # 1752) on 01-15-2006, 05:29 PM:

Ok that's the information I was looking for.
The other thing I need to know is whether the 5 deck platters that are designed to be used to run 2 shows at a time,can they be set up to run all platters to one projector??

Posted by Joel N. Weber II (Member # 3530) on 01-15-2006, 06:52 PM:

If you're going to put modern lenses and Dolby Digital readers into a single screen house, though, isn't a five deck platter considerably cheaper than buying extra lenses and an extra sound reader?

But this also gets into the mix of programming; venues used for film festivals have different needs than venues that typically only have two or three prints from the studios at any given time that are going to be shown multiple times.

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 142) on 01-15-2006, 07:15 PM:

Bill, the Girraween Hoyts store is closed I understand - or at least drastically reduced of equipment now.

Ian, about the largest sellers of used projection equipment are Village in Melbourne with platters, projectors, lamphouses etc all available. 4 and 5 decks are not as common so you may have to buy new.

Posted by Ian Bailey (Member # 1752) on 01-15-2006, 07:19 PM:

Thanks David
Village in Melbourne was my next call

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 01-15-2006, 07:51 PM:

Ian, we have a SPECO 4 deck running our two smaller houses, but the Heights Theatre up the road has the same 4 deck for their single screen, non-changeover operations. As far as I know, the current major brands' 5-deck models should come standard for two houses. I know the SPECO & AP can be setup for single house operation.