Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: What projection equipment still has a viable resale market?

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Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 09-02-2011, 05:57 PM:

In a couple weeks we're going to have a projection room full of obsolete 35mm equipment. This includes projectors/lamp houses, platters, MUTs, CP45 processors, CP500 processors, and miscellaneous other equipment.

I realize most of this won't have any kind of value and we'll put it out there as free if you haul it away. But I'm curious if there are still theatres that will be in the market for CP500s, CP45s, DTS 6D, and other equipment.

I'm just trying to get a handle on what, if anything, there might still be a market for.

We also have a fairly large supply of misc. small parts like sprockets, bearing, tension bands, and so forth. Would it be worth the time to compile a list of this stuff?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-02-2011, 06:40 PM:

I reccomend to use Ebay as at least vauge gauge for pricing. CP-500's are still a viable processor in my mind. Perhaps not everyone's favorite but non the less viable for many applications including D-Cinema...

Mark

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-02-2011, 09:06 PM:

CP500's with USL ECi60 interface units do great together for D-cinema projection conversions.

Still very valuable units.

I'd keep the 500's just for that: Your D-cinema conversions.

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 09-02-2011, 10:54 PM:

We did the ECi60 with a CP500 on one house, but went with CP750s on the other houses. I wasn't involved in the purchasing decision, but I believe it was based on a relatively small price difference between the ECi60 and the CP750.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-02-2011, 11:42 PM:

quote: Justin Hamaker
I believe it was based on a relatively small price difference between the ECi60 and the CP750.

That is correct. If the theater has to add an external D to A converter, it is senseless given how close the Dolby CP750 and USL JSD100 are in price to adding that converter (DMA8Plus or ECI60).

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 09-03-2011, 12:15 AM:

Plus, many CP500s still need the Cat 685A...they didn't come with an active 6-channel input.

I would, at this stage, recommend ditching the CP500 for the CP750...if your front panel hasn't got lines through it...it is only a matter of time...likewise if your power supply hasn't failed yet...it is only a matter of time.

From a troubleshooting standpoint (remotely)...again the CP750 wins due to it being accessible via its Ethernet port.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 09-03-2011, 12:42 AM:

I wouldn't call it trash just yet. Last I knew there was an outfit running a classified ad in Boxoffice looking to buy used 35mm equipment. Look it up and contact them. Perhaps they sell it to oversees markets especially third world countries.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-03-2011, 12:53 AM:

"Give you $50 for that projection system, Robert."

Make sense now? [Wink]

Posted by Jonathan Froes (Member # 5861) on 09-03-2011, 06:00 AM:

crap i need a platter if you want to sell...

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 09-03-2011, 05:58 PM:

Getting back on topic: you will find that the "wierd and wonderful" will perish first. Normal will always trump irregular. Plenty of spares for Century/Simplex; not for for Motiograph/Brenkert/Cinemeccanica/Kinotone. Louis

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 09-04-2011, 06:26 PM:

There's absolutely no viable resale market for 35mm equipment, so just send it to me. If you do it now I won't charge a storage fee [Wink]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 09-04-2011, 06:59 PM:

I seriously doubt that platters of any type will have much value in the future. They are really a multiplex-only item, and the types of venues that intend to keep film projection capability for many years tend not to be multiplexes.

I think that Louis is right: Simplex and Century heads (and intermittents, assorted parts, sprockets, etc.) in good condition will continue to be in demand. Same for the most common lamphouses and rectifiers (Strong, etc.).

Film-handling equipment (splicers, rewind benches, film cleaners, etc.) should be worth selling.

Good ISCO and/or Schneider lenses should be worth ~$300-500 each. This is kind of sad, considering their cost when new, but they are definitely worth something. They sell reasonably well on Ebay and can be shipped inexpensively.

The DTS units and DA20s (and readers) should be worth something for a while.

I don't see much of a market for really old or unsupported equipment (Motiograph, Brenkert, Simplex Super/E7) or weird one-off machines that don't have a good stock of spare parts. Why would anyone want an "economy" splicer or a Kollmorgen lens when better, more modern equivalents are readily available at low prices/

Not sure about CP45s and CP500s, but would anyone really install either in a new or newly upgraded theatre? The CP45 is pretty cheesy (though they don't sound anywhere near as bad as some have claimed) and the CP500 has the LCD issues and the lack of a 6-channel input in the default configuration. I would take a CP65 over either of these even though they tend to be older. And with CP650s now at fire-sale prices, that would be the best way to go for a new install. And it wouldn't surprise me if Dolby someday offered an optical input option for the CP750 (or whatever future processor is current then).

I don't know if automation systems are worth anything, but, again, they are small enough that they could easily be sold on Ebay. Maybe someone needs the spare parts.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-04-2011, 07:12 PM:

CP650s are not at fire sale prices. They are fine for digital auditoriums, but be careful with their internal digital to analog converter. It isn't uncommon to lose sound in the middle of a show for no reason whatsoever. Use a DMA8 or ECI-60 and route into format 11 if you keep the CP650.

Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 09-05-2011, 09:44 PM:

3 cp650s have sold on Ebay recently for $1924, $3499, & $3500.

I see Kinneman is selling 750's for $2995 and he is usually overpriced, right?

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 09-10-2011, 04:09 AM:

How about Dolby Cat 350 SR cards? I have a mountain of them that I have pulled out of CP65s that will never run film. Don't they still have some value on the production side? Or should I try to get what I can for them on Ebay while the getting is good?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-10-2011, 11:19 AM:

Mike, those were probably CP650SR units. Dolby's model numering system was a bit screwy. For example:

CP650SR analog only
CP650D with digital
CP650 with digital and EX
CP650IO extra stuff most theaters don't need

They should have made the analog model CP650 and then had CP650D, CP650EX, CP650IO. Confusion would have been much lower.

Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 09-10-2011, 11:45 PM:

The cheaper one was a SR unit but the other ones were digital. Which makes it priced right if 750's are $3000. I guess you play a little extra to be able to run film in digital too, right?