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This is topic Technicolor d-cinema bytes bullet - Hollywood Reporter 11/19/2002 in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-19-2002, 03:07 PM:

An article on page 3 of today's Hollywood Reporter East notes the closing of Technicolor Digital Cinema business development and exhibitor relations departments:

The Hollywood Reporter 11/19/2002 TDC Article on Page 3

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-19-2002, 03:32 PM:

Ummm... Woo Hoo? [Big Grin]

For the people losing their jobs: [Eek!]

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 11-19-2002, 03:45 PM:

Well ain't that just too bad. Hey, I could use one of those boxes for watching DVDs.

Repurpose, Dave, repurpose.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-19-2002, 03:57 PM:

Having been "repurposed" myself over the last year, I definitely empathize with anyone who has to go through that.

"Repurposed" sounds so benign. [puke]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-19-2002, 04:13 PM:

Did anyone ever take them up on the deal to get DLP hardware installed for free in return for a per centage of the boxoffice gross?

BTW, check out the James Coburn article in the same issue.

Posted by Aaron Haney (Member # 747) on 11-19-2002, 04:23 PM:

People losing their jobs is never a good thing. I'm sorry to hear about that.

However, I can't say I'm sorry to hear about the business itself closing, as I was never comfortable with what it was trying to achieve. I think it would have been bad for the overall moviegoing experience had it managed to gain a significant number of installations. For one thing, I believe the systems they installed were closed boxes, meaning the only content that could be shown was that which came directly from Technicolor.* That couldn't have been good for the indie market. Another thing that always bothered me is that they were installing my favority thing in the world to gripe about -- 1280x1024 DLP based projectors. And it appeared they had no real financial incentive to ever upgrade them. That also would have been bad.

----
*At least, that's what I recall seeing posted on this board by people who attended a Technicolor d-cinema presentation at ShoWest. Someone please correct me on this if I'm wrong.

Posted by Dave Bird (Member # 490) on 11-19-2002, 04:50 PM:

So SW III will only show in 53 theatres? Oh no, the lines will be tremendous!

YO DA MAN...........

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 11-19-2002, 07:09 PM:

Maybe someone should rub it in old George Lucas' face! [Eek!]

Posted by Gordon Hedges III (Member # 863) on 11-19-2002, 07:47 PM:

FYI-Technicolor D-Cinema is not closing their ENTIRE division. Just a small branch of it. I was concerned, because we are looking at opening Treasure Planet on DLP. Looks like it is still going to happen. It looks like Digital may be around for a while longer.
[Cool]

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-19-2002, 09:10 PM:

I assume the "Business Development" and "Exhibitor Relations" departments were primarily to develop and support NEW installations. Sounds like they needed and kept nine staff people to maintain the older systems already in place. Anyone from Technicolor Digital Cinema care to comment?

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 11-20-2002, 02:05 AM:

I contacted them when there was all that business about giving away 1000 projectors. The museum does run lots of video and gee wouldn't it be fun if I got to play with my very own 10Kw xenon DLP monster. We've got a 27ft screen so DLP MIGHT be able to fill it. I really did kind of tongue-in-cheek just to see what they would say. I made the point: "I would imagine that it couldn't hurt Technicolor and TI to get some good PR by including one or two art houses and alternative "prestige" cinemas in the DLP give-away, seeing as how plenty of industry people already hate this heavy handed move to begin with." The spokesperson was very polite and answered that they would "consider" all sectors of the industry, but they had certain criteria....etc., etc. The under tone was, "yah right -- like we're really going to give you a $140,000 machine to play non-blockbuster movies with....don't hold your breath."

Well, it seem like I've been able to hold my breath longer than they have....heh heh.

Frank

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 11-20-2002, 09:30 AM:

Err...it would be a mistake to interpret this as meaning digital cinema is going away; it merely means that TDC is waiting for the studios to finish setting their standards before doing more deployment work, and recognizes that in today's economic climate, that means they have to let some people go [Frown]

.

So hold that euphoria in check...

--jhawk

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-20-2002, 09:46 AM:

Digital Cinema WILL eventually happen. And Kodak WILL help make it the best it can be:

http://www.kodak.com/go/dcinema

BTW, Kodak keeps investing in making FILM the best it can be also:

http://www.kodak.com/go/Vision2

Posted by Aaron Haney (Member # 747) on 11-20-2002, 11:49 PM:

quote:
Err...it would be a mistake to interpret this as meaning digital cinema is going away

I seriously doubt anyone in this thread believes that. I for one just think it's a good thing that this particular brand of digital cinema will not be doing any more installations for a while, for reasons already stated.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 11-23-2002, 07:08 PM:

Exactly....this particular format promises to give less quality than HD will be able to deliver to home theatres. And it certainly isn't a level of presentation BETTER than film in movie theatres. I have always said, if digital can allow me to present the great classics in a way that gives my audience the same experience that audiences got when they first saw those films, then I am all for it. As any rep house operator will tell you, FILM is becoming more and more difficult to come by -- old prints just keep getting older, so I would be the first to champion a new technology that will let me present, say, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA the way audiences first saw it, a technology that can deliver what was on the original 65mm camera negative. But now, DLP's only claim to fame is that it can make film look ALMOST as good as the poorest quality, high speed printed release prints. And at a cost that is a joke.

THAT's why some of us on this thread make no bones about our cynical attitude about the current state of DLP.

Plus, how can you take anything seriously that calls itself Dee-Cinema? [Smile]

Frank

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 11-24-2002, 08:42 PM:

Maybe other D-Cinema developers can speed up the industry by integrating old DIVX DVD players into their scheme. [Big Grin]