Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Can Anyone Explain What SXHD is?

This is topic Can Anyone Explain What SXHD is? in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=16;t=000469

Posted by Jeff Christensen (Member # 5498) on 11-27-2009, 07:54 PM:

There is a multi-plex theater that opened on 12/23/06 in St. Michael MN (close to wherere I live) that had an IMAX MPX screen (42x70) with a 15/70 projector in it. Showed all the DMR films plus some IMAX originals like "Space Station 3D" .. "NASCAR3D" ... and very sucessful runs of "300" and "The Dark Knight". The in the fall of 2008 the screen went silent for many, many months (while the other screens went on without missing a beat). Could not get any information out of the people there; Then, earlier this summer (2009) they re-opened the screen with what they called an "SXHD" Super High Extreme defenition, claiming its much more powerful than the IMAX digital. And they advertised it on a "Four Story High Screen". Well, when it opened with "Transformers 2" earlier this year the picture was somewhat good quality but nowhere near the quality of the 15/70 film. They charge $14 per person to see films there now (IMAX $12 for the Dark Knight), yet there are two plexes within 15 miles that have a "Monster Screen" (35x80) and the quality is just as good. And besides the former IMAX screen was four stories high but the SXHD does not use all of it; it's a small letterbox.... which to me is not worth $14 bucks a ticket. So what the heck is SHXD al about, if any of you know?

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-27-2009, 08:23 PM:

I found this...

quote:
SXHD engulfs you in the moviegoing experience with a cutting edge, high definition digital projected on an amazing four story giant screen. With nearly 9 million image pixels (4x more than other giant screen digital theatres), SXHD truly is "THE NEXT LEVEL IN GIANT SCREEN CINEMA"

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 11-27-2009, 11:03 PM:

This is not a film format. Moving to Video.

Posted by Jeff Christensen (Member # 5498) on 11-28-2009, 12:33 AM:

Well, actually it has to do with the Large Format Theatres because it is supposedly replacing IMAX in some markets and is being billed (wrongly in my mind) as being a better format than 15/70. It has nothing to do with film.

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 11-28-2009, 08:23 PM:

Next will be SuperMegaUltra High Definition. 80 billion pixels on a 20 story screen and 1.21 jigawatts of uber-digital sound.

Posted by Eric Rice (Member # 4665) on 11-30-2009, 01:24 AM:

SXHD is just a term they coined for the new screen. They're running a Sony 4k D-Cinema projector and advertising it as better than IMAX and regular D-Cinema screens, though they have yet to run any 4k content on it. I liked it better when they had the IMAX system in there. I'd visit the place on a regular basis, but have only been there once since the IMAX shut down, and that was to check out Transformers 2 on the SXHD screen. I agree, the quality wasn't the greatest, being that it was a 2k film projected on that large of a screen. The sound system still sounded just as good as before, but $14 for a digital screen running mostly 2k films when I can go for less than half that price for a matinee at any other local theatre? I don't think so. That definitely is a nice theatre, but not worth it any more. It's poorly run too, it's the only theatre I've ever complained about presentation at, and I'm picky. Supposedly they actually lost the IMAX system because they weren't honoring their contract. I've also heard that the banks own the whole place.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 12-03-2009, 12:35 AM:

Dang, think they're going to have to get some major wattage bulb(s) to fill that screen to look good? Or, find a digital unit that can tolerate that much heat?

..and charge up the ying-yang at the boxoffice to pay for the thing?

where's good ol 5/70mm presentations? By the time all the money's been blown on digital, 70mm could come back more cheaper..

-Monte