Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Satellite broadcasts -do you have the equipment?

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Posted by Elise Brandt (Member # 5552) on 09-27-2013, 11:42 AM:

I'm looking up percentages here... in Finland, less than 4% of independent cinemas are capable of receiving and screening live content via satellite. How is it in your countries or areas you know? Is it common to have the equipment?

As alternative content, or event cinema, as the term is now being coined, is becoming more and more commonplace, the live performances are being pushed and DCP format being ignored in those productions, and frankly I'm worried for the rest of the cinemas that are left outside of this new possibility because they are either afraid to try a new thing or financially not in a situation where they are willing to make the investment, small as it is.

Can you tell me your take on this please?

Elise

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 09-27-2013, 12:18 PM:

Just like the general trend, unfortunately independent cinemas are a dying breed around here. But even those do generally have equipment for live satellite broadcasts and are regularly showing live concerts, opera and other live events.

I'm doing a very broad guess here, but I guess that in a 50 mile / 80 km radius about 85~90% of all cinemas are capable of showing live content. Obviously not on every screen, but at least in every complex.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-27-2013, 01:07 PM:

Deluxe sent out an email asking for replies from cinemas interested in installing the satellite equipment. I responded immediately but have never heard another word from them. Not that I expected to.

I'm sure that after they are all done equipping the huge chains for free, they will then offer the equipment to tiny independents for an inflated price.

Posted by Harold Hallikainen (Member # 5405) on 09-27-2013, 02:26 PM:

Was the Deluxe offer for DCP delivery or live content?

Harold

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 09-27-2013, 02:57 PM:

To those that do have the equipment, what events have you shown, and how well did they do?

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-27-2013, 03:28 PM:

quote: Harold Hallikainen
Was the Deluxe offer for DCP delivery or live content?

I think it was mainly for DCP but had the capability to deliver live content.

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 09-27-2013, 03:56 PM:

Mike, both of my company's theatres have satellites from both Deluxe and Technicolor. They were installed about a year ago.

As for the alternative content/live events: these don't seem to be a very big deal at this point. Although some theatres have had some success with the ballets and/or operas, I have not heard that any of the alternative content events have been especially popular.

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 09-27-2013, 04:44 PM:

At my current location, literally in the shadow of the Bay Bridge, we are doing the live simulcast of the Metropolitan Opera shows from New York City, and always need two 200+ seat screens in order to meet the demand. At my previous location, in a rural area about 50 miles to the east, every Met Opera broadcast gets 12 guests. Every time. The same 12 people. Never more. Never less. Something like a Mayweather fight will sell out regardless. But for most live simulcasts or other alternative content, we'll get between 50-100 guests per show at my current location and between 0-20 for my previous. I think these alternative content shows work best in urban areas.

Ironically, though, my former location has the satellite distribution from Technicolor and Deluxe and my current location does not, even though my former location is far less busy than my current location. Maybe it has to do with testing equipment in mid-level rural areas before rolling it out worldwide to locations that might find it difficult to have content delivered to them otherwise.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 09-27-2013, 08:06 PM:

quote: Stephen Furley
To those that do have the equipment, what events have you shown, and how well did they do?

Almost all venues around here regularly show opera simulcasts. They're often Broadway plays live from New York, so they tend to run at rather odd times, given the timezone offset. It has been around for a few years and still seems to sell some tickets.

Then there are some sporadic live concerts, the most popular one around here seem to be the one of André Rieu who is very popular in a certain demographic. Recently there was a "live premiere" of that stupid One Direction movie.

And then there are important live sporting events, the biggest one around here is obviously soccer, sometimes even in 3D. They don't seem to sell that many tickets though, I don't think a cinema is the best venue for those kinds of events. One independent cinema has been running Formula 1 for a while. Most of those live sporting events are pulled either from cable or public satellite services.

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 09-30-2013, 12:08 PM:

We have done 2 live shows so far. One Opera and a National Theatre. Attendance for both nothing to write home about.

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 09-30-2013, 03:33 PM:

A previous site I worked in had most of the Met Opera season sell out on the first day tickets were available. Booking day resembled a George A. Romero film set in a old persons home!

National Theatre (London) events usually sold well.

A big problem with the Met Opera screenings is they fall on Saturday nights and will cause scheduling issues.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 10-01-2013, 02:56 AM:

quote: Marcel Birgelen
And then there are important live sporting events, the biggest one around here is obviously soccer, sometimes even in 3D. They don't seem to sell that many tickets though, I don't think a cinema is the best venue for those kinds of events.

The few big sporting events they did at a theater I used to work at did great, but the reason is that this was a dinner theater that also serves liquor/beer. So, they got the same kinds of people who'd otherwise go to the sports bar down the road.

Posted by Kris Verhanneman (Member # 5562) on 10-05-2013, 12:35 AM:

We have a whole network of screens where we can 'play' live events (HD SDI network).

It includes our biggest and middle sized screens. For most screens we run by the centrale reciever that is monitored and programed by distance with a backup of a 'normal' satellite reciever (our previous system we used) (HDMI).

The centrale reciever is also capable of recieving 3D and DCP content (there are 2 different heads on the dish).
Next to that we also recieve DCP content by another company (and another dish) + content by ADSL.

For the projection room only we have 5 reception dishes on the roof (we already had some questions by maintance: "Do you still use all?").

What works great: opera and live concerts.
We also had good results with sports but that depends a lot of the results of the national team.

To get back to the question of Elise: find a good partner that provides content. Keep also in mind that the Met transmission are on saterday. You should see if you would not be able to have it recorded and replay it at a later moment (that way you will not loose a theater for 2 screenings on saterday). It is something to take into consideration. Live broadcasting is working better for us.

Posted by Jay Glaus (Member # 6011) on 10-05-2013, 10:42 AM:

Over where I am, in the US, I personally don't have satellite equipment, but the Carmikes near me does. I took a look at it in their booth.

I wouldn't mind putting it in, my only problem is from what I understand I need to have some form of an LMS, which I am told means running 3 legs of CAT6 to each booth, so I can push the content to each machine. The system I was told about would not only give me live content but also push trailers into my booths. Being in a drive-in setting the booths aren't exactly close to each other which would definitely drive the price up. Especially when you consider everything down to the trenching, it's just not in the cards yet. I do say yet because I do plan to have it someday, I think its a great concept... except when it snows [Smile]

Posted by Elise Brandt (Member # 5552) on 10-12-2013, 01:20 AM:

Thanks all.

We do have a great partner and lots of live content already, usually we run an encore as well (always for operas and ballets, ours come from the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden), and so far it's been working great. I'm just trying to get other small cinemas in the country to join us in this, but recorded content is preferred here (by cinemas) and the cinemas just aren't very interested in turning to live content. Hence my asking if it's more common in other countries.

Jay on snowing: Finnish winters. A buttload of snow. Knock on wood here, but so far no problems in broadcasting for it [Smile]

although the dish gets buried pretty well on the flat roof!

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 10-14-2013, 08:06 AM:

I don't know if other countries have different systems for live content - at least in germany all live content is broadcast in standard 1080i unencrypted DVB-S2, so the equipment needed is more or less consumer grade. Typically a cinema will use somewhat more reliable receivers and a larger dish (120 to 150cm) to achieve a more stable signal under adverse wether conditions, but the upfront cost are quite low. If you combine it with a DCP distribution contract, the equipment will usually even be supplied and installed for free here.

We have a similiar very mixed situation here in germany with attendance - in some locations, they always outsell, in others, it's a complete flop. As the initial cost are usually low, I would always give it a try. I know that most locations doing the classic broadcasts usually add some specials like serving wine, champagne, upmarket snacks, etc., which the audience greatly acknowledges.

I would think that live broadcasts should work fairly well in scandinavia.

- Carsten

Posted by Steve R Pike (Member # 6238) on 10-17-2013, 01:07 PM:

We have regular satellite screenings. Our audiences for MET Opera are reasonable - as a previous poster stated, seems to be the same ones who come to each performance.

We also show all the National Theatre shows, as well as the odd ballet or outdoor concert.

I would say it's an excellent strand to our programme - who else can go to watch a MET Opera LIVE for less than £15!?

It has taken some trials and errors to get our technical setup to work fully. We've used various set top boxes, receivers - and we have had a few hiccups over the past 5 or so years we've had live screenings. However, as with anything new, these kind of issues were expected.

We now use an Icecrypyt receiver, which is connected via a Denon AV Surround receiver to bypass the sound to to the Dolby processor.

We also ... just in case ... have a back-up Technomate satellite reciever. Which we had to switch over to a few weeks back due to a technical issue with sending MET opera signals to Icecrypts.

The Icecrypt also records onto the hard drive which is good for those encore performances you subscribe to.