Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Minimum Equipments needed for a 50 Seater Cinema

This is topic Minimum Equipments needed for a 50 Seater Cinema in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Anurag Chourasia (Member # 9025) on 03-23-2018, 11:36 PM:

I am looking to start a 50 Seater cinema in my town. Appreciate some guidance regarding the minimum projection infrastructure that I will need. Do i need a IMB? Or a Projector alone? What about a server? Could someone help me with the bare minimum so that i could start working out the cost and the option to acquire used equipment. Thanks for your guidance.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 03-24-2018, 11:35 AM:

Basically, you need a server, and a projector. Some manufacturers integrate server and projector, some keep them as separate units. It is not relevant for your cinema operation which of these methods/devices you choose. A (playback) server is always needed/used, even if you can't discern it from the projector as a separate device.

In many parts of the world, a Barco DP2K-6E or NEC NC900 (superseeded by the NEC NC1000) is the lowest cost entry into projectors for small auditoriums. Christie seems to have outphased their solaria one projector, and I don't know how their 2208 or 2308 compete pricewise.

You need to contact local dealers/integrators, or companies from abroad serving your country and request quotes to find out about the pricing in your area.

Buying second hand gear is another option, but you need to be careful to not end up with something that can not be serviced or supplied with spare parts anymore. I suggest, if you receive offers, to inquire on this forum wether they can be recommended, as for a start-up, it can be difficult to judge.

When buying a projector, you also need to to think about 3D or not-3D, as that has implications on projector type (brightness).

- Carsten

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 03-24-2018, 11:50 AM:

And there's the matter of sound and screen. So many choices. Starting with a perforated screen, the speakers behind the screen, a certain number of speakers and amplifiers.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-24-2018, 12:25 PM:

How big is your drawing area (Population)? Will 50 seats be enough to handle the crowds you will attract?

Also, consider the grossing potential. If you can only accommodate 50 people (which will in reality be more like 40, because at that point people will come back out saying "It's full, can I have my money back?") Is 40 tickets' worth of money (and concessions) enough to sustain your expenses?

Keep in mind you won't get that many every night. Last Tuesday we only had 3 people in the building.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-24-2018, 07:27 PM:

I have a customer that has a 30 seater and a 112 seater in Idaho. His customers actually really like them. $ regular sized theaters are upstairs.

Mark

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 03-26-2018, 04:46 PM:

Besides a projector and a server you also obviously need:

- A properly sized room, which isn't as plausible as it seems, since it takes quite some design considerations to get the geometry of a properly designed cinema just right.
- A sound system consisting at the least of a sound processor, a bunch of amplifiers (the amount of amplifiers depends on the amount and type of speakers and weather or not you're doing active v.s. passive crossovers) and, of course, speakers. To do a bare minimum setup for 5.1 you need three stage speakers, a sub woofer and two surround speakers, but preferably more.
- A properly perforated screen which should be properly masked, preferably with movable masking, but that's the thing that gets taken off the list first nowadays...
- A bunch of seats. You could try to start with second hand, refurbished cinema seats, but make sure you get a batch originating from at least the same cinema.

Disclaimer: Above list is totally incomplete.