Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Showtime Hotline

This is topic Showtime Hotline in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Dane Cash (Member # 2112) on 08-25-2009, 08:40 PM:

My movie hotline recorder finally bit the big one. I've looked online and can't find anything on hotline recorders. I'm probably looking for the wrong thing. I was told to get an answering machine, but I don't need any messages left on it. The sole purpose is for the hotline. Does anyone have any websites I can check out for a recorder? Also Call notes is not available in my location for some odd reason.. [Mad]

Anyway, Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-25-2009, 11:09 PM:

After wearing out about 4 or 5 answering machines, I gave up on them. Even the no-moving-parts digital ones didn't last. I went to a voice-mail provided by our phone company. I got it with the "no incoming messages" option. It costs a whopping $1 per month, provides a 1-minute outgoing message, and has the advantage that I can update it from anywhere. We've had it for about 4 years now and I figure I'm already money ahead on broken answering machines.

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 08-26-2009, 01:58 AM:

Yeah, voice mail is the way to go. The service we use allows 16 simultaneous incoming calls, so your customers never get a busy signal.

If you do go that route I'd suggest getting an answering machine to go on your old number (if you can't use it for the voicemail service you get) so that customers can be redirected to your new number. You can set most answering machines to give an outgoing message only.

Posted by Dane Cash (Member # 2112) on 08-26-2009, 03:51 PM:

Yeah, that's what I'd like to do. I called at&t and nothing like that is available in my area, which is weird I thought. I was told to get a digital answering machine... no moving parts... but like I said I would rather have something that ppl can't leave messages on since afterall it's only a hotline.

Posted by Jarret Chessell (Member # 5077) on 08-26-2009, 04:03 PM:

I know Smart made one that was great for multiple screens (Smart Movie Times - Manual is on this site). It took a while to get onto programming it, but once you got use to it, it was fairly simple. It seems pretty professional too as you can say "Press one for showtimes" followed up with "Press 3 for showtimes for Iron Man". If you could find it used it would be a nice replacement.

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 08-26-2009, 10:33 PM:

We've been using the Smart Movie Time for almost 15 years with no problems other than replacing the internal 9v NiCD back up battery. I also have a Uniden answering machine on our office that is set for out going message only. Not sure what the recording length is though.

At another theatre I worked at for a while they used AT&T call notes I believe. I do remember that they had such a large volume of callers that it grid locked the system a lot.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-27-2009, 01:58 AM:

quote: Dane Cash
get a digital answering machine... no moving parts

I thought that would be the answer, but the digitals didn't work any better for us. We wore out 2 of them. They just started sounding worse and worse over time, not sure why. Both machines did that -- the first one (a Uniden) got to where the outgoing voice just sounded like it was coming from underwater. The second machine started doing the same thing, but before it could get to "replace me!" awfulness, it just stopped working altogether.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 08-27-2009, 10:46 AM:

The one that Smart made in the 80s was perfect. Most are still working. I have several in stock left over from a large circuit. Louis

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 08-27-2009, 06:40 PM:

quote: Dane Cash
I would rather have something that ppl can't leave messages on

I think some digital answer machines have options that prevent people from leaving messages. The other option is to just delete the messages when you record the new film times.

One thing to make sure is that you can turn off the loudspeaker when you want, otherwise you will hear the times being read out to every caller.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 08-28-2009, 09:38 PM:

You might want to take a look at this: On-Hold/IntelliTouch Announciator Systems These are digital based systems and ours has lasted now about 4 years -- no doubt they outlast any form of mechanical playback unit. Ours runs non-stop 24/7/365. The nice thing is it allows you to do background music behing the vocal tracks with automatic ducking if you so desire and you do all the recording in your computer with the software they provide. We love it. We use it only for music on hold on our digital PBX, but it can be a stand-alone for just showtime announcements. And of course there is no provision at all for recording incoming calls. It is simply a rather sophistocated (and robust) playback unit, NOT a consumer piece of crap.

Posted by Dane Cash (Member # 2112) on 08-29-2009, 01:46 PM:

Thanks everyone. I ended up finding a decent one at Radio shack. It's just a digital answering machine with a setting where no messages can be left. The only thing is I can only record up to a minute. But if I utilize every second I can spit out what is needed in time. I think as long as you keep the recorders free of dirt they should last awhile. I shall see. Thanks for ya'lls input.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 08-29-2009, 09:04 PM:

We/ve been using the phone company system for about 12 years without any significant complaints. A major advantage is that it isn't in the theatre so it works when the power is out.