Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: UA Stonestown Twin (SF) going digital

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Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 06-06-2012, 11:22 PM:

Interesting...Regal updating the UA Stonestown with digital projectors next week . Someone mentioned that they though the lease would end this year but apparently not.

Their 35mm presentation was pretty good, so I'm not sure how much digital will improve the presentation.

Mike C.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-06-2012, 11:48 PM:

If they've been practicing "film done right," it shouldn't improve it at all! [Big Grin]

I get a little pleasure out of the fact that since we switched, not one person has come up to me and said that our picture looks "so much better."

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 06-07-2012, 08:27 AM:

It's the opposite for me, Mike. I've had people walk out of my film houses and tell us that our digital picture looks great!

I honestly think that the customers could care less.

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 06-07-2012, 01:11 PM:

They should un-twin it. Based on the pictures I've seen of that place I don't even want to go in. I liked how 70s the outside of it looked, don't know if that's been changed recently.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-07-2012, 01:54 PM:

quote:
had people walk out of my film houses and tell us that our digital picture looks great!

Probably people who have thought all movies were projected from DVDs for years, eh?

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 06-10-2012, 10:59 AM:

I wonder if the house lights will be fixed so that they dim properly during the trailers and then the movie....

Posted by Michael Putlack (Member # 6523) on 06-11-2012, 03:51 PM:

I've always thought that Stonestown Twin had a certain charm. All of the floor staff there seem to be on the older side and everyone was always really friendly. We used to trade passes with them but I think I was the only one to take advantage of it. I'd always get a cheesesteak at the mall food court followed by popcorn and dibs at the theatre.

Posted by Geoff Jones (Member # 3668) on 06-11-2012, 08:05 PM:

I've never been there, but my brother visited it in 2006 and wrote this review on my (no longer active) movie theatre review blog:

quote:
This theatre is terrible. I'll never go back to the Stonestown Twin.

Because the auditorium was twinned (large auditorium split into two smaller ones) the chairs aren't pointing toward the center of the screen. You'd have to sit far to the right side to have a chair aimed near the center of the screen. Similarly, the current auditoriums are way too long and narrow. Sitting in the back, you be watching a movie a quarter mile away.

This also makes the sound bad no matter where you sit. There is little to no bass, and the dialogue is inaudible.

His girlfriend (now wife) added:

quote:
Attending a movie at UA Stonestown Twin was the worst movie going experience I have ever had. Aside from making no logical sense, having to crane my neck to see the screen was painful and uncomfortable. Apparently the theater used up all it's money dividing one theater into two and forgot about fixing the seats. Or they only care about selling more tickets to more movies rather than making their customers comfortable and able to actually enjoy the movie. I know that I will never under any circumstances attend another movie at that theater.

I wonder if going digital will improve things?

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 06-12-2012, 02:55 PM:

I've always been strangely fond of this theatre. Nice big free street level parking lot, older employees, very quiet atmosphere.

Once you've seen a few movies, you figure out which are the good seats and which ones are not.

Mike

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 06-19-2012, 12:33 AM:

UA STONESTOWN TWIN

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 06-24-2012, 07:18 PM:

Okay, finally went to see "Safety Not Guaranteed". Also snuck a peak at "Bernie" for a few minutes.

Both presentations looked very good. Image bright, possibly a little brighter than the 35mm units. Evenly illuminated. The image was razor sharp. Good colors. Sound quality (from the screen) seemed improved.

On the scope image (Safety Not Guranteed) there was slight letterboxing on the top and bottom of the image. Perhaps 3-6 inches. Not that noticible...but I hope the tech's return to re-advist the masking.

I can't even remember what type of digitial projectors they were. The unit's were black .. and I believe they were Sony 4K.

Mike

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-24-2012, 09:05 PM:

Being a UA location, it's under the REG banner whom do use Sonys, abolished moveable maskings and "band-aid" the scope image in the middle of the screen.

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 06-24-2012, 10:16 PM:

Monte:

This theatre does have top masking that drops down. The 35mm scope image was not to perfect aspect. It was more like 2:15 with the sides cropped a little.

The digital scope image appears to be correct 2.35, which explains a little bit of letter boxing on the top and bottom.

Mike

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 06-24-2012, 11:43 PM:

Mike, was the top masking at least pulled down to mostly crop the screen to a scope image? Or were they pulling a Century 24 San Jose, and leaving the top masking up in the "flat" position and just showing the scope image letterboxed inside the entire "flat screen"?

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 06-25-2012, 12:32 PM:

Eric,

Yes the masking was dropped down.

It appears the new projection unit resets the masking to "Flat" as a default. When the movie strats, the unit detects "scope" and drops the masking.

An excellent way to prematurly wear out the masking motor, cables, wheels etc. [Smile]

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-25-2012, 03:55 PM:

quote: Mike Croaro
An excellent way to prematurly wear out the masking motor, cables, wheels etc.

...why the discontinuation of moveable maskings...

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 07-06-2012, 12:16 AM:

They should charge half the ticket price if you're only getting half the theater.

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 07-19-2012, 03:04 PM:

Jessie, they just took your advice and went to a discount theatre! [thumbsup]