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Topic: We're getting a digital projector for 'Dinosaur'

Andrew D'Vrey
Film Handler

Posts: 92
From: St. Paul, MN USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 04-15-2000 01:25 AM

Word has it we (Mall of America, General Cinema) will be getting a digital projector for the showing of Disney's Dinosaur, May 19th. No word yet what kind, who's installing or (gulp!)

who's running it, but I will keep ya'll posted.

If there are questions people want me to ask, let me know. I'm sure I will bug the people who bring this in to no end.

Just out of curiosity, anyone here currently running a digital projector on a regular basis?

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"And the monkey flips the switch."
- Major Don West, "Lost In Space"

Andrew D'Vrey
IATSE Local 219

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 04-15-2000 03:42 AM

Interesting how it seems most films in digital projection are originating from a digital source.

Are any just your normal, everyday movies with real actors and real scenery or would that make the comparison too biased in film's favour?

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"It's not the years honey, it's the mileage".
Indiana Jones.

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Stephen Jones
Master Film Handler

Posts: 314
From: Geelong Victoria Australia
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-15-2000 07:53 AM

That's a good point John! I have been thinking about that also.

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Greg Anderson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 766
From: Ogden Valley, Utah
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-15-2000 08:54 AM

I have a question. Who's paying the tens of thousands of dollars for the "upgrade" to digital? We're told that digital projection will save the distributors the cost of making all those movie prints and that theatre operators will be stuck with the cost of new equipment. But is that true in your case, or is the distributor sharing the cost to "prime the pump" and make digital projection a wide-spread reality?

Is there anyone out there running digital projectors which have been in operation since last summer? Is there anyone out there who was running digital projectors last summer but has had those projectors removed? Or has the equipment been upgraded? What's the long-term operational reliability of these projectors?

Okay... that's more than one question. I don't mind the idea of seeing digital movies which were computer generated anyway, so what's wrong with digital and "chemical" living together in peace for the time being? As soon as the technology improves enough to give us great looking, non-effects movies, then none of us will complain too loudly, will we?

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Chris Erwin
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 195
From: Olive Hill,KY
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 04-16-2000 09:28 AM

I too argee about digital projection starting their roll out with digitally made films. Gotta sale it!

The typical patron still doesn't care.

--Chris

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Ari Nordström
Master Film Handler

Posts: 283
From: Göteborg, Sweden
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 04-17-2000 02:31 AM

My condolences.

I'd like to know how a theatre gets a digital print? On CD or DVD? Through a satellite link? What is the storage medium? Does anyone know?

We've been spared from the digital theatres around here, so far, but I guess it's only a matter of time.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-17-2000 09:45 AM

At least with Star Wars, the digital "print" was shipped on a D-5 videotape (which is about the best-quality tape format in existance...many levels above the usual broadcast standards of Betacam SP). The "movie" was then loaded into a hard-disk array which was used for the actual projection (presumably to avoid wearing out the tape after repeated showings).

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-17-2000 11:22 PM

I work at Cinemark Legacy 24 (pictures available) and we have had a TI DLP projector installed since Thanksgiving for Toy Story 2. We have played TS-2 and Mission To Mars for the general audience and SW-EP1 for "Special" screenings.

The projector was removed after the SW screenings and a new one brought in for the others. The projector head changed slightly as TI moved a couple of hardware cards from the VIDEO playback to the projector head.

The film is stored on a QUVIS device that encodes every frame in 21 bit color. (If I remember correctly). This frame is then sent over COAX in HD (High Definition) to the projector head where it is then decoded and projected.

Mission to Mars used up so much space. Almost all 32 GB that there was only enough space for one trailer (Gone in 60 seconds), the TI timeline and TI DLP Logo. This only left 2 bytes available. I think this will change. We are also slated to get Dinosaurs.

It is loaded from DVD into the player and then mirrored onto an identical set of drives for backup. If the playback unit senses a problem, it switches to the mirror set.

I know what all the "Die hards" say about the image and mainly agree, but the general public will accept what they see.

TI had a standee by the entrance that said "See a movie, not the film".

Anything else I can provide, let me know.

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Bryan Redemske
Film Handler

Posts: 70
From: Cedar Falls, IA, USA
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 04-18-2000 10:57 AM

how do you go about getting ahold of one of the DLP's? do they just decide that your theatre should have one and send it? i'm kind of curious about all of this stuff. i've been keeping an eye on things on here and i'd like to see one in action. or even what it looks like...but i'm in iowa.

brad are there pictures on here somewhere?

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-18-2000 11:20 AM

Here is a link that will show you different pictures of the pieces that go into the projector, etc.
http://www.ti.com/dlp/resources/library/dlpcinema.shtml

Hope this helps.

For information on the QuBit Player, goto:
http://www.quvis.com

Paul Konen
Usher - B
Cinemark Legacy 24
Plano TX

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Bryan Redemske
Film Handler

Posts: 70
From: Cedar Falls, IA, USA
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 04-18-2000 12:29 PM

those pictures certainly help. i wasn't sure if it was just like a slide projector or what. that makes it a lot clearer. thanks!

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 04-18-2000 02:33 PM

There are pictures here as well. Click on pictures below and find "Showest 2000" as well as "Texas Instruments DLP".

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Andy Davis
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: Gainesville, FL
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 04-18-2000 07:47 PM

I'm not exactly sure how a theatre is chosen for DLP but I know it's negotiated with the company's upper management. AMC is running half of the DLP projectors currently showing movies and as far as I know, the decision came from thier home office and was not a theatre manager decision. AMC has placed them in their top attendance theatres in major markets (Orlando, Chicago, etc).

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Andrew D'Vrey
Film Handler

Posts: 92
From: St. Paul, MN USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 04-21-2000 10:26 PM

Well, I guess this idea just got canceled. It' would have been interesting, but to be honest I'm glad. One less damn thing to worry about 'round here.

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"And the monkey flips the switch."
- Major Don West, "Lost In Space"

Andrew D'Vrey
IATSE Local 219

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-22-2000 01:12 PM

Paul's comment about the TI DLP standee got me thinking. I read in Film Journal about how when a film plays in two houses, one digital and one "film," the digital house has WAY more patronage. They are trumpeting this as an advantage of digital. Well, HELLO!! If you put up a big sign saying "see it in digital," OF COURSE the people are going to want to check that out, what with digital being the "buzz word" of the new millenium!

What I'd like to see them do is go ahead and put in the digital machinery, but don't advertise it as such. Just let the word of mouth do the work. If it's really that much better, before long the people will start spreading the word "Make sure you see it in Theatre A, it has a lot clearer picture (or whatever) than Theatre B." I think if the test is done this way in a well-run theatre with otherwise identical auditoriums (sound, seating, etc) the "digital difference" will be a lot less than they say it is.

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