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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Topic: Moving a digital projector
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Frank Angel
Film God
Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 04-20-2009 06:10 AM
It's always about capacity -- prints are always moved based on what kind of sales a title is doing -- assuming the complex has auditoria with varying seating capacities. So if you are opening a title that is expected to be a tent-pole, you want to move that into a high capacity room.
As far as the server, there is no reason that it needs to move with the projector as long as each position is properly wired. The stack venting is just a matter a mechanical design that allows easy attaching and detaching. Same thing with alignment --a simple mateing arrangement with male and female rails or alignement pins can easily be designed.
We had a 70mm installation that needed to be moved from one side of the booth where the ports faced an indoor theatre to the other side of the same booth where the ports faced an outdoor courtyeard theatre; it worked beautifully -- and this was with a dual 70mm JJs in a change-over system, both on a single dolly platform with big rubber wheels. The platform had four "male" pipes that protruded out of the front of the platform which slid into slightly larger "female" receptor pipes that were attached to the walls at both positions. Turnbuckles were rigged in the base of the platform so that fine adjustment could be made once the unit was slid into place. All interconnecting wiring was made with three imbilecle.
It was done with two 70mm film projectors, and it was a fairly easy conversion from one "booth" to the other. The requirement was that if it were to rain in the outdoor theatre during a show, the entire system would be changed over to the indoor theatre in 15 minutes. At first the rectifiers were also on a dolly so they could be moved with the projectors, but it was decided that they could better be located equidistance to the each position so that in the even of a change-over to the other theatre, the xenon lamp could be kept burning, thus eliminating any need to power down, cool and then wait to be able to strike. My understanding is that they have never had do to the move due to rain, but we did test it out a few times and it worked flawlessly. If it can be done effectively with a two 70mm projectors, surely a more compact digital unit would be a walk in the park -- you should be able to make a switch fast enough to do it between shows.
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Phil Ranucci
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 236
From: Carpinteria,CA, United States
Registered: May 2006
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posted 04-20-2009 06:20 AM
The reason we'd want to move to a smaller house is that most films drop off steeply after the first week, and since we only have one 3-D system, we're stuck with a slow film in the biggest house, if we want to offer it in 3-D. Yes, we could play it in 35mm, but 3-D brings in the $$,according to the press. We're using Dolby so we don't need to use a silver screen. Ventilation isn't a problem. Mark's got a good idea, but we're looking at using the same machine in two auditoriums. We're only getting one digital projector, so if we could roll it to a smaller house we'd still get the 3-D increase in business and free up a larger house for a 2-D release. I'd love to install all new digital projectors, but ain't gonna happen. We're keeping our 35mm machines in all houses. Obviously there is a hassle factor that will determine if we try this more than once,, but I'm interested if anyone's done it.
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Tristan Lane
Master Film Handler
Posts: 444
From: Nampa, Idaho
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 04-20-2009 08:54 PM
My thought on the MCGD debate in regards to Dolby 3D is that if the color correction needed between screens was negligible and hard to notice, they manufacturer would have left calibration out. Instead they could correct the color within the content itself with each eye's frame being offset to compensate for the filter wheel and glasses.
I'm led to believe that the differences between environments can affect the outcome of the gamut to a point where it becomes noticeable.
Of course, the same could be said for RealD. If the characteristics of the Zscreen and glasses were consistent, color correction could be the same from screen to screen and not require measuring through the Zscreen and glasses. An offset could be applied to your current MCGD values and it would be "corrected"
Alas, this is not the case. Why fault them for trying to keep things as consistent as possible? White is 314 x 351, not 310 x 348, and so on. If all theaters align in the same way, the product being shown will be as consistent and correct as possible.
Mark, my one complaint with the MasterImage system is that the damn thing is so bulky that many theaters would be required to move their projectors back from the port window to make space for the big box. Also, A TON of theaters have projectors installed with flex conduits running across the floor directly where the big box needs to sit. This can create a whole handful problems with extending or rerouting wiring.
EVERY 3D system has it's drawbacks, and I believe the exhibitor will pay equally for any of them either in the short term or long term.
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