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This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4
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Author
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Topic: AMC ETX Digital Review
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Tom Petrov
Five Guys Lover
Posts: 1121
From: El Paso, TX
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 10-19-2010 12:20 AM
I just got the opportunity to watch an exclusive engagement showing of "Hereafter" in AMC ETX Experience....
AMC advertises their new concept as follows
"AMC Yonge & Dundas exclusively offers the Enhanced Theatre Experience for all performances in Auditorium #7. ETX features a 20% larger floor-to-ceiling screen, 11-channel surround sound with 57,000 watts of power, and 8.8 million pixels providing 4X the resolution of HD"
Digital is cleary where movies and the exhibition is going. IMHO, after my viewing today, Digital is superior to the film experience. Now, don't get me wrong, I used to be projectionist for a long, long time. I built films, broke them down, changed bulbs, did this, did that. Film is done.
The most intersting thing about my experience was how perfect the showing was. No scratches, no dirt, perfect focus...no splice changes (although I kind of missed them).
As for the sound, WOW it was loud in there.
Also, I must point, the stadium seating at this AMC was curved rows. There were two obstructed seats in the theater and they you can't see part of the screen when watching flat.
Few things to point out:
-the screen was 55 feet wide
-I had no issues whatsoever without real masking. It was like letterboxed on a 16x9 tv....was kind of different at first, but I got used to it.
-Very, very loud.
-Surround speakers were staggered.
-Outstanding, perfect image (and not film-like, more like HDTV.
While watching the credits, I did pay some respect to the fact the movie was shot in PANAVISION with PANAVISION Lenses.....one day we won't be seeing that.
It is nice to know that there is both film and digital options.
For the most part, I knew I wasn't watching film, but I didn't really care as my experience was absolutely perfect.
Ticket price was $15.50
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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today
Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99
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posted 10-19-2010 04:16 AM
quote: Tom Petrov
ETX features a 20% larger floor-to-ceiling screen
20% larger than what? The smallest screen in the complex?
quote: Tom Petrov
the screen was 55 feet wide
LOL, that's really not very big.
quote: Tom Petrov
11-channel surround sound
ROTFL. ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif) Do studios mix special versions of all of their movies with 4 to 6 extra channels just for this auditorium?
quote: Tom Petrov
Digital is cleary where movies and the exhibition is going. IMHO, after my viewing today, Digital is superior to the film experience. Now, don't get me wrong, I used to be projectionist for a long, long time. I built films, broke them down, changed bulbs, did this, did that. Film is done.
The most intersting thing about my experience was how perfect the showing was. No scratches, no dirt, perfect focus
It sounds like you were a shitty projectionist. No scratches or dirt? In focus? Is that supposed to be amazing?
quote: Tom Petrov
As for the sound, WOW it was loud in there.
Volume ≠ quality. Even a shitty car stereo can be WOW loud, but it will still sound like shit.
quote: Tom Petrov
Ticket price was $15.50
Ouch. I hope that came with a nice vat of anal lube, because from the sounds of it, it would definitely come in handy!
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Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 10-19-2010 12:07 PM
Is this "ETX" thing just a better-than-average implementation of off-the-shelf equipment, or is something proprietary being done with the image and/or sound to justify the surcharge?
As I posted in the thread about the Regal something-X concept, I really take issue with the idea that customers should have to pay a surcharge for top quality projection and sound. Isn't this something that all theatres should be providing to all customers at the normal ticket price?
As far as I know, in the history of exhibition, there was never a surcharge for talking pictures. There was never a surcharge for 70mm (outside of roadshow engagements). There was never a surcharge for 3D (until this decade). There was never a surcharge for magnetic stereo, Dolby Stereo, or digital sound. Exhibitors put in these things because customers demanded them and because customers would choose to patronize theatres based upon presentation quality.
Why is it that now this industry (which regularly congratulates itself on being the lowest-cost form of out-of-home entertainment) feels the need to nickel-and-dime consumers for everything, including picture and sound quality? ![[Mad]](mad.gif)
At least digital Imax can sort of justify its existence based upon some proprietary image processing and its sound system (and, presumably, some level of standards and oversight for its installation and maintenance). Unless AMC is doing this, I fail to see how a surcharge can be justified.
Also, I don't get the "loud" thing. There are standards for cinema sound systems. Playing the soundtrack at a higher-than-normal level without some good reason to do so (e.g. sold-out house) violates those standards. I wonder what sound mixers think of this idea.
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Tom Petrov
Five Guys Lover
Posts: 1121
From: El Paso, TX
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 10-19-2010 10:22 PM
quote: Scott Norwood
Is this "ETX" thing just a better-than-average implementation of off-the-shelf equipment, or is something proprietary being done with the image and/or sound to justify the surcharge?
For the ETX. I walked into a few of the other theatres, they are constructed like theatre #7 and #8. This was the best stadium seating movie theate I have even been in. I even have a threat showing my disgust for stadium seating in another forum.
Every single row was curved.
Each seat was pointed directly at the middle of the screen
The screen was 55 feet
The picture was crystal clear and razor sharp
The surrounds were staggered
The rise was in between a sloped theatre and a stadium seating theatre.
The sound was outstanding, it was like I was at an event. It was very loud.
I was actually seated in the lower bowl about 8 rows from the screen, was just perfect.
The ETX is not for everyone, but for the first time in a long while, I was entertained.
quote: Scott Norwood
As far as I know, in the history of exhibition, there was never a surcharge for talking pictures. There was never a surcharge for 70mm (outside of roadshow engagements). There was never a surcharge for 3D (until this decade). There was never a surcharge for magnetic stereo, Dolby Stereo, or digital sound. Exhibitors put in these things because customers demanded them and because customers would choose to patronize theatres based upon presentation quality.
The times have changed, IMO this was a whole new way of watching a movie based on the screen and the sound. I mean 57,000 watts of power?
quote:
) feels the need to nickel-and-dime consumers for everything, including picture and sound quality? [Mad]
For the record, and here it is. I paid for one person.
-$7.25 for the train ride there
-$15.50 for the ticket
-$17.80 for lg pop, lg popcorn, MandM peanuts
-$7.25 for the train ride home.
Money well spent as everything was perfect. Would I do it again? Hell yes.
It also helped that the movies was good.
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