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View Full Version : Digital Movie Theaters (goodbye 35mm)



Spindulik
12-26-2003, 06:28 AM
Here's the story (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=569&ncid=738&e=2&u=/nm/20031224/tc_nm/column_pluggedin_dc). I had this idea years ago. What takes these people so long.



Here's a quote from the article

...A digital version, because it can be easily reproduced, shipped and stored, costs less than $20 per copy, according to cinema exhibitors...
Now if it only costs less than $20.00 for one of these super high grade videos, why does it cost the same for a crappy "mass-produced" DVD?

ivy
12-26-2003, 06:41 AM
yes.. its cheaper to actually put the movies out... in a nice digital format. however, the projectors are a million times more expensive than regular ol' 35mm ones that are being used now. thats whats really kept the theatre chains from switching. and.. theres not a huge incentive nowadays, with the crappy turnout and piracy.

Spindulik
12-26-2003, 06:47 AM
Originally posted by ivy@26 December 2003 - 02:41
yes.. its cheaper to actually put the movies out... in a nice digital format.  however, the projectors are a million times more expensive than regular ol' 35mm ones that are being used now.  thats whats really kept the theatre chains from switching.  and.. theres not a huge incentive nowadays, with the crappy turnout and piracy.
I kind of disagree. In the long run, it may cost as much, but there are many benefits going digital. Once it is the norm, it will cost cheaper. Currently, it costs a theater thousands of dollars to get the first dibs on a new movie release. There will be no shipping costs to deliver the movies and most importantly, the movie will be distributed 2 months earlier to the theaters in other countries. I like the idea of "other" movies, or art movies. Imaging a football game live in a theater. There are a lot of possibilities including enhanced digital effects.

ivy
12-26-2003, 06:50 AM
oh i TOTALLY agree with the digital format. i didnt mean to give that impression. i actually used to manage movie theatres, so ive seen the corporate attitude on the digital format.

personally, i WANT everything to go to digital, now that im no longer in that industry. i hate movie scratches, out of frame movies, dirt on the screen, bad splices.... list goes on and on.

also, theres less chance of human error. extremely low chance of moving stopping due to a problem with the film.. that sorta thing. i was just explaining it from the side of the theatre corporation. they'd have to do a HUGE payout now, for a profit in the future. and.. it WILL take a while to get back the money for the projectors, believe me.