Digital Revolution Begins: U.S. Theaters to Buy New Projectors
Filed under: Tech Stuff, Exhibition, George Lucas
In case you're wondering why it's taken so long for American theaters to switch over to digital projection, the technology is expensive. One digital projector used to cost millions (now a bit less), and cinema chains just haven't had the dough to replace all, or most, of their equipment with the new stuff. Considering they couldn't get the studios to foot the bill, they seemed to be okay with the slow changeover. It isn't like theaters pay to develop film prints and ship them around the world, so it wasn't a loss to them. Still, they have had pressure to switch, particularly now with all the buzz about 3D versions of the Star Wars films. Finally, cinemas are eying the prospects more clearly. The major U.S. chains, owned by Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Entertainment, Inc. and Cinemark USA, Inc. are about to borrow $1 billion in order to furnish 13,000 screens (one-third of the country) with digital projectors. A joint venture of the three companies, National CineMedia LLC is working with JP Morgan Chase & Co. to raise the money from hedge funds and private-equity firms. The money will be paid back over seven years with help from the studios (this is still being worked out).
Personally, I've been enjoying the slower process, and this coming from somebody who spent three years working with the annoyances of platter-system film projectors. I love the way film looks and I probably won't change once I do see a movie in digital (I know, it's about time I check it out). Nonetheless, I am always excited about advances in the cinema industry, and am therefore excited about this news, if it is true (it comes from anonymous sources on the fund-raising side of the deal). As long as places like Film Forum always use the old projectors, I don't mind at all if the multiplexes do their thing.
Has Chris Evans Won Captain America's Shield?
When Netflix Isn't Enough
Full-Length 'Predators' Trailer Debuts
Frankenstein is 100 Years Old! Watch His First Movie Now!
Bryan Singer May Direct 'X-Men 4' and 'Wolverine 2'
_thumbnail.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-07-2006 @ 4:36PM
kendallunion said...
Hopefully, truly independent cinemas like the Film Forum will be able to survive for years to come. There is some convenience to digital projection but it doesn't not match the warmth and quality of actual film being run through a projector. The way the light bounces off the screen is different.
And Star Wars in 3D--only if it is the original trilogy. The second trilogy won't improve in any dimension they intend to exhibit it in.
Reply
7-07-2006 @ 5:23PM
Zippy66 said...
Just wanted to correct a bit: your numbers are a bit off - a digital projector doesn't currently cost 'millions' (though they probably did a few years back)...Sony has two commercial 4K models available: the SRX-R105 (5000 lumens) which goes for just under $67,000 and the SRX-R110 (10000 lumens) which goes for just under $99,000 (prices courtesy of projectorcentral.com)
Also, if you divy up the $1 billion by 13,000 (assuming 1 projector per theater), you get a cost of $76,923.08 for each theater. (Maybe they're getting the SRX-R110 at a discount?)
Agreed on your basic idea though - that's still an awful lot of cash for current theaters to pony up just for the 'latest, greatest technology'...
Reply
7-07-2006 @ 5:32PM
Christopher Campbell said...
Okay, so when I was working in the theater business -- which is when most of the current projectors were installed -- they were millions. Thanks for the correction, Zippy66. I did notice that in my source (which is now linked, I must have forgotten it before), it says the renovation for each screen is about $75,000, but I figured they were getting a bulk discount or something.
Reply
7-07-2006 @ 6:28PM
The Jeremy said...
I'm all for digital projection if its at the resolution levels of Sony's system. Picture perfect projection with each showing. No more paying full price to watch damaged film.
Although having typed that, I wish the studios would still "film" the blockbuster films since resolution is key. It would be nice to see the epic films shot on 70mm again. And then in a few years, Sony or some other company might bring to the market a digital projector that equaled the resolution of 70mm film (8k lines or so).
Reply
7-08-2006 @ 1:07PM
Scaramanga said...
I'm only a bit concerned about the color of the digital projections - it's still a little bluish and it's sort of a letdown when you want to go see a film and get caught in the 'digital' theater... Like many, I have a projector at home and while, yes, the theater has higher-res ones than I will for a long time, the pleasant look of the film still is preferable to me for skin tones and darker scenes.
Reply