With Regal/AMC its' the same ol' song and dance as with their film projectors...

Those companies are so busy trying to stretch profits that they don't get a SHIT about the presentation of the film. If the bulb can show an image... the fact is that the majority of the film going audience won't know/care if the color or brightness are off. They're probably too busy talking, texting, or groping from my experience in those types of theaters.

It wouldn't surprise me if the manager was messing with the settings after Sony set up the projectors to suck more like out of the bulb to save a couple bucks and make the higher ups happy. It's well known that a lot of these theaters dial down the brightness of their film projectors with either cheaper lamps or by fumbling with the settings which creates a dull, dark picture... but extends the life of the bulb. Sorta like switching a home projector into economy mode, but even worse because it's trying to fill up a 30-foot screen.

All I can say is, if you've got no other option, just keep complaining. Other than that, support independent theaters that actually put thought into presentation/quality... we've got at least two here in Austin: The Paramount and Alamo Drafthouse. If you're in Orlando I used to frequent the Enzian. Sunrise Theaters used to do a bang-up job in South Florida when I lived there as well.

Oh, Speaking of the Drafthouse... they've installed an additional 4K projector at their South Lamar location. Just one screen though (it was used for Fantastic Fest, for sure). That's not the theater I usually frequent (I live up north near the Village location) so I'm not exactly sure which screen it is that is 4K.

EDIT: here's a website that lists the current Sony 4K locations...
http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/mkt-dig...ocations.shtml

I'm bumping the ever-loving shit out of this thread.

Regal Cinemas, in Vegas, is going to convert all but one of their theaters to nothing but digital projection by the end of July. No going back either, all the 35mm projectors are getting removed. By the end of this week, two of their more popular theaters will go all digital (Red Rock 16 and Colonnade 14) with the rest to follow as the month progresses.

Guess what? ALL 4K BABY.

I was highly impressed by the 4K projections I saw of Kick-Ass at CineVegas and during the Get Him to the Greek premiere at Planet Hollywood, so I welcome this with open arms.

Call me old fashioned, but I prefer 35MM projections to digital. I like that look of film on screen.

I've gone back and forth a lot, but overall I tend to agree. I've had a whole lot of bad 35mm experiences (which is what inspired this thread), but lately the presentations I have been seeing have been excellent, much better then my local Regal's DLP projectors. The colors, the texture, the detail, everything about it is just so much more fulfilling then watching a digital presentation. But I have yet to see one in 4k, so my mind could be changed, but I doubt it.

I like the look too but a flawless digital screening (like the one I saw at the DGA theater in Manhattan) is revelatory.

A quick note, all - for the most part, none of these 4k projectors will ever have a 4k digital print displayed on them, at least not for several years until it could possibly become the norm. If you're seeing a new movie in general release, not a revival or festival print, it's highly unlikely that it's anything but a 2K print. Regal and AMC got all these 4ks for one main reason - 3D capability, where the projector's essentially playing two 2k prints at the same time and using a beam splitter to project two images.

Who's charging that much for a bulb? We by ours for $1,100. That's still hundreds of dollars more than a 3500-4000w bulb for the 35mm, of course.

I can't speak for Regal, but AMC is. AMC took out a huge loan with JP Morgan Chase to cover the cost of all those new Sony 4Ks that are being rolled out (with plans to replace most 35mm over the next five years). All our Sony 4K projectors have nice big stickers on them to remind us that they don't belong to us yet. IMAX are different, with their own projectors, but with them we have to buy 3D glasses (RealD costs are covered by the studios) and they take a huge amount of the ticket price, demanding a hefty surcharge.

Probably not at all. Studios demand higher percentages now, trying to wring out as much profit from the digital markups as possible. But, try and get them to cover the cost of projectors and, God forbid, 3D glasses (I'm very glad those RealD agreements have been in place so long). Another problem cutting into potential profit is that digital projectors are still relatively rare in comparison to 35mm, so if a film is being presented digitally, it usually lasts two, possibly three weeks before it's evicted from the digital theatre and replaced with a new movie. The downside here is that for the first two weeks of a film's release, studios take the lion's share of ticket grosses, usually 75% (and sometimes as high as 95% - thanks George Lucas), so whatever's playing in the digital house might not stick around long enough to make much money for the theatre at all. This is becoming less of an issue now that more theatres are getting more projectors and can stand to have a film for up to six weeks, but as said before, those projectors still need to be paid off.

That's just wrong. We're running Eclipse on 35mm and three 4k projectors tonight. They're all the same price.
Predictably, however, the IMAX is four bucks more.


Rob, I'd really hate to share whatever experience ruined the reputation of Regal and AMC in this way for you. What I can tell you for sure is this - most managers have absolutely no idea how to modify anything on a projector. That's not a slight against their intelligence, it's just not their job or responsibility. A lot of us have taken projection booth classes in how to change bulbs in case of emergency, but that's about as far as it goes. The rest is preventative care of the projectors and prints to ensure a quality presentation. When our bulbs start to die, I'm on the phone to my tech to come in that night and get it replaced. Those foot-lamberts are very important to me (then again, I was also a projectionist for years). As for keeping the higher-ups happy, that's the same of any business, so if we have no repeat customers due to low-quality presentation, how is that keeping them happy? It's hundreds of dollars for a bulb, yes, but I'd rather have a fresh bright one in the lamphouse than miss out on the thousands repeat customers bring in.


What's my stance on this 4k boom? As a viewer, I'm missing film before it's gone. It has its own character and organic warmth that digital can't replicate, and I think it's sad that it's being phased out. On the other hand, as an exhibitor, I'm happy that brain wraps and scratches are a thing of the past. The digitals perform so much more reliably.

Is there a site that covers AMC's plans for 4k projectors? I'd be interested to see if any of those around me will be changing over.

Now it's wrong, but back when I wrote the comment it was accurate. Regal charged $2.50 extra to see National Treasure 2 digitally, but when I saw Iron Man 2 digitally it cost the same as 35mm. Back when I wrote that comment, National Treasure 2 was my only 2D digital experience (except for LieMax) and I was charged extra.

as for 4K content, from what I've read from the Sony 4K online newsletter, harddrives with the film at 4K are slowly being released as such. (all 3D movies are maxed out a 2K)The biggest push (hopefully) will be the 2010 rollout of 4K projectors from Texas Instruments/DLP - Rave Motion Pictures theatres are converting as such and in the DC/VA/MD area; Fairfax Corner 14 will probably be the first ALL digital theatre - by October of this year. (Barco systems).

it'd be great when movies shot, mastered, restored in 4K don't have to be downconverted to 2K, with more systems in place I think we'd finally be seeing what all the telecines and restorers are seeing before the 2K downconvert stage - of course if 70mm hadn't up and gone, every film would look fantastic

The Egyptian 24 has a Barco system on it's XD screen, and even at 2K at the moment, it it superior to Sony's systems - the colours and brightness are superior (the IMAX digital systems edge it out slightly by the fact that two projectors are implemented) - lightness is boosted for 3D presentations to compensate for the glasses that naturally darken the image.

one thing I don't like about Sony 4K systems is that when it comes to the end credits - it doesn't replicate white lettering on black screens 'in motion' very well, it looks out of focus and not as steady as it is on 35mm print form.

I apologize Blu, I meant "that's wrong" as in "that's morally and ethically wrong". I wasn't trying to correct you.