|
Author
|
Topic: DIGITAL PROJECTION EXPLANATION?
|
|
|
David Au
Member
Posts: 133
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Registered: Sep 2006
|
posted September 27, 2007 02:14 PM
Digital projection is a new type of projection that does not use film. Movies are stored on hard drives and are projected onto the movie screen using a digital projector.
Digital projection has some advantages and some disadvantages. Digital projection is not as high resolution as film. However, with digital projection, dust and scratches are eliminated.
When you watch a digital presentation the picture is made up of tiny pixels. If you look at film, the picture is smooth. If you like watching a pixelated dvd on your tv, digital projection will look ok to you. If you like a smooth picture, regular old fashioned film looks great. If film is taken care of properly, there should be no scratches or dust and it can look even better than digital projection.
Digital projectors are much more expensive than film projectors. If everyone were to switch to digital projection, obviously movie theater companies will have to raise ticket prices and food prices drastically to pay for the expensive projectors. As of now theaters charge 2 or 3 dollars more for 3D digital projection movies. Sometimes you have to buy special 3D glasses to see the movie. Price gouging!
Some say it is a conspiracy to raise ticket prices. Who knows.
I don't go out of my way to see a digital movie. I find that regular film looks great.
In a few years when 4K digital projectors come out, maybe then digital might look better, but as of now 2K digital projection is more of a gimmick to try to get people back into theaters or just an excuse to raise ticket prices.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Dan Roben
Member
Posts: 155
From: Seattle, WA
Registered: May 2003
|
posted September 27, 2007 03:58 PM
The Dome now shows films digitally 100% of the time? Interesting. The Seattle Cinerama got rid of their digital projector because the screen was too big for it to project properly (though I have no idea what system they were using).
I am opposed to digital projection for several reasons:
1) When viewing a film digitally, the picture lacks depth and colors can appear to be washed out. Also, and this is hard to describe in words, the projected image looks cold and almost too perfect.
2) Conventional film projection has worked amazingly well for over a century now, with many projectors still operating after 50 or more years of continuous service. I'm not suggesting that digital projection is prone to breakdowns, but once "the next big thing" arrives on the market, all the digital theaters will have to replace their equipment again and costs will continue to skyrocket. Already, 2K systems are becoming obsolete as 4K looms on the horizon.
3) It's a scam brought forth by the bean-counters of the big chains to bring in the unsuspecting customer who thinks that if it's shown in digital, then it must be better. Just read any press release announcing the opening of a new megaplex and, invariably, words to the effect of "no longer will the customer have to endure scratches or dirty prints" appear. Well, if the chains bothered to train their projectionists properly and treat the position with more respect (i.e. higher pay), then film would be "done right" and there wouldn't be any scratches!
Luckily, Seattle has been surprisingly out of the loop for the most part when it comes to digital projection, with only a few screens outfitted. And the quality of standard film projection is very high, with great care taken in almost all venues (including AMC and Regal).
The rest of the country should be so lucky.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
![[thumbs up]](graemlins/thumbsup.gif)
this is what will keep theaters going for the next 2o years!
