No more film prints in theater for new releases-Digital only

Originally Posted by iBob57

I understand opinions vary, however...

The average polyester high speed dupe print the vast majority of people have seen for a number of years now is just above 720p in digital terms as far as resolution and color balance can vary widely from batch to batch. That's when it's new. The degradation of the element begins with the first pass through the gate of the projector. A projector that could be 25 years old, or more, and of questionable condition. many (most?) of them run by the same guy that also scoops up your overpriced popcorn.

Obviously digital is not a perfect medium either, but if any group would understand the inherent advantages of a digital system in movie presentation, I would expect that here.

Every screen in every theater gets the same digital video file that is a virtual duplicate of the master that the filmmakers created. While there is some variation in digital projectors, it is nowhere near that of film projection. The local theaters I frequent have been all digital since last year, with my main location having been all digital since it was built several years ago. This location also added two digital IMAX screens in the past year. I recently saw my first digital IMAX presentation when I got out to see Ghost Protocol. I was stunned. And this was in the last weekend the movie was running. Of course it looked as good as opening night.

No more film projection at the local cineplex?

I will shed no tears.

Originally Posted by HVisone

Not sure where to post this, but for real film lovers who love the look of film as projected through a print from the negative, and not by digital, at the local theaters, those days will all be gone by the end of summer or no later than 2013.

Seems all new films will be distributed only by digital servers, so enjoy it while you can.

Originally Posted by HVisone

So there may no longer be much of an argument about natural grain and access to something to draw the comparsion.

While I have fussed about all this grain loving debate that others seem so in love with grain in their digital, nevertheless, I still love real film in both photography and movies, when developed and seen through the pure process without any intervening digitalization.....

thus: Sic transit gloria

Originally Posted by dvdmike007

end of an this and the death of CD's this year is a real let down for me

Originally Posted by KMFDMvsEnya

Digital projectors have and will become better in resolution and contrast. The positives of digital distribution and projection far out weight any cons now.



If something is shot on film and receives a quality 2K+ scan then accurate grain reproduction will continue to be of great importance, both in theatrical exhibition and home theater release. With advancements in the digital pipeline a scanned film can be for all intents and purposes be finally presented essentially transparent to the source.

Film as the primary capture medium is waning, but full onset will not be for a while, it still has some capabilities that digital capture has yet to achieve.



In some ways I do feel a bit despondent with the thought that projected film for the masses is going the way of the dodo, but at the same time progress is improving the experience.

In regards to CDs, I will miss them but what I adamantly grieve is the loss of stellar audio engineering, mixing, and mastering. I want distortion free and dynamic High-Fidelity to become the norm not the exception.

Best Regards
KvE

Originally Posted by iBob57


I will shed no tears.

Originally Posted by TyrantII

You will when the only cinemas left are the big box mart type.


This is going to be the straw the broke the camels back for many independent cinemas, chains and 2nd run theaters. Probably also going to shut down a lot of drive in movie theaters that have seen a sort of resurrection the last few years.

Originally Posted by dvdmike007

Low res

Originally Posted by dvdmike007

digital ease of use

Originally Posted by dvdmike007

low cost is the future

Originally Posted by dvdmike007

As long as the digital prints are 4k plus, and 100% DNR free I am better with it. But I still really will miss the look of a prefect 35mm print, let alone a 70/65mm print. That is a hell of a drop in res

Originally Posted by iBob57

I understand opinions vary, however...

The average polyester high speed dupe print the vast majority of people have seen for a number of years now is just above 720p in digital terms as far as resolution and color balance can vary widely from batch to batch. That's when it's new. The degradation of the element begins with the first pass through the gate of the projector. A projector that could be 25 years old, or more, and of questionable condition. many (most?) of them run by the same guy that also scoops up your overpriced popcorn.

Obviously digital is not a perfect medium either, but if any group would understand the inherent advantages of a digital system in movie presentation, I would expect that here.

Every screen in every theater gets the same digital video file that is a virtual duplicate of the master that the filmmakers created. While there is some variation in digital projectors, it is nowhere near that of film projection. The local theaters I frequent have been all digital since last year, with my main location having been all digital since it was built several years ago. This location also added two digital IMAX screens in the past year. I recently saw my first digital IMAX presentation when I got out to see Ghost Protocol. I was stunned. And this was in the last weekend the movie was running. Of course it looked as good as opening night.

No more film projection at the local cineplex?

I will shed no tears.

Originally Posted by iBob57

I understand opinions vary, however...

The average polyester high speed dupe print the vast majority of people have seen for a number of years now is just above 720p in digital terms as far as resolution and color balance can vary widely from batch to batch. That's when it's new. The degradation of the element begins with the first pass through the gate of the projector. A projector that could be 25 years old, or more, and of questionable condition. many (most?) of them run by the same guy that also scoops up your overpriced popcorn.

Obviously digital is not a perfect medium either, but if any group would understand the inherent advantages of a digital system in movie presentation, I would expect that here.

Every screen in every theater gets the same digital video file that is a virtual duplicate of the master that the filmmakers created. While there is some variation in digital projectors, it is nowhere near that of film projection. The local theaters I frequent have been all digital since last year, with my main location having been all digital since it was built several years ago. This location also added two digital IMAX screens in the past year. I recently saw my first digital IMAX presentation when I got out to see Ghost Protocol. I was stunned. And this was in the last weekend the movie was running. Of course it looked as good as opening night.

No more film projection at the local cineplex?

I will shed no tears.

Originally Posted by iBob57

I understand opinions vary, however...

The average polyester high speed dupe print the vast majority of people have seen for a number of years now is just above 720p in digital terms as far as resolution and color balance can vary widely from batch to batch. That's when it's new. The degradation of the element begins with the first pass through the gate of the projector. A projector that could be 25 years old, or more, and of questionable condition. many (most?) of them run by the same guy that also scoops up your overpriced popcorn.

Obviously digital is not a perfect medium either, but if any group would understand the inherent advantages of a digital system in movie presentation, I would expect that here.

Every screen in every theater gets the same digital video file that is a virtual duplicate of the master that the filmmakers created. While there is some variation in digital projectors, it is nowhere near that of film projection. The local theaters I frequent have been all digital since last year, with my main location having been all digital since it was built several years ago. This location also added two digital IMAX screens in the past year. I recently saw my first digital IMAX presentation when I got out to see Ghost Protocol. I was stunned. And this was in the last weekend the movie was running. Of course it looked as good as opening night.

No more film projection at the local cineplex?

I will shed no tears.

Originally Posted by Matt_Stevens

The best presentations in NYC I have seen the past two years have been prints. The worst... Digital. In each case, the print had a projectionist who knew what he was doing behind the projector. That is the key. With digital, so much can go wrong and does and all too frequently we now have 3D setups in place for 2D projection

Originally Posted by Matt_Stevens

The best presentations in NYC I have seen the past two years have been prints. The worst... Digital. In each case, the print had a projectionist who knew what he was doing behind the projector. That is the key. With digital, so much can go wrong and does and all too frequently we now have 3D setups in place for 2D projection, which means dark picture that is unwatchabe. My movie watching has been greatly reduced. i now go maybe four times a year and only to IMAX or the Landmark in NYC where they have actual prints.

Even my beloved Ziegfeld has been ruined. The last three trips were all @ss because the picture was so dark.

Originally Posted by IAM4UK

This is going to hurt smaller theaters which are independent. They won't be able to rent prints, because those won't be available for distribution. So, they must make the very expensive (relative to their budget) switch to new equipment, or go out of business.

Originally Posted by IAM4UK

This is going to hurt smaller theaters which are independent. They won't be able to rent prints, because those won't be available for distribution. So, they must make the very expensive (relative to their budget) switch to new equipment, or go out of business.

Originally Posted by thehun

Agreed, a lot of people don't seem to grasp that unless you see those prints on the first show, you already seen a degraded presentation, which wasn't an exact copy to begin with, not to mention the extremely varied conditions of those projectors themselves. Those who thinks that digital robs them from the original experience of the film, you might wanna surrender to the fact that you may never really had one.