I enjoyed "The King's Speech", but how much do audiences care about visual quality?

Allen White · March 7th, 2011, 02:34 AM

There are still "trained" projectionists around, and they typically work festivals, where they must deal with both analog and digital in various formats. They're usually pretty sharp guys.

But at multiplexes? Forget it.

I remember the joys of running dual-projector changeover systems. You had to stay in the room, since reels were only 15 minutes long. And if there was a issue with a machine, you'd usually hear the problem long before you saw it. Every projector purrs in its specific way, and when its purr changes, you know there's something wrong. The only way to learn the purr is to spend enough time in the booth -- less easy to grasp with changeovers, when you leave after starting the film.

Speaking of bulbs, there are, by the way, a few theaters around that still use carbon arc lamps. The Roxie here in SF has them. First time I saw them I was a little awed.

March 7th, 2011, 02:34 AM	#16
Allen White Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 60	Re: I enjoyed "The King's Speech", but how much do audiences care about visual qualit There are still "trained" projectionists around, and they typically work festivals, where they must deal with both analog and digital in various formats. They're usually pretty sharp guys. But at multiplexes? Forget it. I remember the joys of running dual-projector changeover systems. You had to stay in the room, since reels were only 15 minutes long. And if there was a issue with a machine, you'd usually hear the problem long before you saw it. Every projector purrs in its specific way, and when its purr changes, you know there's something wrong. The only way to learn the purr is to spend enough time in the booth -- less easy to grasp with changeovers, when you leave after starting the film. Speaking of bulbs, there are, by the way, a few theaters around that still use carbon arc lamps. The Roxie here in SF has them. First time I saw them I was a little awed.