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Topic: Digital Cinema : Bulb

Thomas Dafnides
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 247
From: St. Louis, Missouri USA
Registered: Dec 2009

posted October 18, 2010 10:47 PM

At a theater showing digital projection, the manager told me that the bulb for their projector cost $3,000. and has a life of 2000 hours. Can any of our commercial projectionists verify this information?

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Greg Marshall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 612
From: Nashville, TN USA
Registered: Sep 2008

posted October 19, 2010 11:01 PM

I left projection in 2004. The circuit I worked for has since switched to digital, so unsure as to the cost of replacement lamps now. I do know the cost of our 6000 watt lamps was around $1100. Surely the same type of lamp is needed for the digital systems, and surely they haven't gone up in cost that much. We used 6K in four large houses, while all others took 3K and 2K.... costs on those were around $600, and $350, respecitvely.

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David Kilderry
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 963
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Feb 2006

posted October 20, 2010 01:15 AM

Some digital projectors use regular 35mm style lamphouse xenon lamps, others must use a "special" lamp; these are the high cost units.

Our Panasonic 1.3k pre-show projectors cost more to operate than our 5000 watt 35mm projector xenon lamphouses!

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 525
From: Dallas, TX, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted October 20, 2010 12:20 PM

Some of our medium systems can run for a few thousand hours on a bulb around $700. The really large screens are probably more like $1300 for 2000 hours.

We don't install Sony or NEC junk though...a key factor.

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Darren Payne
Film Handler

Posts: 46
From: Bournemouth
Registered: Mar 2009

posted October 20, 2010 04:31 PM

Mmm... Sounds a bit excessive..

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted October 20, 2010 05:20 PM

On a dollars per hour basis in a room that can pull in a couple of thousand dollars an hour it doesn't seem like a big deal.

--------------------
All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Thomas Dafnides
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 247
From: St. Louis, Missouri USA
Registered: Dec 2009

posted October 20, 2010 07:05 PM

Are all digital projection systems capable of 3-D? Or only the newer systems? The original digital projectors cost about $100,000 in the U.S.....these cannot do 3-D?

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Bill Brandenstein
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1632
From: California
Registered: Aug 2007

posted October 20, 2010 10:31 PM

I'm sure the theater pros can explain this better, but only digital projection systems designed for 3-D can do it, UNLESS you do like Imax digital 3D and use two $$$$$ projectors with polarization. So Thomas, I believe that would be correct -- those wonderful $100,000 projectors are limited to 2D.

Brad, would you be willing to divulge what make of professional projector you consider to be the most reliable?

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David Kilderry
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 963
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Feb 2006

posted October 22, 2010 03:13 AM

I'll take a punt on Brad's answer: Christie and Barco.

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Thomas Dafnides
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 247
From: St. Louis, Missouri USA
Registered: Dec 2009

posted October 23, 2010 06:51 PM

In general when a cinema adds digital projection...do they remove their film projector or do they keep that capacity?
I notice some cinemas will advertise "DP" with a feature, then the next week it is absent on a different feature.

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Greg Marshall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 612
From: Nashville, TN USA
Registered: Sep 2008

posted October 24, 2010 12:14 PM

It's a matter of choice for the owners, I suppose. One of the chains here went all digital a few years back. They did adjust the booth port on some houses to accommodate both digital and film. In their 20 plex, they kept 4 projection systems in tact. There is the occasional need for film projection.... school showings, that independent film that doesn't do a conversion, etc.

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Darren Payne
Film Handler

Posts: 46
From: Bournemouth
Registered: Mar 2009

posted October 24, 2010 02:50 PM

Odeon call Digital and film projection capability in the same auditorium 'Dual Illumination'. I'm lucky I suppose as I can show 35mm, 70mm and Digital 3D in Screen 1. I like to call it 'Tri-illuminated' ;-)

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 525
From: Dallas, TX, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted October 28, 2010 05:49 PM

Christie and Barco are by far the best. Christie has the lowest operating cost per hour.

The Dolby 3D system is about a $20k add-on. They can be added to the original series 1 units as well as the current series 2 units. Beware though the majority of your light will be gone...a ratio of about 10 to 1. So if you want about 5 footlamberts of light on the screen in 3D mode, you have to have about 50 footlamberts of light before you add the 3D kit!

Other 3D systems aren't as good as the Dolby, but can be added to either as well.

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