8mm Forum: Digital Cinema : Bulb

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Posted by Thomas Dafnides (Member # 1851) on 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?

Posted by Greg Marshall (Member # 1268) on 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.

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on 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!

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 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.

Posted by Darren Payne (Member # 1517) on October 20, 2010, 04:31 PM:

Mmm... Sounds a bit excessive..

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on 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.

Posted by Thomas Dafnides (Member # 1851) on 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?

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on 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?

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on October 22, 2010, 03:13 AM:

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

Posted by Thomas Dafnides (Member # 1851) on 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.

Posted by Greg Marshall (Member # 1268) on 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.

Posted by Darren Payne (Member # 1517) on 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' ;-)

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 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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