IMAX in DLP after all?
RICHVINCE
the possibility of Imax being presented in an e-cinema format. I think I
responded with something to the effect of "Not in my lifetime".
Well...
It was announced today that IMAX Systems Corp. has just purchased 100% of
Digital Projection International, Ltd. (DPI), the developers of the technology
used by Texas Instruments in its DLP e-cinema system. Co-CEO's Bradley J.
Wechsler and Richard L. Gelfond are quoted as stating "We are excited about
integrating DPI into IMAX and exploring the synergies of brand leverage, shared
research, and joint product development.
An article from Reuters states (and I suspect that there is some speculating
here, but I'm not saying another word!) "It's (IMAX) eager to tap into
Hollywood's endless supply of motion pictures. The drawback, however, is that
feature films must be digitally for IMAX to be able to reformat them for its
big screens.
Rich
(Who must go now as I have to update my will. Apparently its going to be a
sweet but short lifetime!)
Rich
Martin Hart
rich...@aol.com says...
> Readers of this NG may recall a recent thread in which someone speculated on
> the possibility of Imax being presented in an e-cinema format. I think I
> responded with something to the effect of "Not in my lifetime".
>
> Well...
<SNIP>
Rich, should we send flowers or is there a particular charity that you'd
like us to send a denotation to?
Marty
--
Relive the panoramic past:
Visit The American WideScreen Museum
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Bob Morris
>"It's (IMAX) eager to tap into Hollywood's endless supply of motion
> pictures. The drawback, however, is that feature films must be
> digitally for IMAX to be able to reformat them for its big screens.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And that means only one thing: using FlkFX!
Marty: What was the phone number of that Lexus dealer?
Bob Morris
Scott Marshall
>Readers of this NG may recall a recent thread in which someone speculated on
>the possibility of Imax being presented in an e-cinema format. I think I
>responded with something to the effect of "Not in my lifetime"
I launched the thread "Imax in digital projection [dlp]" on August 8th. I
didn't find any refutation from rich...@aol.com, but many in this newsgroup
were quick to ridicule the idea.
Perhaps someone at Imax reads our newsgroup and presents our ideas to
management as his or her own. Perhaps Imax Co-CEO's Bradley J. Wechsler or
Richard L. Gelfond lurk here. Here's my original posting:
<<
Subject: IMAX in digital projection (DLP)
Date: 1999/08/02
Author: Scott Marshall <wide...@aol.com>
When WideGauge said [in Digital Tarzan]:
> If Texas Instruments were to someday build an Imax-size (1.91x2.74 inches)
DLP chip the format could benefit greatly.
Inge Strand <ist...@c2i.net> replied:
> yeah sure....
Let's talk about it! I'm serious, but you're being sarcastic.
It would be tough to build a DLP chip of that size, and to store and handle the
data, but many IMAX films are now being produced with CGI or have digital SFX.
A DLP IMAX picture could be even steadier than film, have better color and
brightness, and would not have those pesky stationary specks of dirt. If IMAX
Corp. doesn't do it, I guarantee you someone else will.
>>
Dave Richards did suggest that they try to build an Imax image out of a mosaic
of smaller chip images. Imax may go this route. I discussed with a chip
designer the possibility of Imax-sized DLP chips, and he did say the yield
would be too low to be practical, but you never really know what technology
will bring us once we start thinking outside the box.
Scott Marshall
Editor, Wide Gauge Film and Video
http://members.aol.com/widegauge/
Michael Simone
RICHVINCE wrote:
> Readers of this NG may recall a recent thread in which someone speculated on
> the possibility of Imax being presented in an e-cinema format. I think I
> responded with something to the effect of "Not in my lifetime".
>
> Well...
>
> It was announced today that IMAX Systems Corp. has just purchased 100% of
> Digital Projection International, Ltd. (DPI), the developers of the technology
> used by Texas Instruments in its DLP e-cinema system. Co-CEO's Bradley J.
> Wechsler and Richard L. Gelfond are quoted as stating "We are excited about
> integrating DPI into IMAX and exploring the synergies of brand leverage, shared
> research, and joint product development.
>
> An article from Reuters states (and I suspect that there is some speculating
> here, but I'm not saying another word!) "It's (IMAX) eager to tap into
> Hollywood's endless supply of motion pictures. The drawback, however, is that
> feature films must be digitally for IMAX to be able to reformat them for its
> big screens.
>
> Rich
> (Who must go now as I have to update my will. Apparently its going to be a
> sweet but short lifetime!)
>
> Rich
Lets look at the basic facts here. If you digitize an IMAX frame (~4K image) you
would need to move about 1 GB of data per second to sustain a 24 fps projection.
There are not many systems that I know of that can do that sort of thing. Storing
the movie in digital format would require a 12 TB disk farm (uncompressed). The
costs alone would kill it. Aside from the fact that the DLP has a cooling problem
with the mirrors over a certain resolution. I am not saying that it is not
possible, however it would not be the most cost effective way of showing a movie.
Just my $.02
Mike
--
********************************************************************
Michael Simone
Software Systems Engineering
Hybrid Technologies/Professional Motion Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
********************************************************************
Joe Zollner
: It was announced today that IMAX Systems Corp. has just purchased 100% of
: Digital Projection International, Ltd. (DPI), the developers of the technology
: used by Texas Instruments in its DLP e-cinema system. Co-CEO's Bradley J.
: Wechsler and Richard L. Gelfond are quoted as stating "We are excited about
: integrating DPI into IMAX and exploring the synergies of brand leverage, shared
: research, and joint product development.
I like how they say "integrating DPI into IMAX" instead of "replacing IMAX
film with DPI".
Joe Zollner
jo...@execpc.com
--
Bobby Henderson
>It was announced today that IMAX Systems Corp. has just purchased 100% of
>Digital Projection International, Ltd. (DPI), the developers of the
technology
>used by Texas Instruments in its DLP e-cinema system. Co-CEO's Bradley J.
>Wechsler and Richard L. Gelfond are quoted as stating "We are excited about
>integrating DPI into IMAX and exploring the synergies of brand leverage,
shared
>research, and joint product development.
IMAX has other film interests beside 15-perf 70mm giant screen systems.
Just check their website. They market a variety of ride-film systems that
are not all 15-perf IMAX 70mm driven. Special Venue theaters and ridefilms
represent one of the fastest growing areas of the movie industry. IMAX
could leverage DPI's technology into very small and low cost motion
simulators to station in more movie theaters and shopping centers. I
strongly doubt IMAX is looking to replace 15-perf 70mm with a digital
equivalent any time soon (especially since digital equivalents do not exist
or would be cost prohibitive). IMAX is merely looking for new ways to
expand the special venue film industry. Not everyone can afford to
construct a giant screen 8-perf or 15-perf 70mm or VistaVision theater. DPI
might be a good idea for low scale expansion of the market.
Bobby Henderson
RICHVINCE
>didn't find any refutation from rich...@aol.com, but many in this newsgroup
>were quick to ridicule the idea.
>
I guess I thought it, Scott.
Rich
RICHVINCE
>Just check their website. They market a variety of ride-film systems that
>are not all 15-perf IMAX 70mm driven. Special Venue theaters and ridefilms
>represent one of the fastest growing areas of the movie industry. IMAX
>could leverage DPI's technology into very small and low cost motion
>simulators to station in more movie theaters and shopping centers.
Actually, the ridefim end of the business is struggling right now. IMAX wrote
down part of their ridefilm business last year, which was part of the cause of
their loss. Ridefilm is a large part of Showscan's business and they are doing
very poorly. I'm also aware of theatres with simulators that are removing
them.
I suspect that IMAX's motive lies in the fact that they are in the high
resolution motion picture image business and this represents another way of
creating that result. Rather than having a competing technology they now
control it as well.
Whether they integrate this with their existing technology to create a hybrid,
offer it as an additional product line, or even use their ownership to suppress
the technology remains to be seen.
Rich
Steve Spicer
I went to see "Showscan" a couple of years ago that turned out not to be
Showscan, but (admittedly) fairly high quality video projection --
actually three projectors ganged up like Cinerama... ...but standard
resolution (either 625/50 or 525/60 couldn't tell.
Spike
Scott Marshall
<st...@sespicer.demon.co.uk> writes:
>I went to see "Showscan" a couple of years ago that turned out not to be
>Showscan, but (admittedly) fairly high quality video projection --
>actually three projectors ganged up like Cinerama... ...but standard
>resolution (either 625/50 or 525/60 couldn't tell.
Where was this?
Steve Spicer
Checked as far as I could before parting with money that it *was*
ShowScan - Literature mentioned Trumbrill's (sp??) name. There were
three shows: One was a boat chase, one was a Rollercoaster, and te other
was somespaceflight thing.
Spike
greg...@home.com
RICHVINCE wrote:
Imax controls little if anything through its acquisition of Digital Projection.
The DLP technology used by Digital Projection is under license from Texas
Instruments. There are probably a dozen other major licensees of this technology
(including big boys like Panasonic) so Imax is in no position to "suppress the
technology". To date Digital Projection has about the best implementation of the
DLP technology, and is an impressive little company, but no one firm has a corner
on the DLP projection market. Imax's strategy for this acquisition lies
elsewhere.
Bobby Henderson
Scott Marshall wrote in message
<19990909082559...@ngol01.aol.com>...
>In article <37D76029...@sespicer.demon.co.uk>, Steve Spicer
><st...@sespicer.demon.co.uk> writes:
>
>>I went to see "Showscan" a couple of years ago that turned out not to be
>>Showscan, but (admittedly) fairly high quality video projection --
>>actually three projectors ganged up like Cinerama... ...but standard
>>resolution (either 625/50 or 525/60 couldn't tell.
>
>Where was this?
The UA Galaxy theater in Dallas has a motion simulator system billed as
Showscan that is really driven by video. I thumbed my nose at it. If the
name "Showscan" is going to be used anywhere, there had better be 5-perf
70mm @ 60fps showing or I am not going to validate it.
Bobby Henderson
gordon mcleod
http://www.film-tech.com in the picture warehouse
Showsan just liek Iwerks and Imax have always built both film and video based
simulators
Flix35
>Showscan that is really driven by video. I thumbed my nose at it. If the
>name "Showscan" is going to be used anywhere, there had better be 5-perf
>70mm @ 60fps showing or I am not going to validate it.
>
www.film-tech.com in the Picture Warehouse section.
The Galaxy's Showscan system was indeed a 70mm setup. You may be thinking of
the UA Plaza, who had the video version of Showscan, also in Dallas. It was
also the biggest joke I've ever seen. Whoever came up with the idea of
rewinding the film at unbelieveably high speeds through the projector should be
shot! No print could last more than 2 weeks on those damn machines...and I
mean literally WOULD DESTROY THE PRINT. The Showscan techs and every UA
engineer around worked on this thing. None of us could get it to not destroy
the film during rewinding.
I had recommended we get an AW3 platter and splice the 6 shows together,
rethreading every 1 1/2 hours...but the idea was shot down. That would've
worked perfectly. The projector wouldn't damage the film so long as it didn't
reverse.
When it did work, it was phenomenal. The video version of Showscan is
pathetic.
The system at UA Galaxy is no longer. It was sold. Now if they would only let
me turn it into a first class screening room...wishful thinking.
Brad Miller
Bobby Henderson
>The Galaxy's Showscan system was indeed a 70mm setup. You may be thinking
of
>the UA Plaza, who had the video version of Showscan, also in Dallas.
Well, that could have been the deal. In Dallas, usually the UA Plaza would
get the best equipment out of all the UA theaters since it is in the most
affluent market area of the metroplex. However, I have usually tried to
avoid the UA Plaza since I've hardly ever been happy with their
presentations. I was disappointed by the 70mm engagements that ran there of
"Geronimo" and "The Last Action Hero." Most of the digital sound shows I've
seen there were cut down to a very low volume. Your Galaxy theater seems to
do a better job. The first show I saw there was a THX-SDDS version of
"Mission Impossible." Good show.
>The system at UA Galaxy is no longer. It was sold. Now if they would only
let
>me turn it into a first class screening room...wishful thinking.
Damn! If United Artists had correctly marketed the Showscan system at the
Galaxy theater it might still be doing business. True 70mm Showscan
presentations are jaw-dropping for the kind of "window of reality" film
experience they can provide. The show literally stops looking like a movie
and just looks very real. The thing I mainly wish for at the Galaxy theater
is for UATC to install 70mm projection equipment on the two giant screen
auditoriums there. If I am right, those screens are more than 70 feet
across, and the 35mm equipment just doesn't light them well enough --even if
they are really good Christie projectors.
The way the good theaters seem to come and go so rapidly in the Dallas
market, I guess I had better go check out the new IMAX-3D theater at the
Cinemark 17 before they tear that down.
Also, did they try to do any Showscan stuff at the new UA 16-plex over in
Irving? I haven't seen anything on it in the ads.
Bobby Henderson