Well, to start, I guess I'd say that I've sat back and watched the other thread (with interest) because Rick and I have had this conversation... more than once... in other forums. He's passionate about what he thinks will happen and when, and I can respect that even if I don't think we're as close to "D-Day" as I think he believes. If anything, I'm a little put off by anyone announcing that something "will" happen, especially if that statement comes with a fairly specific timeline. I'm pretty sure that nobody has that firm a grasp on what's going on here. To say that someone "thinks" something will happen, or is "pretty sure" it's right around the corner is an outlook I can approach with a lot more respect. That is, unless, the statement comes with facts to back it up, rather than someone's personal opinion or spin from industry marketing people. We all have opinions, and I'm as comfortable with mine as most of you probably are with yours.
That being said, I'm good with the notion that we should all be watching this process very closely. Being unprepared to make a move if and when it might be your time makes no sense, even if you're among the most reluctant and skeptical. I think it's important we don't confuse the two, and I think it happens a lot when we get into these "digital debates".
Assuming for the moment that this might be an eventual "done deal", many of us might have to face the realities of conversion before we're ready to get out of the business. Film MIGHT not parallel digital as a dual-medium proposition for as long as we might like it to. Being prepared as the train gets closer is, in my opinion, an appropriate outlook. We can debate forever how fast the train might be moving, whether it's even heading in our diretion or whether it might derail before it gets here. In the end, we won't be any further than we are now... other than that we might learn a few new cuss words from our other friends in this forum!
OK... that being said, let's take a look at the price that's been floating around here over the past week or so.
The last time I heard someone from within the industry give us hard figures was, admittedly, some time ago. Matter of fact, it was at the demo that Rick had at his theatre. I don't remember exactly, but I think the larger projector was in the upper $60's or $70's, lenses were $15k+ (yikes!). Then cabinetry, power supplies and other miscellaneous items brought the price up to around $100k or so. In contrast, you can get a lot of 35mm booth for $50k, and the largest chains are still buying and installing the stuff. You and I might not spend anywhere near that figure for booth gear, but let's take this as a worst-case, to give digital a shot.
I don't recall what other needed equipment might have been part of the picture, but we'd need to consider it. IF a "projector", assuming that means a ready-to-go box for a particular screen, is down to around $50k or so... are we also talking about servers, processors, automation units, racks and wiring? If not, then we need to talk about what the average impact of that would mean to us. Site prep has never been part of those numbers. What would it cost to pull the power you'll need? Do you have 3 phase? Would you need it? If your theatre used to run dual-projector, you might be OK as far as your building's capacity, though you probably have some conduit and wire to pull, and a breaker or so to fit into your power box. If your plan would be to pull 35mm altogether, you might have that covered. Does your format require that you maintain film for longer than a first-run house might have to? Having the capacity to run both of your machines at the same time, plus switching your sound and lighting controls between the two become considerations.
Is your sound system ready? Are you looking at a total revamp or are you somewhere inbetween? Anything short of "plug and play" is cost that you need to add in.
What will you pay for "maintenance"? If you go with an Access iT program, you'll pay that figure PLUS Christie's price for bulbs. Other companies are more flexible on the maintenance. One, if not more by now, will let you get the required training and certify yourself... if you're inclined. In any case however, you might be adding a couple thousand or so to your annual per-screen cost. Regardless how anyone might try to spin it, I don't know anyone who spends anywhere near that amount. When you go digital you might not have a choice.
I think I'm already on record somewhere as saying if the cost of digital gets anywhere within shouting distance of a 35mm booth, then a major concern of mine would be satisfied. If the cost was relatively comparable... even a bit more expensive, I could probably look at this more seriously. Proven reliability of all related components, cost of operation, cost of maintenance and the ability to promptly deal with any potential downtime are critical items for me. Those are all roads that somebody else needs to travel first.
As I get older and more crabby, one thing becomes a given around here. Not having to haul those blasted film boxes up the stairs is an increasingly large point in the favor of digital cinema! On the other hand, I can build a darned nice elevator for $300,000!
Forums 
