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It’s Official: Regal to go all 4k by Sony
posted by
moviebuff82
on
May 20, 2009 at 10:46 am
According to an article in today’s Hollywood Reporter, Sony has inked a deal with the no. 1 cinema chain in America, Regal Entertainment, to outfit all of its existing theaters with the same 4k technology that will be used in AMC’s theaters.
The deal represents Sony’s second big d-cinema hardware coup in the past few months. In March, it struck an agreement with AMC Entertainment — which operates the second-biggest U.S. circuit — to supply its theaters with digital projectors.
Both rollouts will begin once Digital Cinema Implementation Partners locks into a bank deal to facilitate digital installations for Regal, AMC and Cinemark, the nation’s three biggest exhibitors.
Read more in the Hollywood Reporter.
Comments (16)
we’ll see who’s quicker in installing these Regal or AMC.
Humm, If I were an operator, I’d go with Christie projectors. Sony changes it’s technology every few years.
The Barco models are what Clearview uses for its 2k presentations, although they might upgrade in the near future to 4k models.
I thought NEC which is used at the Arclight and Ziegfeld were 4K ready?
Digital upgrades won’t change the fact that Regal theatres SUCK!
I agree. The only Regals I’ve been to are the former Hoyts at the Aviation Mall and the one in South Plainfield.
I only really go to the Gallery Place cinemaplex, but the pricing of the tix and concessions is very expensive compared to other Regal’s in and around the DC metropolitan area.
If you haven’t seen it, then you have a real treat in store. The Sony 4K projection (in all 24 auditoriums) at my local AMC complex in Toronto is outstanding. So much so in fact, that I can barely stand to view badly projected film prints in the other first run cinemas in town. It’s got to be seen to be appreciated. Perfect focus from edge to edge and top to bottom, huge screens and punchy multi-channel sound. And all of this without having to sit through insulting commercials before the feature begins.
let’s just hope the independent studios start actually releasing their ‘films’ digitally – some documentaries (that are shown at Landmark’s E Street DC theatre’s Sony 4K system)are being released as such (albeit in 2K), as well the feature film ‘Cherry Blossoms’ from Strand Releasing – which beautifully replicated how the film was originally shot, in hidef.
A good 85% of the films that are shown at the Silverdocs documentary festival, are shown digitally, if the trend is going to go digital, and that’s what the industry wants – then the product HAS to be there and available to the theatres that are making the transition to present digital projection. It’s pointless to go digital if every studio (large and independent) aren’t in the same boat – technically speaking.
Here’s a question which I’ve more than likely raised before, but am asking again: If, indeed, digital movie projection is the wave of the future, what are the chances of golden-oldie-but-good film classics being reprinted into digital film and being shown? Just curious.
well for example a distributor like Rialto Pictures, instead of striking new 35 prints would have to digitally convert a pristine print via 4K technology, retain or downrez to 2K playback and release it in harddisc form – how expensive or difficult that would be – ? I don’t know.
Personally I’d love to see these 4K restorations that Warner’s is doing with ‘Wizard of Oz’, ‘Gone With the Wind’ and others (released and projected as such) – making a one-night event like Fanthom/NCM does, showing classics on the big screen in true 4K – would be a fantastic idea!
DCI 2K max bit rate = 250Mb/s
DCI 4K max bit rate = 250Mb/s
So with 4K you have 4 times the resolution compressed to a bit
rate the same as 2K. So roughly 62.5Mb/s pre 2K quadrant, ie there
goes you image quality out the window……….
Next do some reading on the maximum resolution the eye can perceive
concerning moving images and you will find it is close to 2K.
DCI 4K is all hype and those that say it is better than 2K have never done a back to back comparison.
Support cinema chains that support American manufacturers. Christie,
Dolby and Doremi. The image quality is better and you support fellow
Americans jobs.
Regal just last weekend debuted two Sony systems at it’s Ballston Commons cineplex on Auditorium’s 6 and 7
CineAmerica, TI (Texas Instruments) isn’t sitting on it’s hands – 4K in on the horizon from them as well.
note the press release/info I just posted in the “More Digital Projectors, Coming To A Theater Near You” story.
had a chance to see ‘The Proposal’ over at Ballston this afternoon, and while I think the initial filming was a little on the drab side, the colour didn’t really pop, the digital projection was quite impressive this is the first time I’ve seen a Hollywood feature on a Sony 4K system. Prior to that, I had seen the Oscar Animated Films Nominees Showcase (2008) and the ‘Peter and the Wolf’ short, when viewed on a Sony projector, was like watching a 3D film without the glasses.