By 2013 Half of Movie Theaters Will Be Digital

Posted by Joe Ngo (joe@filmschoolrejects.com) on November 15, 2007 Share

Over at /film, this is what they’re reporting. Well, by 2013 anyway. And that’s half the screens only. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there is a huge movement towards digital cinema in movie theaters nowadays. Digital 3-D movies, regular digital projection, it’s all been a huge hit, and Hollywood is looking at it to be the saving grace of the theater industry. There is definite reason for this, as Digital projection provides many advantages when compared to traditional film, such as:

  • No cost of shipping/distributing film.
  • No shakiness during projection.
  • Clearer image.
  • Better 3-D options.

Being a bit of an insider, I can tell you that the digital revolution is likely to occur much sooner than a lot of people think. The main factor that is holding theaters back from going digital years ago is cost. Digital projectors are expensive, and with profit margins growing slimmer and slimmer, theater chains were not interested in investing in something so expensive. Film distributors, on the other hand, did not feel that they should pay for the projectors either. It was a tug of war battle.

With a slightly lower price tag nowadays, theaters are working together to leverage the cost of going digital. Will it save the theater industry? Only time will tell. Indie films will get the biggest boost initially, with a lower cost to distribute their films, and be able to reach a wider audience. Movie theaters can make more by shifting their schedules around more easily to maximize the amount of people that can see a movie. Most of all, people should have a quality experience, with less mechanical issues than with traditional film.

Digital projection is something to get excited about. I’m off to see Beowulf in 3-D! Well… this weekend.

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  • Laura
    This is TERRIBLE!

    Dude, if film is gone think about it, when you watch the movie
    20-30 years after it comes out, it'll look the same/brand new...isn't that kinda boring?
    It'll just take the fun of films away :/
  • Grant Vuill
    What will the aspect ratios be in the new Digital IMAX multiplex theatre arrangement? IMAX 15/70mm ratio is 1.44:1. The cinema standard is 1.85:1 for cropped wide screen projection and 2.39:1 for anamorphic full frame resolution.

    What will be the difference in quality from DLP Cinemas projection systems and the IMAX DLP digital solution? Can IMAX squeeze 10 times the resolution into the DLP 2K projectors to be used as they do in their 15/70mm film process which is 10 times the resolution of standard 35mm 1.85:1 projection?

    I'm looking forward to seeing some new films made in 2K digital, to be projected digitally--hopefully in 3D. IMAX set a standard for big screen presentation. How will the new digital projection systems they've developed with TI's DLP compare to standard digital projection in non-IMAX theatres? Thanks. Grant
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