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Digital Vs. 35 mm - From a small exhibitor’s perspective

If everything is set up correctly using the best equipment, the digital picture on the sheet is superb,
anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know what they’re talking about. The most important plus is that
that picture never changes no matter how many times the movie is screened, no scratches or missing
parts.

Other pluses are that you can have the film showing in as many screens at the same time, or staggered
times that overlap. For theatres that used to have to wait for a print to become available, they can now
play the film day and date or a couple of weeks behind the initial release date.
The sound quality can be an improvement on 35 mm, and of course, digital is so much cleaner as well.
And what about splicing in all those ads and policy trailers. (35 mm changes were very time
consuming)? Without a doubt, digital wins on those criteria.
There are negatives with digital; The cost factor, which is incredibly higher than that of 35 mm, and
the limited lifetime of the equipment. Thirty five millimetre wins on those factors. However, digital
is the overall winner in my book.
The time factor in making up programmes is easier and quicker with digital. For those who are not
conversant with the digital system, it does take quite a long time to download the file, send it to each
screen, make up a playlist, get the KDM (Key Delivery Message) and make sure they work.
(KDMs are senseless, being an unnecessary control by film companies, they are an expense in time,
to both distributors and exhibitors. After all, if an exhibitor doesn’t pay his bill, supply can be stopped
as in the 35 mm days. It doesn’t stop anyone downloading the film as a DCP (Digital Cinema
Package), especially the blockbusters, which always arrive so close to the starting date anyway. If
anyone was inclined to do so, they could download it for the first session anyway).
But just like 35 mm, presentation varies between theatres. Not all pictures on the sheet are ‘superb’.
Returning to the days of 35 mm would not be possible now. I think some oldies can’t let go of what
they had for a hundred years, yet the working conditions for the projectionists were in most cases,
undesirable.

The biggest problem was, that equipment manufacturers were trying to get their wares out too fast to
satisfy demand, when the industry, as a whole, was not geared up for an instant change. So much was
not ready – not perfected. Each company was trying to be ‘out there’ before the other. And still they
haven’t developed the perfect situation, far from it.

So much equipment has to be updated all the time and now there are no longer parts to fix some of the
early equipment when things go wrong. Often new equipment is necessary when something stops
working, but the new equipment hasn’t been perfected either and don’t seem to know what to do about
it.
Digital is going to continue to be a huge ongoing expense for cinemas, that will eventually lead to
many small locations closing down, as they won’t be able to keep up with the changes necessary.

Allan Webb

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