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ekwoodard
Joined: 11 Jun 2010
Posts: 14
Location: Boise, ID
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| Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:52 pm Post subject: drive-in projectors and projection screens |
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I am looking for a setup for outdoors is there anyone that can tell me how the old drive-in systems worked and how well they worked during the daytime? Are any of these systems still available etc?
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ecrabb
Forum Moderator
Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah
TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010
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| Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 11:48 pm Post subject: |
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As far as I know, the driveins never started the features until after dark. So, that pretty much answers your question.
The rest OS your question is really answered in your other thread: You simply need monster brightness and a retro-reflective screen (high-gain as opposed to matte.) The brighter the projector, the better the image will look.
SC
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paw
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 1176
Location: Arvada, CO
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:42 am Post subject: |
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SC is right out drive in's being after dark.
I mentioned Screen Innovations's Black Diamond screens in your other thread.
Other thoughts are rear projection using a Stewart Starglas mentions outdoor applications. Nippua Blue Ocean Projection Screen is another one that comes to mind. Google on nippura blue ocean projection screen. I remember Blue Ocean being REAL pricy.
What are your design requirements (screen size, front or rear projection, location {open, under cover, etc.}, summer only or all weather, DIY or professional install etc.) and budget.
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Aubrey
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jkruger
Joined: 24 Oct 2007
Posts: 2435
Location: Carlsbad, CA
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:46 am Post subject: |
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When I was a kid the local drive-in projectionist lived a few houses away from me. I used to get to hang out in the projection room during movies at both the drive-in and the walk-in theater. The projectors were carbon arc machines that ran film reels. Pretty cool stuff for a ten year old.
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Nashou66
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Posts: 16171
Location: West Seneca NY
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macgyver655
Joined: 22 Aug 2007
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macgyver655
Joined: 22 Aug 2007
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zaphod
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 2002
Location: Cloverdale
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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still got a drive-in out here - i remember going to them as a kid in Ottawa (hey Kal - that one still up on baseline near the Experimental Farm?). Now out here on the westcoast we have one run by a real dedicated guy. it's the last one, even as far south as seattle since bellingham lost there drive-in.
he had a good location, but the land was sold out to developers (i don't think that he owned the land) as the suburb explosion happened 7 years back.
then he fought and fought to find a new location, finally got one out in the boonies (a good thing, low light pollution to affect the screen) and jumped through all sorts of hoops to get things going.
halfway through the screen assembly a wind storm hit and most of the screen that was up suddenly wasn't 
the screen, at least the backing, was plywood sheets.
so he missed that season, and the next season he finally got started (after no business for 2 or three seasons). but then he got hit with a parking lot tax. the local trasit authority - in order to raise money and promote use of transit over cars to shopping malls - levied a tax on all "parking" areas for business. so a shopping mall would have the area of the building subtracted from the area of the property and multiplied by a millrate.
the geniuses at transit looked at the drive-in and from the acres of land took off only the 40X20 film booth and the 100x30 concession booth and proceeded to charge the drive in as if it was a parking lot. real idiocy as you can't go to a drive-in without your car - that's the freaking point!
he appealed and won, and he's been running since then, but he sure is dedicated.
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ecrabb
Forum Moderator
Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah
TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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Funny... This subject came up in the house a few weeks ago - can't even remember why.
Found this cool site:
http://www.drive-ins.com
You can punch in your city/state or zip and see if there are any driveins nearby - open or closed.
Anyway, we were just lamenting the fact that so many drive-ins are gone and that a whole generation of kids won't know the joy of going to the drive-in theater late on a Saturday night.
The last drive-in I went to was in Ames, Iowa back in 1993 or 1994. It was on old Highway 30 (Lincoln Highway) a mile or two west of town... Just like so many of them, this is what it looks like now:
There are only a couple of drive-ins within reasonably close driving distance. One is 45 miles or so away - I'll have to give that one a try - I think my kids would even think that was cool.
SC
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drice1234
Joined: 07 Oct 2006
Posts: 1309
Location: Allen, Texas
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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There is still a drive in by our land in Southern Colorado. There is also a motel attached. You can either drive your car in or you can rent a motel room that has the picture window facing the screen and they pipe the music into your room.
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bbfarmht
Joined: 27 May 2006
Posts: 1273
Location: Where the Mississippi runs east to west!!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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I have one drive in that is 10 minutes from my place and another that is 45 minutes away.
Guess we're spoiled.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both"
Benjamin Franklin
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macgyver655
Joined: 22 Aug 2007
Posts: 8508
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 1:03 am Post subject: |
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Interesting. There are still some here and there. I have one about 15 minutes from here. Its been there since I was a kid and probably before that.
When I was in my teens there use to be another drive in about 20 minutes from here that only showed XXX rated movies. You had to be 18 or 21 to get in, I dont remember which. And yeah, we used to sneak in occasionally in the trunk or on the back floor. They weren't worried that much about checking id's back then, lol.
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-Pjackso
Joined: 31 Mar 2006
Posts: 791
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 1:56 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the Drive-in link!
Just found out my childhood drive in is still going!
...And I have one nearby!
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tri_joel
Joined: 03 Jul 2007
Posts: 646
Location: Northern Virginia
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:25 am Post subject: |
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SC-
I took my now wife - then fiance - to the Newton drive in back in 1997 or so. Is it still there, do you know? I grew up in Monroe, spent many a nights at the Newton drive in in highschool and Knoxville in the late 70's early 80's.
I love the drive-in. Crappy sound and crappy picture make good reasons to do thiings other than watch the movie.
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EManT2200
Joined: 16 May 2008
Posts: 2
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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| jkruger wrote: | | When I was a kid the local drive-in projectionist lived a few houses away from me. I used to get to hang out in the projection room during movies at both the drive-in and the walk-in theater. The projectors were carbon arc machines that ran film reels. Pretty cool stuff for a ten year old. |
I used to be a 35mm motion picture projectionist myself. I ran projection booths at The Bowl Drive-in Theater in Salisbury, Maryland., and The Delmar Drive-in Theater in Delmar, Delaware. Also a walk in theater, The Boulevard Theater in Salisbury, Maryland. Man, those were the days, I absolutely loved that job  . Would love to find another projectionist position somewhere, but everyone seems to want automated booths these days.
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