CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

digitalayon · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 921

I hate finding parking, waiting in line, using dirty washrooms, paying expensive prices for concessions, ARTIFACTS on digital theaters, And that is after I find a sitter for the kids.
The are no movies that I just have to see right away. I still want my money back for the Hobbit last year. I enjoyed it more at home. Now waiting for the sequel on blu-ray. Average cost of movies at the traditional theater runs 35-40 bucks for 2 people. With 4 kids a two adults it runs me 65. And that is matinee quote. Initial cost of Blu-ray plus snacks at home is 20 bucks. Watching a 2nd time, 4 bucks. Cost of electric included!

I wont lie, It took a high end projection unit to do it. I tried it with a DLP years back. PICTURE WAS GARBAGE!! Rainbows and pixel mesh sucked as well as black levels. So I still went to the theater. Then tried a 3lcd unit. Looked somewhat better but still color issues with everything being washed out. But considerably better. I then did research on 3chip DLP and LCOS. Research found to be way too expensive for me. Then my work at the time lets me have the old Runco 808 unit that did not power on. So I chucked it AND then did research on CRT projection AND KICKED MYSELF FOR NOT KEEPING IT....LOL...That was 2004. I then did more research on other units remembering the vidimagic the old man used to have. Snowballed CRT from there. I am satisfied with the quality of the VV1. I would still attend the theater unless it was a CRT, LCOS, or, 3CHIP DLP.

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 12:04 am Post subject:

All the reasons you gave where what drove me to build my theater in the first place. Same stuff most people list, except you left out rude people, crappy seats, and crappy sound.

I make it to a commercial theater less than once a year. The few times I've been since I built my own theater, it was because some friends wanted to go see a much-anticipated scifi blockbuster like Star Trek, Tron Legacy, The Avengers, etc. on release day. Recently, it's only because there's a new movie the kids want to see while their friends are seeing it. The last time I was in a commercial theater was The Avengers, I think - so what, a year and a half ago? Don't really miss it.

I'll just add one thing… For me, sound quality is even more important than picture quality. I'd rather have a smaller, lesser display with awesome sound than the best projection-based display with ho-hum sound.

SC

jeffslife · Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 4190 Location: ohio usa

I agree on most of your points. We still go to the theatre just to get out of the house. IMAX is the exception. We love IMAX. Not very many titles worth the extra drive for, but when there is it is very much worth it. IMAX 3D is amazing ! I really believe the size of the room makes a big difference in 3D and especially audio.

HogPilot · Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 11:51 am Post subject:

Sony 4K theaters that I've watched movies in are quite impressive - at normal seating distances it's vey hard to detect any pixel structure (usually only happens at high contrast boundaries like white text on a black background, and even that is subtle), and CR and sharpness are better than most film-based theaters I've seen.

I think commercial cinemas really need a minimum of 8K (and probably 16K for IMAX) to completely eliminate pixel visibility, but 4K is a huge leap over 2K for venues of that size. I agree that the sound at IMAX theaters is hard to beat...but we got stuck close to the screen at the Doha IMAX for the Hobbit sequel and the pixel visibility was brutal. Distracted me for a lot of the movie. I know IMAX's move to 2K digital was financially driven, but from a PQ standpoint it was a awful decision. I'm really excited to see IMAX move to 4K units soon.

larryp · Joined: 24 Jan 2012 Posts: 252 Location: eden prairie mn

I haven't been to a theater in many years. Price being the main concern, along with the terrible movies they make.
Much more enjoyable kicking back at home.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 2:07 pm Post subject:

Funny, I do the opposite. Mostly because I don't have a working theater, second because I still do enjoy going out to the movies, and yes, I pay the price for the ridiculously priced popcorn, etc. You simply can't make that same popcorn at home.. unless you an oil based popcorn popper... which I don't.

What bugs me though (and yes, I'm in the minority here) is that all the biggest screens are in 3D, which my eyes can't process. Give me something in IMAX that isn't 3D. oh well..

Still, going out for dinner and a movie makes for a good date night, at least in my books.

larryp · Joined: 24 Jan 2012 Posts: 252 Location: eden prairie mn

All the PJ's you work with & you don't have a home theater? That's odd.

I just assumed you were married.

mr_ro_co · Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 1643 Location: Santa Fe NM

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 7:36 pm Post subject:

mr_ro_co · Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 1643 Location: Santa Fe NM

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 7:41 pm Post subject:

Ooh, my arteries! I'll try that, thanks!

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

HogPilot · Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 8:10 pm Post subject:

digitalayon · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 921

digitalayon · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 921

Many theaters are still only 1080p. What are they waiting for? Perhaps some of them do not see the value if they are using film. Not to mention the type of movie in that theater room. Does a Pixar movie need a 10k digital? NO! Does a Hobbit movie need it? Yes but depending on the screen size.

winny · Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 8:40 pm Post subject:

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

winny · Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:06 pm Post subject:

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 11:15 pm Post subject:

I stopped going to theaters when they stopped projecting film. Last movie I saw was in IMAX. Batman, on film, the way it's supposed to be.
Now it's LIEMAX.

If I wanted to see a video projection I can do that at home, in the car, sitting on the crapper, walking the dog etc... Very Happy

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 11:23 pm Post subject:

Speaking of popcorn…

My wife and I and the kids all love popcorn. We've been popping it in a pan on the stove for years, but I always hated the noise in the kitchen after the kids are in bed, and I hate the mess of a pan cooking it on the stove. I also don't like the occasional cold, wet kernel I'd get from the condensation on the pan lid. I know… First world problems.

So, anyway, I've wanted a popper for years. For Christmas, we used some Best Buy points and got ourselves one. Now that we've had it for a month or so, it's officially some of the best damn money I've ever spent!

First, we tried some popcorn we had laying around, with canola oil. It was fine. We used that up, then we bought some Jolly Time (Iowa, hometown company) popcorn and used butter-flavored coconut oil. That was a noticeable upgrade. Then, I bought some single-serve packs from Great Northern Popcorn on Amazon. It comes with the popcorn, coconut oil, and butter-flavored salt all in the same package. It rocks. It's so easy, it's stupid. Turn the machine on, warm up the kettle, cut the package open and dump in all three components, and and 2-3 minutes later, you have a batch of popcorn.

The best parts of the popper are that there's nothing to get out, clean up, or put away. If you have the room, it's just sitting there, ready to go. The other awesome thing is with the warming tray, I can leave half a batch of popped corn in there for a few days, come back, turn the warming light and heating tray on, and ten minutes later, it tastes like fresh-popped corn again. Wink

Once we go through the single-serve packs, I'm going to try some bulk Jolly Time again, with coconut oil and flavacol.

SC