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Author Topic: The curse of the loop end platters Miguel Angel Martorell Film Handler Posts: 81 From: Valencia, Spain Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-29-2002 08:08 PM                     In my new destination I have to deal with 4 Cinemeccanica loop end platters with 12 years old or so and it´s simply hell. Rarely is the show that we haven´t to go to the booth (in this stinky mini complex there are 5 independent booths and 8 screens))in order to make any correction or stop the show (it doesn´t happen very often, we are professionals ) but I´m loosing my patience. Are this kind of platters present on many booths of the States or any other countries or they are products of the past?. Does Cinemeccanica still making loop end platters or they quit?. I only know one loop end platter which is really a non-threading system, the Kinoton but...left my alone with my Cinemeccanica CNR-35 "normal" platters and let me enjoy with my work. Un saludo ------------------  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 01-29-2002 08:34 PM                     Hola, you rarely see them in use in the USA except for lobby display of coming attraction or museums. The projectionist role in maintaining the unit is important and situations where you interlock auditoriums with one print is impossible. They where to be a "labor savings cost device" but with the minimum wage usher operating most equipment in the USA is not neccesary. In Latin America where labor cost is low, I have seen situations where there is a projectionist for each cinema in a multiplex. I have one in operation for seven years in one cinema but in another we had to replace with video projection due to the different skills of the projectionists. I wonder how Film-Guard would would on a print on an endless platter? Richard Fowler TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 01-29-2002 08:43 PM                     Regal used to use the Strong enless loop platter for it's rear-projection lobby screen. But from what I understand, most operators found it too much of a hasle to do trailer changes on it every week, and it didn't always work right anyway. So theaters that have these platters just use the top and bottom decks for normal operation. The lates lobby screens at Regal used VCRs.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 01-29-2002 10:22 PM                     There is a theater chain up north that uses FilmGuard on a Christie endless loop platter. They played around with it and reported that the optimum performance was obtained by picking one day out of the week and running a freshly soaked set of pads ONE performance, and then not using the cleaner for the rest of the week. They said there was no more static, the film and projector was noticeably cleaner and there were no more brain wraps. I wish I had an ELF to play with for my own testing, but apparently this company got good results in this manner.  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 01-29-2002 11:03 PM                     ELF - Endless Loop F____ ?  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-29-2002 11:25 PM                     Christie Endless Loop Film System.  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 01-30-2002 12:08 AM                     thanks  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 01-30-2002 08:01 AM                        Links to information: Kinoton Christie Strong ------------------ John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243 E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-30-2002 09:57 AM                     Miguel, I am pretty sure these can also run as regular two deck platter systems too if you prefer to do it that way. Its certainly better for the film. If you have a double feature have your theatre buy a couple of platter reels of some sort to keep the second print on the side. Mark @ GTS  |  IP: Logged Wes Hughes Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Raleigh, NC, USA Registered: Aug 2001 posted 01-30-2002 03:18 PM                     I have also seen some endless loops with the middle platter converted for regular use. I have never done it, but it seems you would have to drill holes for the hub ring, do a bit of rewiring, and replace the rewind followers with standard takeup equipment that the "normal" top and bottom decks use.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-30-2002 04:36 PM                     The Potts endless could run either way on the fly. Mark @ GTS  |  IP: Logged Miguel Angel Martorell Film Handler Posts: 81 From: Valencia, Spain Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-30-2002 06:49 PM                     Thanks Mark and others, in fact all the ELF have two normal platters that are used too but the problem is that usually we have 2 films or in some cases 3 per screen and booths are designed for a kind of projectionist like Stuart Little so we have to work with the ELF in one show minimun. At least today they have worked correctly and, if there´s no problem, on june I hope to return to my beloved 11 screen cineplex that has a couple of ELF too but reconverted to "normal" platters. I cross my fingers. Un saludo. ------------------  |  IP: Logged

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