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Author Topic: Question about UCI cinemas (UK) Matthew Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 186 From: Essex, UK Registered: Mar 2004 posted 07-11-2005 10:44 AM                     I notice from the new pictures of the UCI cinema that they are using Kinoton FP40's. Does anyone know if UCI use these projectors or other Kinotons in all their cinemas?  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 07-11-2005 11:17 AM                     Empire Leicester Square mainly uses a FP-30 in the main cinema, but they also have two DP-70s. I've been in a couple of other UCI boxes, but I can't remember what they had.  |  IP: Logged Matthew Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 186 From: Essex, UK Registered: Mar 2004 posted 07-11-2005 11:25 AM                     Thanks Stephen. I've been to a few UCI's and I'm always knocked out by how good and steady the image is so I've wondered what gear they use.  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 07-11-2005 12:27 PM                     UCI use whatever they can get their hands on cheapest at the time of building! Very early sites had Monee, although none are left now, next came Christie, again, there are none left runnign Christie, there are some with ORC vintage Century machines one Christie consoles (originally had Christie mechs on), the rest are the omnipresent Victoria 5, with a handfull of Kinoton. Sound is everything from CP55 with no SR to CP650, DTS and SDDS. The nearest one to me has the ORC Centurys on Christie consoles, Christie AW3 platters and a mix of CP55/CP500 & DTS. It's picture and sound have always been good, although I've not visited fora while.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-11-2005 12:40 PM                        quote: Pete Naples Very early sites had Monee, although none are left now... Was this through natural attrition?  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 07-11-2005 02:03 PM                     Something like that! It's a long winded story, and you get different versions according to who tells it. CSD were in there for all the early UCI installs before their demise, I think just about everyone has done work for them at one time or another.  |  IP: Logged Dick Vaughan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1032 From: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-12-2005 03:08 AM                        And don't forget UCI as it stands now is a combination of Cineplex, AMC , new build UCI sites and other odds and sods brought together by aquisitions and mergers over 20 years so there's no wonder there's a mix of kit. Oh and there's also Mr Constable's IMAX projector at Filmworks in Manchester  |  IP: Logged David Graham Rose Expert Film Handler Posts: 187 From: Cambridge, UK Registered: Sep 2002 posted 07-12-2005 03:08 PM                     Greetings All Early UCI sites with Monee? Never in a million years! The tractor of the cinema industry was never installed in any UCI as far as I am aware. Site names maybe? From a warm Cambridge Good Evening  |  IP: Logged Thomas Jonsson Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Bromolla, Sweden Registered: Sep 2003 posted 07-12-2005 03:43 PM                       Is the Empire Leicester Square (great theater!) using an FP30 instead of the DP70´s nowdays? Why would they do that? Thomas  |  IP: Logged Ben Wales Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Southampton. England Registered: Jul 99 posted 07-12-2005 04:02 PM                     There is only one Philips DP70 now installed at the Empire, the #2 (middle DP70) I belived was removed over a year ago to make way for a 1.3K DLP Projector. The DP70's were seldom used for daily screenings for some years, other than specials and I can not remember the last time they ran 70mm at the Empire, might have been "Hamlet". Most of the early build UCI's I have seen had Victoria 5's.  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 07-12-2005 04:52 PM                     OK I'll re-phrase that having though about it and asked the right questions of the right people, early UCI sites were originally intended to have Monee, unsurprisingly they fell over too quickly, and AFAIK no sites ever opened with them. Earlier UCIs (Edinburgh for example) went through a few changes of kit, being built with Century (or maybe Monee, the now retired ex-chief couldn't recall the details) heads on, then being fitted with Christie for opening, then being quickly refitted with ORC Century heads, which it still has today, pushing 20 years on. Realistically, with the exception of Odeon, the major chains in the UK don't have brand loyalty when it comes to machinery. Warner for example used ORC Century and Cinemecannica.  |  IP: Logged Matthew Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 186 From: Essex, UK Registered: Mar 2004 posted 07-12-2005 05:07 PM                     Peter, which machines do Odeon go for then?  |  IP: Logged Dan Harris Film Handler Posts: 86 From: Bristol, UK Registered: Jun 2003 posted 07-12-2005 05:42 PM                     Odeon use the various models from Cinemecannica. Vic 5's, 8's and 9's with a few 4's dotted around waiting to be replaced. 5's go in as standard in new builds. The exception to this would be ex-ABC sites which use the Kinoton package.  |  IP: Logged Andy Summers Master Film Handler Posts: 397 From: Bournemouth Dorset United kingdom Registered: Jun 2005 posted 07-13-2005 06:33 AM                 Though I’m at present unemployed, I believe UCI 10 screens tower park Poole in Dorset, still use 35mm Cinemeccanica Victory V, this was he first projector I laced-up and I liked the Vic V she had a nice humming sound and her intermittent always gave me a buzz, she’s a lovely little projector. PS, Why would they do that, interesting point and the chief technical projectionist “Fred Fullton” of the Empire in London said to me once its politics about disguising anything about which type of digital sound format is the best, and talking about the Philips DP-70 I think they still have them installed along with some modifications that “future projections UK” have done.  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 07-13-2005 04:52 PM                     Matthew as Dan rightly stated Odeon use the Cinemeccanicca package, the modern multiplex typically have Victoria 5, the older sites (are there any left?) on the whole had Vic 5, often partnered with a Vic 8 in the main screen, some of them were even kitted for 70mm. Clerk Street in Edinburgh had some Victoria 9 in use until it closed. I've never seen a Vic 4 in an Odeon, but wouldn't rule it out, those things are all but indestructible! Originally Odeon used Gaumont Kalee equipment (remember that a lot of Odeon sites were formerly Gaumounts), where 70mm was required, the Phillips DP70 was common. The story of how Odeon switched to Cinemecannica is quite interesting, and pretty much spelt the death of GB Kalee / Kershaw. As said above, ABC sites had Phillips/Kinoton, although in years gone by they used Ross, and I've seen Kalee in them too. Often the DP70 or DP75 was installed in the main screen, with FP20 in the smaller screens. The modern builds used Kinoton FP30, I've seen FP40 in them too. Ster Century used Cinemecannica Vic 5 in the UK. Showcase use Strong Century, always have and probably always will. IIRC Cineworld used Kinoton. Apollo are another one for mix and match. They have a mixture of Westrex and Cinemecannica V9, V8, V5 and V4 in the old sites, the more modern multis have either Strong Century or Cinemecannica Vic 5. Spean Bridge (now part of Vue, along with the former Warner Bros and Warner Vilalge sites) started with Strong Simplex Millenium, then went to Cinemecannica. The Warner Bros sites have Simplex, Century and Vic 5, the Warner Village sites were all Vic 5.  |  IP: Logged

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