my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Digital Cinema Forum   » Used Projectors, what are they worth? (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Used Projectors, what are they worth? Dave Bird Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 777 From: Perth, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jun 2000 posted 09-04-2019 08:35 PM                        Been curious, how robust is the used projector market, what are these things worth after a few years? Basic depreciated book value or almost nothing. Saw a couple 6 or 7 year old NEC 900 C's today that probably aren't any good to me (never seen or even heard about these little guys before). I have no idea what they cost new, how much life is left in them, I'm just a guy who owns a theatre. Then again, the people that have them have zero use and zero idea whether they are worth anything other than as boat anchors, so I'd like to help.  |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 09-04-2019 11:23 PM                     Highly dependent on the type of machine, age and usage. So, not easy to give a concrete answer to that question I think. I don't know your write-off scheme, which may also be legally limited or maybe you have a certain business strategy in your write-offs that doesn't align with market value, but even a projector that's been in use for 10 years doesn't have zero value on the market, as long as it's still in good condition. Series 2 machines are still highly sought after and I think that there might be a market coming for the high-end home cinema enthusiasts that do want proper DCI machines.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-04-2019 11:36 PM                     I've got a vintage Kodak Ektra 35mm rangefinder camera in my collection. https://www.cameraquest.com/ektra.htm It's a pretty rare camera. It's in working condition and I've got all the accessories that go with it. Supposedly, the body, by itself is worth up to $1,000. With all the lenses and accessories, it could be worth twice that or more. So, what's it ACTUALLY worth? It's not worth a single cent unless I can find some schmuck who is willing to part with two grand. Every once in a blue moon, I take it out and shoot a roll of film with it... mainly because it's such a damn cool camera NOT to use it once in a while. The main problem with selling it is to find somebody who knows what it is, appreciates it for rare find that it is and, presumably knows how to use it. It's a rangefinder camera, not and SLR. Many people who know about traditional photography only know SLRs and wouldn't know the first thing about a rangefinder camera. So, the population of people who would even be interested in such a camera is a lot smaller than the number of people who would be interested in traditional photography, at all. If anybody did end up buying the camera from me, it would probably end up on a shelf, some place, collecting dust. I'm satisfied to keep it and use it, on occasion. Somebody who wanted to buy it would have to convince me that they are genuinely interested in the camera for what it is and not just something to add to their collection of junk. I'd say that virtually the same goes with movie projectors, film or digital. The population of people who would be interested to buy it is small and the number of people who would fork out the money is even smaller. Regardless of what you think it's worth or what some book says it's worth, it only really worth what you can get somebody to give you for it. Bottom line: Probably not very much.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 09-05-2019 05:46 AM                     NEC 900C are still very useful and fully supported. Depending on details (internal server?), they would probably sell for something between 5000 and 15.000 US$ each. Koroye would be happy for one at that price level. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-05-2019 07:39 AM                     Among my customers there are 35 of the 34 that I installed which are still running. Yep! Thats right! I didn't install the 35th one. Six that I installed are among the very first NC-900's sold in the USA. They had some lamp problems at first, but they redsigned the lamp and it's now very reliable. Kelmar manufactures a couple of nifty inexpensive pedetals for the NC-900 and I know MIT has a more deluxe pedestal.  |  IP: Logged Dave Bird Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 777 From: Perth, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jun 2000 posted 09-05-2019 10:21 AM                        That certainly looks more substantial a set up than where I've just seen these, believe it or not used for 45 and 56 foot drive-in screens. Now their NEC 3200S with 6k lamp for the 90 foot screen is certainly likely "legit" and marketable, maybe, but again, just not sure there's anyone that needs 'em. I can't power the big one on single-phase, so no use for it. Guess I'll see how close to "salvage" I get on the others, no current use for 'em other than some sort of "screens 3 and 4 "blanket and chair" screens, but really I'm hoping to build screen 2 for cars. I've seen it, that's what they were doing with them, just couldn't do it myself, couldn't have been a great presentation.  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-05-2019 12:56 PM                     I serviced those projectors. They're all in decent shape, stored over the winters in a heated dry offsite facility. All have GDC SX3000 servers. Dubious that the NC900 was a good choice for a drive-in but they used them for several years. Not bright images for sure but apparently acceptable. Not sure about what they'll sell for but there is a lot of interest in them so they won't go super cheap.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 09-05-2019 02:55 PM                     That could mean they have long-throw lenses? The NC900 is the only S2K projector with a long-throw lens.  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-05-2019 08:25 PM                     Yes, long focal length lenses. And - most if not all projectors have long lenses available. Barco certainly does: they aren't in the list when telling the projector what lens you have or as accessories in the spec sheet, and they say "WXGA" or something on the barrel rather than "digital cinema" but they have identical mounts and work fine. You just need to pick a lens from the same manufacturer so the projector uses the correct focus/zoom motor voltage. There are also non-motorized really long lenses available. I have seen Christies in DIs too, but I didn't study the lenses.  |  IP: Logged Koroye Seitonkumo Film Handler Posts: 57 From: Yenagoa, Bayelsa, Nigeria Registered: Aug 2018 posted 09-05-2019 09:43 PM                     I will certainly be interested in some nc900 at a good price  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 09-07-2019 02:39 AM                        quote: Dave Macaulay I have seen Christies in DIs too, but I didn't study the lenses. One of the drive-ins in our state has a Christie. Its output seems fairly comparable to our Barcos. At the time, we didn't consider Christies because of the cost of their "disposable" air filters... something like $200 or so.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-07-2019 08:46 AM                     NEC also uses disposable air filters. But you can get two types. True Hepa filters fomr NEC and the sost is similar to replacing the Christie filters. Or you can get the cheap Chinese filters fomr other suppliers for about $50 a projector. The cheap filters do not work nearly as well and if you are in a DI or very dusty area I reccomend putting foam tape around the edge of the cheapo filters so they seal to the projector frame better and don't allow air leakage. I would never use a non filtered projector in any DI situation period. I have seen Christies and Barco's in Drive ins and there is always so much dust in them taht I can write my name in it.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 09-07-2019 08:58 AM                     I like that idea. Simply the more personal approach than a dumb company sticker.  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-07-2019 09:10 AM                     Not so sure the $$$ NEC filters are HEPA, but they are good. Strong filters are pretty poor. Gabo filters are better than Strong and cheaper than NEC. The Barco metal filters work quite well, letting through really tiny particles though. I do not know the perforation size. Barco light engines are sealed so dust can't get into the DMDs. If the lens seal is in place you will get some powdery dust on the prism exit and lens rear element in an environment that has super fine dust, like a typical DI. Otherwise it really doesn't cause trouble. The lamp optics do get unfiltered air so the mirrors need to be cleaned regularly. Christie projectors except the 2210 type have very good "LAD" filters for the fan blowing filtered air over the DMD faces and prism input faces, they don't get much contamination there. Like Barco, the lamp air is unfiltered. NEC filters the lamp air on larger projectors, I'm not sure about the 900/1000. None filter the LPS cooling air as far as I know. I have blown out Barco LPS modules only once, where the projectors were installed in a new concrete floored booth that had not had the floor sealed. Not a good plan by the way. There are always pros and cons between projector designs. NEC has no supernatural advantage over the others. Definitely, NEC service manuals are the worst by a HUGE margin.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 09-07-2019 01:17 PM                     Thanks Carsten. I laughed real well on that one Both Strong and MIT have varied their filters over the years/months so there is no consistency with them. The current MIT ones have fewer pleats than NEC filters which indicates less surface area to catch the dirt...so plan on changing them more often. As Mark indicates, most/all of the knockoffs don't fit as well as the OEM. I prefer disposable filters and think Barco has taken the wrong approach with the metal mesh ones. Gabo's metal mesh are better in most ways in that it is one large filter rather than individual filters that do get damaged more easily. Gabo's assembly method is glue, however and they can/do separate. I'm thinking in particularly dusty environments (and any projector near the entrance of the booth since it will be sucking all of the popcorn soot up), to pre-filter the projector. Add an additional set up "register" filter(s) to the intakes. If they turn grey, change them. You can normally hold them on with velcro too. NEC does NOT use what I would call a "HEPA" filter. What Barco used on series 1 projectors, those were HEPA filters and crazy expensive too. Christie, on the original series 1 projectors (CP2000S) had a nice rubber seal around the filters that does better than the non-sealing cardboard. The LAD filters are still rubber seals. Christie doesn't filter their lamp section so expect the intake blower to be impacted and the sail-switch to grow whiskers over time. And yes, everyone seems to let the LPS (LPSU) fend for themselves with Barco hiding their LPS intake louvers under the projector (C series). If you have a UPS system on the Barco, the LPS typically runs 24/7 drawing that dirt up. You'd think they could have put in a mode that if the control circuit stops communicating, go into an ECO mode and shut the fans off! Then again, you'd think that if the 220V power wasn't on, the control system would alert the user that the power is missing on the LPS. But I digress.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.