It would save a lot of time and money and looks really good.

What do you think about this technology and this idea?

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Andrew McCrea

"I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Drawn That Way!" - Jessica Rabbit

I have worked with both the normal Mylar marquees and the LED displays. I enjoy both about the same, but there's something about a Mylar that I like a bit more. First of all, it is what I am used to. It may not be the easiest way to have theatre times and auditorium information displayed but I think it is a nice feature. As for the LED display, they are handy when its Thursday night--because no one has to be bothered with changing the backlit Mylar displays. They both have good qualities... I just like the original Mylar better. Good luck!

However, I prefer the look of mylars. So when it came to my own theatre, we chose mylars.

On the subject of money... LED displays are very expensive to purchase to begin with. but once purchased, they don't cost you much. Mylar light boxes are dirt cheap to buy and install. But you have to buy mylars every week for your new films. But I suspect that we will be turning them out on our color laser printer before long. So I would have to buy 500 mylars to equal the price of an LED system for my theatre. That's about 4 years worth of films.

You can pay me now, or you can pay me later!

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Andrew McCrea

If its anything, we stripped out a closed sixplex in San Jose CA 2 years ago, and took everything... except the Xetron Maxi-8 autos, an AW2, 2 Christie vertical consoles, and all six LED marquees.

If I HAD to use an electronic title board, i would use the ones that Schult Design carries, they look 'better' than plain LEDs IMO. And I would only use them at the boxoffice for the times. I prefer title art ( mylars) for above the auditorium doors

Aaron

Also... When a small, 2 screen theatre is open on a Thursday night, they have about 3 people working, there's 2 shwos in on auditorium, 1 after the other. That small staff is not going to have time to change the regular flourescent marquee. Plus, with one line available, they're going to have to change it.

I like the look of L.E.D.'s. They look cool and they'll last a lot longer. Except, i have noticed that sometimes at the theaytres that use them, they do go wacky and flash and blink when they're just suppose to show the time.

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Andrew McCrea

A mylar looks like this.

Mylars coast between $15-$20 per piece and are available from 3rd party vendors, not distributors. One very large vendor is called Movie Ad Corp.

The "thingy" that holds the mylars is a light box. It is just a box with a florescent tube inside with a white plastic front and a track to hold the mylar. The same boxes can hold letters so you can spend once and use the letters each week.

If I had a single screen, I would just hang the poster in the proper place with a now showing next to it.

LED signs are hooked up to the box office computers and they don't require anything from the managers. If the times and auditorium numbers are correct in the box office computer, then the signs above the doors will be correct. Once the initial setup has been done, it is hands free. When something does go wrong, the software is easy and you can call them up and they will handhold you through it. You don't have to turn them on. You don't have to turn them off. You don't have to update them on Thursday. It's all automatic.

And yes, I think it looks like an airport. By the way, the theatres are the second largest market for LED signs. Airports are the largest market for LED signs, so the analogy is apt.

Both are fine but I prefer the LEDs

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Andrew McCrea