Saying goodbye to an old friend

[Frank Raia]

I hate the fact that digital has almost erased an era. I stripped down an old simplex XL today. A good machine that could most likely have out lived me. I find comfort in the fact that its parts are a value to have for piece of mind to keep my current and newer simplex 35 running for many years.

[Rick Raskin]

In my day I ran Simplex machines that still had the hole for the hand crank. They were workhorses and could have lasted 150 years. Sorry to see the end of an era.

[Leo Enticknap]

I hate the fact that digital has almost erased an era

Digital is already erasing its own eras. When I started working as a digital cinema service tech in 2017, one of my first assignments was to part out a Series 1 projector that was only eight years old. We're now working with IT industry life and obsolescence cycles, but trying to impose them on a business that has a tradition of regarding capital equipment investments being good for 30 to 60 years.

[Frank Raia]

Leo, I hope there are still theaters left in 30 years. Maybe that will be a niche in the future.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Digital is already erasing its own eras. When I started working as a digital cinema service tech in 2017, one of my first assignments was to part out a Series 1 projector that was only eight years old. We're now working with IT industry life and obsolescence cycles, but trying to impose them on a business that has a tradition of regarding capital equipment investments being good for 30 to 60 years.

Yeah one of our CP2220 is almost not quite 10, the other we just got to replace a barco less than 2 years ago. But both are slated to get replaced within 5 years. (If all the Renovations / Upgrades dreams come to pass).

There will still be cinemas in the world, but will the be any in the US in 30 years (that don't also serve another function?). We've seen film-on-film become a niche, but I expect Frank may be correct in that cinema rooms in general will become the next niche.

RIP little guy. Hope their donor organs are put to good use!

[Tony Bandiera Jr]

And sadly, that old machine, properly cleaned up and rebuilt, would still outlast and outperform the modern versions you're saving the parts for.... (and yes, you can get the parts to use a belt drive 5 star with that older head)


Hello darkness my old friend......

[Frank Raia]

Tony, The one that i salvaged the parts from was rigged to much and the intermittent broken. I only have room for one so the newer cleaner one found its way home. There was an old century that was scrapped that i really wanted but I was too late. I did like the older sound head, I believe it was a simplex 1000? It had a lot more room. This 5 star is tiny !! I dont see how a double reader would fit comfortably.