ODEON GUILDFORD

[@darkvader7231]

If multiplexes were all like that with proper curtains and masking, I'd go more often to them. Thanks for showing those lovely auditoriums.

[@fp30e]

Hello DarkVader, they certainly looked nice cinemas for sure. I'm fortunate that my local Odeon has moveable side masking (A proper Scope Screen). The cinema was built new from scratch 9 years ago and it's very well looked after.

[@Designsbyg]

nice to see a vic 5. its fun trying to identify the equipment I see. Thanks Fred :)

[@fp30e]

Hello Designsbyg Thank you for your comment. It's good fun, especially when there is a bit of mix and match with the equipment. All the best. Take Care.

[@MichaelBeeny]

Hi Fred, Almost just like a UCI, even down to the Wharfedale monitors. Sound Associates used to fit a really crappy cheap driver from RS in an even tackier box. All you could tell from it was that sound was coming out. A monitor should let you hear any buzzes, hums or distortion. At that time Wharfedale was thinking of making a powered 20-watt monitor loudspeaker. I asked them what minimum order they would accept. They said 50 units, the rest is history. Funny thing was the SA speaker that was real junk cost us 93 pounds, the Wharfedale, including the amplifier was half of that. Funny how Dolby was fanatical about sound levels. Calibrating the halls at 85dB which was fader 7 on the SA panel. I always told Dolby, that was too loud. We would always go into the hall and listen, most of the time that meant a fader setting of 5-6. I got round it by calibrating the halls to 82dB so a fader of 7 was usually just fine. I note this cinema also used fader 5 on Dolby digital. We ended up fitting a slow start inverter to all Vic 5s as they tended to strip the gears within the shutter drive. Over the years I must have repaired hundreds of them. They were fine until Cinemec replace one of the gears for a nylon type. Cheaper than the original metal gear, just a pity it was crap! The issue of the projector starting to quickly was because they used a 3 phase synchronous motor which only likes to run a one speed. most important for interlocking 2 or more projectors. They tried to solve this problem with resistors in series with the motor start. It simply did not work well. Personally, I never really like Cinemec equipment, the platter in particular. The Kinoton FP30 and the electronic feed module was my favorite. I never had a rap with that module. The light from the Kinoton lamp house was 100% even, and lots more light than from the metal mirrors from Cinemec, which often had hot spots.

[@fp30e]

Hello Mike. Good to hear from you. You make some very good points which are always interesting to read. The last 35mm projector I worked on was 2 x Kintoton FP30E (electronic intermittent) rock'n'roll. We ran them from new until Digital came out. They were very quiet, and we never had any issues with them. I always liked the Vic 8's in preference to the DP75 for 70mm, but then again the DP70's were the king of 70mm projection. Thank you for your amazing comments. Take care. All the best

[@marktubeie07]

Just a thought James, don't give AI a credit, it's not human & doesn't deserve it 😞 Let's not perpetuate it to a 'norm' - just my thoughts mate :)

[@fp30e]

Hello Mark, I love your comment and thank you for it. Every now and again I will do a joke credit, and the "AI" is most certainly a Joke credit. Thank you very much for spotting it. Take care.

[@marktubeie07]

@@fp30e Cool, it was a joke, all good! It's just the way it's all going of late, anything like that just sets me off !! You can see where my mind is lately when I didn't get this 'joke' 😂

[@fp30e]

@@marktubeie07 Hello Mark, I used to do worse credit jokes than that not so long ago like HR by "Dowhat Isay" All tongue-n-Cheek. Glad you're not angry with me now. 😃