Colchester Odeon goes digital (From Gazette)

Colchester Odeon goes digital

2:30pm Saturday 25th June 2011 in News

IT'S the end of an era for Colchester's silver screens.

Colchester Odeon has installed new digital projectors as part of the company's multimillion pound upgrade across the country, closing the curtain on traditional 35mm film.

The cinema, in Head Street, has now installed eight of the new projectors, replacing the film projectors brought over from the old Odeon cinema following its move from Crouch Street in 2003.

Tim Waters, manager of the cinema, said: “We are going to miss the old projectors, but digital cinema means we can show a lot of alternative content, such as operas, ballet, Wimbledon in 3D, and live music events.”

Rather than using the cumbersome reels of film, movies are now delivered to the cinema on a computer hard drive which is loaded into the projector with a security code.

The new Odeon 8000 Digital Projection System has the capacity to hold 8,000 films. The cinema usually shows between 15 and 20 films each week.

Mr Waters added: “The 35mm film used to be on a huge silver plate and run through lots of reels and through a mechanism on to the second plate - now all of that equipment is redundant.

“The new projectors save electricity and a lot more compact.

“The image is so clear on the screen and there are no blemishes or reel changes.

“People ask whether there is any difference watching at home, but these projectors have greater resolution and you still get that cinema experience.

“We are still keeping one projector with 35mm film to show old films, and of course not every film maker is going to make a digital version.”

35mm film has been the most commonly used film gauge for still photography and movies since it was first used in 1892 by Thomas Edison and William Dickson.

It was recognised as the international standard gauge in 1909 but has since been modified to include sound, capture colour and accommodate wide-screen formats.