Updated 09/19/2012 06:32 PM
Corning Palace Theatre goes digital
A Steuben County movie theater has ditched the old film projectors to make the switch to digital. Our Bill Mich got a behind the scenes look at the new operation at the Corning Palace Theater and has more on what the change means for movie goers.
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CORNING, N.Y. -- The days of 35 millimeter film at the Palace Theater in Corning are over. The switch has been made to digital projectors as film becomes harder and harder to get your hands on.
"If you don't have it, it is going to simply take you out of the market, so it's an improve or die situation really," said theater owner Tim Bonomo.
This is the first week the new digital movies are being shown in the theater. The changeover lasted about a week and was a total investment of close to $150,000 with the two projectors costing roughly $75,000 a piece. But the end result was well worth it.
"Moving the movies around, scheduling them is a lot easier. There are a ton of benefits behind the scenes and, of course, the beautiful thing is that there are great benefits for the customers, as well," said Bonomo.
Movies are no longer on giant reels being run through a projector but now come in the form of a hard drive. The new system also allows the theater staff to control everything from the show to the house lights from a computer. But the biggest benefit from the switch will be noticed on the silver screen.
"Anyone who sits through that immediately goes, 'Oh my gosh.' The sound quality is astronomically better, the picture is huge leaps better. The whole presentation is just so much better than it used to be and second to none," Bonomo said.
Another change movie goers will notice at the theater is a slight increase in ticket prices, up one dollar. An extra dollar well worth paying if the new experience at the movie theater leaves you on the edge of your seat.