How / where can I find an expert in digital cinema projectors?  The
LARGE ones they use in theaters for 250+ viewers?

Questions I would like to ask are along the following lines:

-Why have cinemas not adopted digital projectors yet?
-Who are the market leaders in digital cinema projectors?
-What are the issues that stand in the way to widespread adoption?
-What are the most promising future technologies in digital cinema
projectors?

The ideal "expert" I would like to find is an individual at one of the
larger cinema chains responsible for evaluating potential deployment
of digital cinema projectors.  Or at least responsible for their
existing analog projector infrastructure.

Again, the $50 are for FINDING the right expert in this space.  To
earn the $50 you don't have to BE the right expert - just point me to
the one person who is!

Good news!  I think I found exactly what you're looking for.  I've
found several great contacts for you.  These are people inside
companies that sell digital projectors.  They are more than likely
sales people, but I'm sure they'll have the answers you'll need.

Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. - www.christiedigital.com
Joe Delgado
Joe.Delgado@christiedigital.com
Scott Freidberg
Scott.friedberg@christiedigital.com
10550 Camden Drive
Cypress, CA 90630
714.236.8610, fax 714.503.3385

American Cinema Equipment - www.cinequip.com
Scott Hicks or Scott Kimber (not sure which one, that's just what the
site said)
scott@cinequip.com
1927 N. Argyle Street
Portland, OR 97217-6752
503.285.7017, fax 503.285.6765

Hollywood Theatre Equipment, Inc.
Don R. Gallagher or Debbie Gallagher Beans
Hwdtheatre@aol.com
3300 N. 29th Avenue, Suite 104
Hollywood, FL 33020
954.920.2832, fax 954.925.3874

I retrieved these contacts from the membership directory of the
International Theatre Equipment Association.  If you these contacts
cannot answer your questions, I suggest looking for others in the
directory.

ITEA Member Directory - http://www.itea.com/mem_directory.html

I also visited FilmImaging.com.  They have an article on the front
page that may be able to answer some of your questions even.

FilmImaging.com - http://www.filmimaging.com/HTM/homeset.htm

They also have an "Ask The Expert" button which sends an e-mail to
steve.russell@philips.com.  I did some research and I believe that
Philips is also involved in projectors in some way.  I'm not sure if
they make cinema theater projectors.  More than likely Steve is
involved with projectors in some way and may also be able to answer
your questions.

If none of these contacts can answer your questions, please let me
know and I'll find some more.  Thanks!

Xemion

Here is some contact information and biographical info on someone who
studies the industry.

Brian McKernan 
Editor/Associate Publisher, Digital Cinema Magazine 
New York, NY 
Brian McKernan is the editor and associate publisher of Digital Cinema
magazine, published by United Entertainment Media.
McKernan spent 12 years at United Entertainment Media, serving as
editor of "Videography" magazine from 1988-1999. He also served as
editorial director of UEM’s Video Division, which, in addition to
"Videography," included "Digital Television" (formerly "Television
Broadcast"), "Government Video," "Content Creation Europe," and
"TVB/Europe."
McKernan is the co-editor of the book, "Creating Digital Content: A
Guide to Video Production for Web, Broadcast, and Cinema," published
in October 2001 by McGraw Hill. A former broadcaster, McKernan was
served as Television Editor at "Broadcast Management/Engineering" from
July 1986 to October 1987, and was on the staff of "Omni" magazine
from 1980 to 1986.
http://www.nab.org/conventions/nab2002/digitalcinema.asp
http://www.digitalcinemamag.com/aboutus/info/0,8098,31121,00.html
Editorial Contact
Brian McKernan
Editor
phone: 212.378.0414
email: bmckernan@uemedia.com

pargalin, you may also want to read a recent lengthy New York Times
article from a few weeks ago entitled "HOW IT WORKS; Streaming Onto
the Movie Screen, With Nary a Scratch."  It compared the top two
competing digital projector systems and explained how they worked.  As
I recall it also touched upon issues that stand in the way to
widespread adoption.

It appeared in the May 9th Circuits section and unfortunately is now
part of the NYT's paid archived area.  You can read an abstract via
the following link:

http://query.nytimes.com/search/abstract?res=F50712F839540C7A8CDDAC0894DA404482

By the way, DLP ( http://www.dlp.com/ ) is the company that has
installed digital projectors in the 94 theaters that are digitally
showing Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.   Theaters that are digitally
showing Clones:
http://www.dlp.com/dlp_cinema/dlp_cinema_theater_search.asp


leep-ga

Just for info if you run a search for digital cinema on:

Star Wars
www.starwars.com 

you will turn up serveral articles which give relevant market opinion
/news:

"McCallum is aware of at least 20 major motion pictures this year who
have committed to delivering digital versions. "That's what we need.
These are going to be small incremental steps. It's an educational
process. There's a lot of fear out there, a lot of politics and we
have to deal with each issue as it comes up. There are standards
issues and the main issue of who's going to pay for all this. It's not
happening as fast as we wanted, but it's starting to happen and that's
a really good feeling."


from:
http://www.starwars.com/episode-ii/news/2002/06/news20020610.html


Using leads form there I turned up:

Technicolor Digital Cinema
http://www.technicolordigital.com/

Who would appear to be a market leader based on this statement:

"There are currently 34 permanent digital cinema installations
worldwide, 29 of which are serviced by Technicolor Digital Cinema. "

from:

http://www.technicolordigital.com/whydigital/list.asp

TI (Texas Instruments) may also have more info try searching for DLP
(Digital Light Processor) as well as the usual search terms.

That's about all I have time for, hope this helped.