https://collinsts.com/articles/ Cinema technology and exhibition analysis by Mark F. Collins. en-us https://collinsts.com/articles/we-fired-the-apprentice/ https://collinsts.com/articles/we-fired-the-apprentice/ Now where do we get the booth technician? Mark Collins on the apprenticeship pipeline lost when cinemas stopped staffing projection booths — and why exhibitors must rebuild the path to skilled field service. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT https://collinsts.com/articles/who-owns-the-warranty/ https://collinsts.com/articles/who-owns-the-warranty/ How exhibition buys equipment — and who gets paid when the warranty work shows up. Mark Collins on coast-to-coast dealers without local techs, warranty labor that comes out of preventive maintenance, and the six things to settle before signing the PO. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT https://collinsts.com/articles/biggest-merger/ https://collinsts.com/articles/biggest-merger/ The complete August analysis, now with Mark Collins’ October 6 scorecard: the merger closed, the promises became a five-year consent decree, and exhibitors need to read the fine print on film output, rental terms, windows and distribution. Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT https://collinsts.com/articles/what-is-a-cinema-today/ https://collinsts.com/articles/what-is-a-cinema-today/ The expanding universe of the modern movie theater: the premium format arms race (IMAX, Dolby Cinema, HDR by Barco, Infinity Vision), motion and multi-sensory seating like 4DX and D-BOX, cinema LED, and the rise of entertainment centers — and what all of it means for how we define a cinema. Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT https://collinsts.com/articles/dlp-single-point-of-failure/ https://collinsts.com/articles/dlp-single-point-of-failure/ Why cinema's future rests on one chip — and why that should terrify us. An analysis of Texas Instruments' DLP monopoly, the unprecedented single-vendor supply chain risk facing global digital cinema, and what exhibitors should be doing now to hedge against it. Fri, 24 Jul 2026 17:00:00 GMT https://collinsts.com/articles/infinity-vision-hdr/ https://collinsts.com/articles/infinity-vision-hdr/ Disney's new Infinity Vision certification unifies PLF marketing across 320+ exhibitor brands — but its spec requires only 4K laser and immersive audio, not HDR. A look at how validating SDR laser at the premium tier could stall open DCI HDR adoption and cede the high-dynamic-range future to proprietary silos like Dolby Cinema and HDR by Barco. Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT https://collinsts.com/articles/shrinking-window/ https://collinsts.com/articles/shrinking-window/ An industry perspective on the collapsing theatrical-to-home release window, what shrinking exclusivity periods mean for exhibitor economics, and how cinemas can respond by leaning into experience, premium formats, and event-driven programming. Wed, 10 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT https://collinsts.com/articles/cinema-revival/ https://collinsts.com/articles/cinema-revival/ A look at the history of American moviegoing, the current crisis facing exhibition, and how a nostalgia-driven revival strategy—palace-era showmanship, community programming, and an unmistakable sense of occasion—can bring audiences back to the cinema. Fri, 29 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT https://collinsts.com/articles/get-with-the-times/ https://collinsts.com/articles/get-with-the-times/ A modern measurement manifesto: why the 31-band graphic EQ and pink-noise RTA belong to a previous era, how swept sine and parametric EQ deliver dramatically better signal-to-noise and resolution, what your analyzer actually tells you, and why a trained ear remains the only judge that matters. Sun, 10 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT https://collinsts.com/articles/headroom-illusion/ https://collinsts.com/articles/headroom-illusion/ An expanded technical reference exploring how EQ boosts erode headroom, trigger clipping, and create the psychoacoustic illusion of "loud but distorted" sound. Combines the math of single- and multi-band boosts with the physics of clipping, the Fletcher-Munson trap, the full distortion chain, a real-world bad-EQ case study, and practical rules for cinema engineers. Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT https://collinsts.com/articles/future-of-cinema/ https://collinsts.com/articles/future-of-cinema/ A deep dive into how emissive LED screens and immersive audio are redefining the moviegoing experience—exploring the Premium Cinematic Experience (PCE) format, its advantages over IMAX and Dolby Cinema, and the practical realities of deploying next-generation cinema technology. Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:00:00 GMT https://collinsts.com/articles/tale-of-two-cities/ https://collinsts.com/articles/tale-of-two-cities/ An exploration of how film buying strategies must evolve as the theatrical landscape shifts—examining the diverging realities facing major circuits and independent exhibitors, and proposing new models for content acquisition in an era of reduced studio output and changing audience behavior. Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:00:00 GMT https://collinsts.com/articles/the-vehicle/ https://collinsts.com/articles/the-vehicle/ A strategic argument that cinema exhibitors must stop relying on Hollywood's shrinking film pipeline and instead redefine theaters as experience destinations—leveraging premium formats, community programming, and ancillary revenue to survive the streaming era. Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:00:00 GMT