The O'Brien Theatre in Arnprior is an old-style movie theatre that now has some of the most modern equipment in the industry. But the theatre’s owner says the upgrade was not done by choice.
“It was forced on us,” said Kevin Marshall, who has operated the theatre for the past 12 years.
“The distribution companies…they're the ones that actually provide the film, are no longer going to be providing 35 mm film which has been the industry standard for the last 70 odd years. They're switching to a completely digital format .If we don't change, the theatre closes, simple as that,” he said.
The theatre re-opened Friday night after a series of renovations.
“We did some touch ups of the paint or what have you, the new equipment arrived and then it was a matter of getting everything in place of where it had to be,” said Marshall.
Replacing projectors, servers and upgrades to the sound system at the theatre came at a price tag of about $120,000.
Up until the upgrades, some of the equipment the theatre was using was more than five decades old.
The equipment swap is good news for regulars who will notice a clearer picture on the big screen, Marshall said.
“It's a small town theatre and I don't get to the movies a lot, but when I do it's nice to support local business,” said Dan Yetman.
But for some the new equipment isn’t what keeps them coming back.
“This is more homey, it's small and it's comfortable and it's close to home so we just like it,” said Eileen Lowell.
Other moviegoers said small theatres like this one is more affordable for families.
"It's nice and economical for families coming here. It’s cheaper than going to the city and all that and it's a lot quaint,” said Stephanie Bellefleur.
“They only have 2 theatres but they're wonderful and they're very comfortable."
For now, Marshall hopes the improved sound and better picture quality will entice more people to come visit the theatre.
An estimated 40,000 people go through its doors each year.
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Katie Griffin
