Well, thanks to technology, those days have been over for several years. The best crop of residential DLP, or D-ILA projectors coupled with high-end screens and sound processors, not only competed with, but more often than not out-shined, their film-based counterparts. Of course, these high-end systems were not within the grasp of ordinary folk, and could cost in excess of $20,000. This year there are even more affordable ensemble systems available for less than $8,000 that produce images and sound almost as good as their high-end cousins.

Even the less expensive combination of Blu-ray players and flat-panel TVs have impacted the movie industry. Seeing this trend and looking for effective solutions to draw movie-goers back to the local Cineplex, theater owners are turning toward digital cinema.

Even though these 2K projectors are just slightly sharper than today's 1080p TVs, they are light-years better than film projection. There are several reasons for this: The latest digital projectors deliver a picture with impressive clarity, brilliance, and color; fantastic black level; and a lack of scratches and fading. Every time a film is run through a projector it gets scratched and eventually fades. The digital process, on the other hand, is perfect for every showing, from the first time it's played to the 1,000th time. There is simply no degradation of the image or sound.

I've seen several digital presentations, both at trade shows and at my local theater, and even though our local movie-house charges a couple of dollars more for the DLP showing, I pay it every time because the experience is so much better.

The future of digital cinema is going to be all about higher resolution and better delivery systems. Both Sony and JVC have 4K projectors that effectively quadruple the number of pixels. Recently, Sony signed a deal with Regal Entertainment to provide the company with state-of-the-art 4K digital projectors using Sony's SXRD digital engine. Sony's installations at Regal sites -- planned for about 550 Regal Cinema locations -- are set for completion within three to five years and calls for Sony to outfit a minimum of 5,000 of the exhibitor's 6,700 screens.

Once digital projectors reach a critical mass, studios will turn to satellite delivery systems so that films could simply be downloaded directly to a projector's attached hard drive. That day is not far off.