Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits • Hacker News Board

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#131

Post by bombcar » Thu, Nov 09, 2023, 6:35 PM UTC

gsk22 wrote: post #118

everforward wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if you can imagine an IMAX screen wrapping all the way over your head you are on the way. Those actually do exist! [1] That picture isn't great, but if you search for "Imax Dome" there's some videos and stuff. I still remember watching a movie in one that was kinda like an early racing drone flying through a canyon and being awed as a kid. They're projector based, rather than curved screens. The first one was built…

Wait, I thought the dome style was IMAX? What is a non-dome Imax theater like then?

Someone might be from San Diego!

The dome-style IMAX are actually apparently quite rare, the "normal" IMAX is just a really big (about three stories tall) screen, that is slightly curved usually.

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#132

Post by thazework » Thu, Nov 09, 2023, 6:36 PM UTC

whycome wrote: post #128

distortedsignal wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatchewan_Roughriders https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Rough_Riders These teams played in the same league .

Yeah, but it must have been a giant league with lots of teams. ...Right? (9 teams...) Now, their name is simple "the red-blacks" and is for the colors of their uniforms. Toronto's soccer team in Major League Soccer is called "Toronto FC" or "Toronto Football Club". Calgary: "Cavalry FC" which seems extra confusing when spoken. Sports naming is so weird.

It's all fun and games till you're at a Sheffield pub talking about 'United'

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#133

Post by bombcar » Thu, Nov 09, 2023, 6:36 PM UTC

ben7799 wrote: post #83

corysama wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IMAX digital is a full-FOV 4:3 4K display with 44 speakers. The Sphere interior is a wrap-around 16K display with 168,000 interference-coordinated speakers. It’s like IMAX squared :P

Obviously it is digital and Omnimax (not IMAX) is analog but how does the Sphere compare to Omnimax? Is it an even bigger field of view? The most recent time I went to an Omnimax was to see Oppenheimer, but it actually wasn't that great since Oppenheimer was filmed in IMAX versus Omnimax.. the end result was a gigantic wrap around movie that had spherical distortion and made your neck hurt from turning it to see ever…

I assume it's a "really good" Omnimax, and like Omnimax you need content specifically created to take advantage of the dome aspect ratio.

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#134

Post by tonyjin » Thu, Nov 09, 2023, 6:37 PM UTC

t3rabytes wrote: post #3

I gotta be honest, I'm not sure what was expected? They spent $2b building this thing, it's brand new tech, it didn't host many shows last quarter (it was open for 1? full month of the quarter). I still think The Sphere is super damn cool and I can't wait to go to an event there.

I saw both the U2 show and Postcard from Earth movie. Both were amazing in their own way, but the movie was a better demonstration of the technology if you have to choose one (and if you're not a big U2 fan).

The Sphere partnered with an immersive sound company Holoplot to design and build the sound system (https://holoplot.com/news/sphere-immersive-sound-powered-by-...) - this was very impressive during the movie and you could locate sound coming from exactly where the objects were on the screen in a way that I've not experienced before.

The experience was similar to wearing a VR headset since the screen covers almost your entire field of view, but the sound system significantly improved the feeling of immersion. During the movie, the system also pushed air onto the audience to simulate wind in a convincing way.

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#135

Post by logicalmonster » Thu, Nov 09, 2023, 6:38 PM UTC

yieldcrv wrote: post #75

logicalmonster wrote: post #66

I despise giving an endorsement to anything Dolan is associated with and can profit from as he is an awful and genuinely petty human, but the Sphere is a technology worth seeing. I wasn't super impressed with the sphere's screen when I went in there with the thing turned off and saw the very steep stairs to the seats. It initially looked like a bigger movie screen. But once it's on, with the right shot, it completely…

I personally don’t understand how to have a phantom like vendetta because of a person’s behavior, following them around with negativity their whole career. Like, they made something awesome and need to monetize it. Focus on the awesome thing. The entity is going to pay those involved and they might sell shares for a higher price, thats how our system works. Suddenly caring only because you dont like 1 of those stakeh…

1) I'm not cancelling the Sphere. I'm just telling you I don't like Dolan but still like the Sphere and think it's worth seeing. That point of view is pretty close to the opposite of cancelling somebody.

2) As far as criticizing people, maybe a reasonable rule of thumb is that if you're either in public office or wealthy enough to have "fuck you money", you're a reasonable target of receiving public comments on your behavior?

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#136

Post by chikitabanana » Thu, Nov 09, 2023, 6:38 PM UTC

725686 wrote: post #48

If you think The Sphere is cool from the outside, wait until you see the inside. The humongous spherical screen in the inside is amazing (16K resolution according to Wikipedia). U2 is sold out, and the tickets are not cheap (I payed $500 for a partially obstructed view of the screen, others run at $1,500), plus the "Sphere experience" so I think it will pay out. There is also "The Sphere Experience" movie at $50 a po…

Curious, what does partially obstructed mean in the context of the sphere?

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#137

Post by brewdad » Thu, Nov 09, 2023, 6:38 PM UTC

bravoetch wrote: post #117

bluedevil2k wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't remember it being pricy You clearly haven’t been there in the last few years. $16 for a beer is the norm at clubs and bars if you’re not gambling.

The strip is pricey, and has very little variety. The art district a couple of miles away and there are restaurants and bars with normal prices and great selection.

Ssshhh. I just discovered the Arts District on my visit last month. Let's not let it turn into what the rest of The Strip and old downtown have become.

BTW, The Sphere is amazing and U2 still puts on a good show. I did not partake in any $20 beers though.

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#138

Post by userinanother » Thu, Nov 09, 2023, 6:39 PM UTC

alephnerd wrote: post #112

mmanfrin wrote: post #28

It was open for 2 days of the fiscal quarter. The CFO quit after being yelled at by the notoriously combative CEO. The news has been running with this headline because it's drawing clicks but it's not really painting an accurate picture.

> notoriously combative CEO Understatement of the year. Dolan successfully destroyed 2 major sports franchises (Knicks and Rangers) he spent millions on acquiring and managing. He is also using facial recognition to ban all employees of law firms suing MSG (his company) from going to any of their properties, and NY State is considering pulling his liquor license as a result. The only reason he's solvent is because th…

Sounds like he might be an excellent presidential contender

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#139

Post by I_Am_Nous » Thu, Nov 09, 2023, 6:41 PM UTC

jareklupinski wrote: post #129

meroes wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What were Einstein’s or Newton’s stick?

the shame of letting a good mind go to waste

The rage of failing to talk to someone about the beautiful thoughts you have because the math to describe it doesn't exist yet so you invent calculus

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#140

Post by jonathankoren » Thu, Nov 09, 2023, 6:43 PM UTC

whycome wrote: post #128

distortedsignal wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatchewan_Roughriders https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Rough_Riders These teams played in the same league .

Yeah, but it must have been a giant league with lots of teams. ...Right? (9 teams...) Now, their name is simple "the red-blacks" and is for the colors of their uniforms. Toronto's soccer team in Major League Soccer is called "Toronto FC" or "Toronto Football Club". Calgary: "Cavalry FC" which seems extra confusing when spoken. Sports naming is so weird.

MLS naming is the worst!

Originally, it was perfectly normal North American naming convention, $PLACE $NOUN. Then sometime in the aughts, they started bringing in boring European names, and worse yet, just aping them for no reason. Only the pretentious call soccer “football” in North America, and no one calls themselves a “sports club”. Even the Baseball Club of Seattle, doesn’t call themselves “Seattle BC”. They’re the Mariners. Half of the league’s names are an insult to North American sports culture.

A special place in sports hell is set for the dude that named Real Salt Lake. He explicitly aped Real Madrid because he’s such a fan. Dude. We literally fought a war to overthrow a monarchy.