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Are video movies still shown on the Coast Starlight's Pacific Parlour Car? If so, are they on a flat-screen TV?
smitty195 Member # 5102
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Yes, they are still shown. There is a sign up at the bar which displays the title of the movie, and the movie time. There is usually a kid's movie at 3PM, and a "regular" feature film at 8PM. On my trip a few weeks ago, the 3PM movie was The Smurfs, and the 8PM movie was Cowboys and Aliens.
It is on a large, flat-screen TV that is mounted within the cabinet area downstairs. There is also a sub-woofer, and surround-sound speakers. They also had "Coast Starlight TV" playing when I boarded in Los Angeles, and I meant to get down there again to look and see in detail what it was, but I never got back to it (was watching the Tehachapi detour scenery). I also noticed that there are newly installed security cameras in the ceiling. They are mounted behind little "domes", and I don't ever remember seeing those before.
I do have pictures of the setup downstairs, but I am clueless when it comes to posting pictures here.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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Ah, thank you, Smitty. Now I can write that movies are shown only on the Coast Starlight and the Auto-Train.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Henry -- have they completely done away with the movies in the sightseer lounge cars for the other western LD's? If so, GOOD!!!!! They were usually WAY too loud when they did have them.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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They have, and I think it's been quite a few years. Now that the Sightseers (and the coaches) have been getting electrical outlets at the seats, portable video players seem to have become the norm.
Uhm . . . Come to think of it, I may be wrong about more outlets in the Sightseers. Does anyone know for sure?
[Later. Found a source that said beginning in 2009 all Sightseers were up-outleted (if that is a word) as they went through refurbishing.]
yukon11 Member # 2997
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I think any entertainment device utlilizing a loudspeaker should be banned on the train. Amtrak can sell headphones, like they do on the Cascade trains, or passengers can bring their own. I also think the ban should apply to your sleeper as sound can really travel through those thin walls.
By the way, as I will be taking the Cascade train from Seattle to Vancouver this summer, do they still have the route progress guides across the bottom of the TV screen?
Richard
sbalax Member # 2801
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Richard--
This is what Amtrak's website has to say about personal electronic devices:
Personal Electronic Devices
Bring Your Entertainment Onboard You may bring and use onboard personal electronic devices such as PCs, DVD players, and CD players.
In most Amtrak trains, First Class and Business Class seats and sleepers have standard 110-volt electrical power outlets available to supply power for electronic devices. Very few outlets are available, however, at Coach Class seats.
Be Considerate of Others, Please To maintain a pleasant environment for all passengers, we require that when using radios, CD players, DVD players, TVs, and all other audio/visual devices, passengers use earphones or headphones, and that the volume be kept low.
Also, in consideration of others, please switch cell phones, electronic watches, pagers, and PCs to silent mode.
In my own experience, it depends on how willing the crew is to enforce this rule. Some are very good about it and others less so. I remember one Surfliner conductor coming on the PA to say that anyone not obeying these rules might find their device placed under the wheels of the train at the next stop.
Frank in sunny and cool SBA
yukon11 Member # 2997
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Harrumph!
Richard
smitty195 Member # 5102
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I was a happy camper when Amtrak got rid of the movies in the Sightseer Lounge Cars! The audio was either too low, too loud, or too muffled. It was very hard to sit there and watch a movie.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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I may have told this story already--stop me if I did:
A deaf woman of my acquaintance was on (I think) the CS watching a steamy movie with steamy dialogue on her video player when she became aware that other passengers were giving her the stink eye. She was confused until the coach attendant suddenly confronted her. She had been utterly unaware that the sound on the player was turned ALL THE WAY UP.
Can you spell "mortification"?
notelvis Member # 3071
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quote:Originally posted by smitty195: I was a happy camper when Amtrak got rid of the movies in the Sightseer Lounge Cars! The audio was either too low, too loud, or too muffled. It was very hard to sit there and watch a movie.
I have memories of "Phantom of the Opera" blaring way too loud in the lounge aboard an eastbound California Zephyr a few years ago.
For better or for worse, I will likely associate Gore Canyon with 'Music of the Night' now for the rest of my life.
dilly Member # 1427
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quote:Originally posted by sbalax: We require that when using radios, CD players, DVD players, TVs, and all other audio/visual devices, passengers use earphones or headphones, and that the volume be kept low.
Unfortunately, this is one rule that I have yet to see any Amtrak conductor adequately enforce on a long distance train -- especially when it comes to the use of personal DVD players in the coaches.
Most DVD movie-watching passengers seem averse to doing so while wearing headphones. Often, the onscreen car chases, explosions, and random mayhem can be heard from several rows away.
Crew members tend to routinely walk right past without comment unless other passengers complain outright. And on those rare occasions when the offender is half-heartedly told to either use earphones or turn off the device, the volume gets lowered for a minute or so, and then cranked right back up to eleven as soon as the crew member leaves the car.
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smitty195 Member # 5102
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I agree with you, dilly. On my recent trip on the Starlight, there was an older couple in the room next to me (by older, I'd say they were in their mid 70's). They were listening to audio books the entire way up from LA to Portland. It wasn't until the last hour or so that I actively tried to listen to what they were listening to. They would sit there all day in their room, with the woman knitting and the man just staring out the window, listening to their audio book. But when I listened carefully through the wall (hey, I was bored!), I was stunned when I realized that they were listening to an xxx audio book! It sounded just like any other audio book, except the words were quite colorful. And nothing was held back---a full word picture was given for everything. I didn't even know they made audio books like that.
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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smitty 195, I guess they call that "aural ***."
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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Wow, the word "s-e-x" is filtered out on here; guess it's taboo to be either male or female now.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Doth gender get the filter treatment?
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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No, but "aural gender" doesn't make much sense!
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