Kodak Digital Cinema to Manage Pre-Show Content for Warner Bros.

Source Digital Cinema Mag

http://www.uemedia.net/CPC/digitalcinemamag/articles/article_16748.shtml

By Neal Romanek Jan 14, 2008, 21:40

Kodak announced today that it has been selected to power the digital pre-show transition of all Warner Bros International Cinemas throughout Italy. Beginning later this month, fully-networked Kodak Digital Cinema pre-show systems will be installed on 172 screens in 17 sites, including two new sites scheduled to open later in the first quarter. All systems will be installed by Kodak engineers; Kodak will also handle all packaging and distribution of content to the sites as they become operational. “We are thrilled with this major opportunity to work with one of the most respected brands in the world,” said Enrico Ferrari, Kodak Digital Cinema manager for Italy. “Warner’s staff set high standards for system performance and did extensive research into the pre-show solutions available. It will be our goal – in everything we do – to prove they made the right decision.” “Kodak has demonstrated their capability and understanding of the business and they’ve proven the reliability of their systems,” said Millard Ochs, president, Warner Bros International Cinemas. “This agreement will enable us to expand the variety of entertainment we bring to audiences and to begin to move our Italian cinemas into the digital age.” Installation begins in mid-January with the Moderno complex in Rome and expands from there, with most new systems in place by the end of first quarter. All systems include a central content manager, content players and other Kodak-certified components. The systems are fully networked, so Kodak can monitor their performance twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, identifying and diagnosing potential problems and fixing them – often remotely – before they disrupt cinema operations. The Kodak network also enables pre-show programs to be customized for different audiences, movies, genres, and even showtimes and to be distributed remotely. System operation can be automated and reliably managed without operator involvement. Kodak will train agencies in Italy to encode the content, but all final quality control, playlist assembly, packaging and distribution will be handled by Kodak’s international Network Operations Center (NOC) in Hollywood. “The Kodak NOC already distributes pre-show programs to Warner Bros.’ cinemas in Japan,” said Ferrari. “We’ve done tests with Italy and the system works flawlessly.” “This is really the first use of digital in our auditoriums,” said Umberto Cipriani, managing director for Warner Bros International Cinemas in Italy. “Our audiences rely on our cinemas for the highest quality entertainment. We are working with agencies and others to design unique pre-shows that include a mix of advertising and other special content – interviews with actors, insights into movies, and so forth – to create a program that is informative, enjoyable and very entertaining. The new digital systems will enable us to expand the movie-going experience.”