News on the development of digitalisation in the world

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News on the development of digitalisation in the world
by Alessia Grandi

1. USA: Starplex Cinemas to install 99 Barco projectors with GDC servers
2. Odeon signs a new contract with NEC
3. Italy: Ligabue Day launches Nexo Live in the alternative content sector
4. Kieft signs a VPF agreement with XDC

USA: Starplex Cinemas to install 99 Barco projectors with GDC servers
The US chain Starplex Cinemas, based in Dallas, Texas, 21 theatres for a total of 208 screens, has announced a shift to digital in 99 screens to be fitted with Barco Series 2 projectors and GDC servers.
The installation, which comes after an extensive period of technical trials with the equipment, will begin in Q2 of this year and affect 9 venues. Starplex has placed the transition in the hands of Cinedigm, a company operating in collaboration with several Hollywood studios and independent distributors for the supply of services, technology and digital content, with the objective of transforming the cinemas into entertainment centres inter-connected with one another thanks to the new technology.
On announcing the decision, Steve Holmes, CEO of Starplex Cinemas, emphasized the fact that this is part of the company's plan for facing the challenges of the future that also foresees the opening of new complexes.With two venues in Texas, Starplex will in fact increase its screens to 236 by the end of 2010.
Man-Nang Chong, founder and CEO of GDC Technology - the main supplier of servers in Asia's cinemas - stated: "The agreement with Starplex Cinemas represents an extremely important step for boosting GDC's presence on the American market."
 
 
Odeon signs a new contract with NEC
At the end of March, following an initial agreement stipulated in 2009 for the supply of NEC digital projectors in Odeon's cinemas, the partnership between the two companies has been renewed with a view to developing the offer of 3D.The contract provides for the installation of NC2000S and NC3200S projectors.
The need to increase the number of digital screens arises in the wake of the success achieved by Avatar, to satisfy a visibly increasing demand for entertainment in 3D.
Drew Kaza, Vice President for Digital Development at Odeon, states: "We are already obtaining a large return on our initial investments in 3D technology. Our present development plans are based on the expectation of greater benefits in terms both of box-office and audiences, since even more 3D productions are expected in 2010."
The Odeon group is at present the largest cinema chain outside the United States. With its 202 cinemas in Europe, for a total of 1,802 screens, it is the leading operator in the sector in the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain, the second most important in Ireland and the third in Germany, Austria and Portugal.
 
Italy: Ligabue Day launches Nexo Live in the alternative content sector
On 15 April Nexo Digital launched Nexo Live, the first of its new editorial initiatives, with the Ligabue Day: 108 movie theatres connected by satellite for the first-ever viewing ofthe "Live from the Olympic Stadium 2008" concert, the penultimate in the 2008 tour by the rockstar from Emilia-Romagna.
Presented live by Luciano Ligabue himself and preceded by the previously unpublished song "Un colpo all'anima", the evening set up a record in terms of the number of cinemas taking part in a satellite event in a single country within European borders.
Audience response was considerable and tickets were sold out in over 90 cinemas.
With this initiative, Nexo Digital made its appearance on the scenario of suppliers of alternative content with a series of offers:as well as Nexo Live, focusing on great events, a second line, Nexo Legend, offers the greatest films of all times, digitized in 2K with the aim ofallowing the cinema to be experienced in a new key: according to the programme the spectators will enter a movie theatre or a stadium, a sports hall or an opera house. The cinema-going experience can be enjoyed according to the classical rules of the cinema - silence and composure in the theatre - but also according to the language of great live music events in which the audience, too, is a protagonist.
 
 
Kieft signs a VPF agreement with XDC
According to a VPF agreement signed with XDC, 150 digital systems are to be installed in Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic in cinemas belonging to the Kieft & Kieft + Partner circuit.
Installation will be handled by the German company FTT, which has already fitted several digital screens, also equipped with 3D, in various venues belonging to the group from Lubeck. Heiner Kieft, CEO of the Kieft company, declared: "The success obtained in the trial phase and positive cooperation with FTT were decisive for our choice of FTT/XDC."
Installation will begin in the last quarter of 2010 and include Christie projectors from the new Solaria series with XDC Solo G3 servers.