Starplex selects Barco

http://www.barco.com/digitalcinema/pressrelease/2506/

 

Starplex's full circuit digital cinema conversion will be 100% Barco, with 123 additional Barco Series-II projectors installed in Starplex theatres by Q4 2010.

Sacramento, CA — 13 April 2010 — Barco, a global leader in digital cinema technology, proudly announced today an exclusive agreement with Starplex Cinemas of Dallas, Texas, in which 123 additional screens will be converted to digital cinema using Barco's new Series-II projectors. As part of Cinedigm's Phase 2 digital cinema deployment program, conversions will commence in April 2010, with full deployment expected by November 2010. Barco's turnkey installation, which also includes servers by GDC Technology, will be supported by Barco's NOC (Network Operations Center) and 24/7/365 Call Center.

 

For Starplex's small and mid-sized venues, Barco's new DP2K-C series projectors will be used, each with Texas Instruments' 0.98” DLP Cinema® chip at the core. For their large-scale auditoriums, Starplex will employ the new DP2K-32B projector, which uses Texas Instruments' 1.2” DLP Cinema chip. As the flagship of the Series-II lineup, the DP2K-32B is the ultimate 3D machine, delivering the industry's brightest image. All six new Series-II projectors include next-generation electronics, specifically designed for DLP Cinema Enhanced 4K. These projectors will be connected to central library servers which will store content and will use Cinedigm-developed software to manage and program each auditorium's playlists from a central location using the movies, trailers, advertising and other content stored on that central server.

Barco's new Series-II family evolved out of an industry-wide mandate from the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) for enhanced projector security. In the course of implementing these new security features per DCI, Barco seized the opportunity to strengthen the entire digital cinema lineup with significant enhancements in software, cooling, and convergence;becoming the first digital cinema projector to pass an important DCI compliance testing milestone. The result is a new projector family that offers exhibitors the best digital projection technology, the highest reliability and ease-of-use, and the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry.

Starplex Cinemas has a history of success with Barco digital cinema projectors, beginning with their first installation in 2008. Since then, Barco has provided Starplex with digital cinema solutions for every screen scenario, and their management and technical teams have also benefited from their close one-to-one relationship with Barco. “Starplex is excited about the continued relationship with Barco,” remarked Steve Holmes, CEO of Starplex Cinemas. “Since our first conversion to digital, the entire Barco team has provided us with excellent support and service. Based on this proven track record, Barco was the clear choice for Starplex to convert our entire circuit.”

These sentiments are shared by the entire Barco team that has worked closely with Starplex for the past two years. “Starplex is a highly respected exhibitor that's no stranger to the digital cinema space, and we're proud to say that they're a very satisfied Barco customer,” explained Joe DeMeo, Director of Sales for Barco Digital Cinema NA. “Across the entire Starplex circuit, they're a great company with a superb technical staff, and we look forward to implementing their migration to Barco Series-II projectors.”

About Starplex Cinemas
Starplex Cinemas prides itself in providing customers with the most exciting theater experience possible. The company operates 21 theaters with 208 screens in Texas, Oklahoma, Washington, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and California. Starplex Cinemas is scheduled to open two new theaters in Kingwood, TX (June 2010) and Lake Worth, TX (November 2010) bringing their total to 236 screens in 2010. Visit www.starplexcinemas.com for more information.