Heavy hitters bet big on 3-D

Plexes to upgrade with top directors

By PETER DEBRUGE

Posted: Fri., Jun.

15, 2007, 6:40pm Next summer, New Line plans to release 'Journey 3-D' on as many as 2,000 digital screens.

The future's so bright, you'll have to wear shades -- or polarized lenses, to be precise -- to appreciate the revolution in 3-D filmmaking.

Over the years, audiences have been jabbed in the eye often enough to be wary of the faddish, even gimmicky nature of 3-D, compounded in the past by headache-inducing red-blue anaglyph glasses. But this time around, the format is here to stay, say top execs from virtually every studio. Thanks to advances in digital projection, the picture looks crystal clear and supports, for the first time, the prospect of a wide 3-D release.

"I couldn't be more excited about it," says DreamWorks Animation topper Jeffrey Katzenberg, who recently announced the studio's intention to release every toon in 3-D, beginning with 2009's "Monsters vs. Aliens."

"I think it is the single most important transformational innovation that has occurred in the filmmaking business in 60 years, since color," he tells Variety. "To have spent all these years here, to see something come along that could literally transform your business and give you new opportunities -- creative, financial, just on every level -- is pretty amazing. It answers a critical issue about piracy and video windows."

Paramount, New Line, Disney, Sony, Warner and Fox all have major 3-D projects in the works. 3ality Digital's live-action "U2 3D" wowed auds at Cannes, where the market was buzzing with pitches for stereoscopic projects. And with helmers like James Cameron, Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Peter Jackson and Robert Rodriguez sold on the format, exhibitors can rest assured that content from the industry's top innovators is on the way.

Content will drive conversion, first to digital projection, and then to 3-D with a simple upgrade offered by companies such as Real D or Dolby. For the digital 3-D releases of "Chicken Little," "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Meet the Robinsons," Disney helped push Real D installations in several hundred theaters. Those pics, in turn, delivered per-screen grosses two to three times those for "flat" 35mm presentations of the same film (aided by auds' willingness to pay premiums of up to 30% for tickets).

"It's just a matter of time before the tipping point for 3-D happens because, like anything else, if the content exists, the technology will come up to support it," says Buena Vista distribution prexy Chuck Viane.

By May 29, 2009, a date on which two 3-D films are currently scheduled to open wide -- "Monsters vs. Aliens" and Cameron's "Avatar" -- there should be at least 4,000 screens capable of projecting digital 3-D, estimates Real D chairman-CEO Michael Lewis. "3-D has sort of been the killer app of digital. As more and more of these films come out and we see them perform well, there's going to be an even bigger push to get more screens out there. So if the content keeps up, I think we'll see a lot more than 4,000."

That's a realistic estimate, explains Nancy Fares, business manager for Texas Instruments' DLP Cinema Products division, since there are already more than 4,000 DLP projectors in the market. "With the deployment happening today, potentially every single screen that is a DLP cinema can be 3-D enabled," she says.

In the meantime, Paramount hopes to release "Beowulf" on at least 1,000 screens in November, and New Line expects that number to double before "Journey 3-D" (the first live-action narrative feature shot in digital 3-D) opens in August 2008.

Walden, which produced "Journey," is fully committed to the format, which the company has been investigating since 2001, when co-founder Cary Granat first partnered with Cameron to produce two underwater docus, "Ghosts of the Abyss" and "Aliens of the Deep," as a way of exploring stereoscopic filmmaking.

"In fairness, there really hasn't been a film in the last 10 years that's been purposefully produced only as a 3-D film, versus films that have been converted to 3-D for select sequences and theaters, which is why we shot 'Journey' the way we did, with every scene in mind for fully immersing you in the frame," says Granat.

The 3-D format has a very bumpy history, and even though the polarization method (a major improvement over those red-blue lenses used for "Spy Kids 3-D") has existed for more than 70 years, the method's dependence on two projectors made it largely impractical.

For the past two decades, only Imax programmed polarized 3-D pics with any regularity, crossing over from special-interest docus to Hollywood tentpoles with "The Polar Express" in 2005.

The film earned $65 million in Imax 3-D and prompted the company to try the same approach with computer-animated "The Ant Bully" and "Open Season" as well as select live-action sequences from "Superman Returns" and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." (To stay competitive, Imax will also upgrade to digital projectors, planning to switch from its current two-strip 70mm system in 2009.)

"When 'Polar Express' came out, I think we were a little euphoric, and we thought, 'Put it in 3-D, and they will come,'" says Imax co-chair and co-CEO Rich Gelfond. "Since then, our views have been refined a little bit, and we've learned it really has to be the right kind of project. It's not the magic bullet."

"You can't just start making 3-D movies on any script," agrees "Journey" producer Beau Flynn. "It really only works for sci-fi, fantasy, action."

But others are more optimistic. "It's going to be a lot broader than that," says Katzenberg. "If you look at the 500 movies released each year, you'll see pretty consistently that about 65 movies represent about 75% of the business. I went back and looked at the last three years using my own litmus test, and I think more than two-thirds of those 65 films would lend themselves to 3-D, so if you do the math, that's more than 50% of the business."

"The biggest thing about 3-D is education," says Buzz Hays, a senior producer on Sony Imageworks' 3-D stereoscopic pipeline. "Very few directors have any experience with it whatsoever, but if you get them to step away from the video monitor for a few seconds, the whole world is 3-D."

And even if the learning curve is steep at first, it's a new toy that's already attracted the business's top helmers. If Cameron can make it work with "Avatar," and Spielberg and Jackson are ready to try it on "Tintin," surely the rest of the industry will follow.

Based on technology already in development for home viewing, Granat forecasts another major innovation facing the theatrical 3-D experience.

"Eventually, what you're going to see is that you don't need glasses," he says. "That's probably about two years away."

Thomson's Technology Division and DLP predict it's farther off than that, but confirm the possibility.

In 3-D's bright future, maybe you won't need shades after all.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117967068.html?categoryid=2604&cs=1

ARTS ALLIANCE MEDIA OPENS SOUTHERN EUROPEAN OFFICE - GWENDAL AUFFRET APPOINTED AS MANAGING DIRECTOR

LONDON, 14 June, 2007 – Arts Alliance Media (AAM), Europe’s leading provider of digital distribution services, has announced the opening of a new office in Paris, which will be the headquarters of the company’s digital cinema operations for Southern Europe. The new office will cover territories including France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, and will support AAM’s European-wide commercial digital cinema rollout.

Gwendal Auffret has been appointed to lead the operations of the new base. Auffret, who was previously CEO of Éclair Digital Cinema, will work with a team based in Paris to coordinate installation and operation of DCI-compliant digital cinema equipment in cinemas across Southern Europe, as well as negotiating with distributors and exhibitors across the region. The base will provide local support and expertise for AAM’s planned future growth and expansion of operations, following the expected agreement of Virtual Print Fee (VPF) deals with studios and exhibitors.

Howard Kiedaisch, CEO of Arts Alliance Media, said “It’s great to be able to announce this big step forward in AAM’s pan-European digital cinema rollout, and we’re thrilled that we have someone as experienced in European digital cinema as Gwendal to run our new operation.”

Gwendal Auffret commented “Arts Alliance Media is a very forward thinking company which has all the cards in hand to really make digital cinema happen in Europe and I am delighted to be working as part of the team”

Auffret has been working in the digital cinema industry for many years, and has extensive experience of negotiating with studios, European distributors and exhibitors for the transition to digital cinema in France, Italy, Germany and Spain, and also forming strategic partnerships with manufacturers and service providers for deployment operations in Europe. Gwendal holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC, France). He started out his career at the Forum des Images, were he was responsible for the digitization of a film archive (over 6700 films) and the modernization of the fully automated video consultation services.

- ends -

For more information, please contact:

Kate Pidgeon, Arts Alliance Media

kate@artsalliancemedia.com / +44 (0)20 7751 7512

Notes to Editors:

About Arts Alliance Media:

· Arts Alliance Media (AAM), based in London, is Europe's leading provider of digital film distribution services, dedicated to building a European digital network to deliver film to the cinema, to the home and between industry players.

· For digital cinema, AAM provides end-to-end digital cinema solutions encompassing equipment selection, financing and integration, operator training, installation and support, and content management and delivery.

· Arts Alliance Media has recently completed the installation of all 240 screens of the UK Film Council’s Digital Screen Network.

· AAM is participating in Odeon’s commercial digital cinema trial in the UK, and also operates a digital cinema circuit in Norway.

· For Download-to-Rent and Download-to-Own, AAM provides ISPs, media companies and e-tailers with turn key solutions for acquiring rights and securely distributing digital video content over the internet to their audiences, powered by the Vizumi Network.

· Arts Alliance Media has digital distribution deals with Universal Pictures, Sony, Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, Momentum, Icon, Fremantle, Tartan, Discovery Networks, and Revolver Entertainment, amongst others.

· AAM owned LOVEFiLM.com, Europe's largest online DVD rental company, until the LOVEFiLM/Video Island merger in April 2006. AAM remains the largest single shareholder of LOVEFiLM International, the merged company, and provides the technology and content for digital distribution.

· For more information, visit: www.artsalliancemedia.com and www.vizumi.com

http://www.artsalliancemedia.com/Pressrelease-SEurope.html

Sony shows 3D HD footage at NAB

http://sony.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=128103

April 16, 2007

By Heath McKnight

Sony got down to business by showing 3D HD footage shot on the PACE Pace/Cameron Fusion 3D System, developed by Vince Pace (who was in attendance) and Oscar-winning director James Cameron. We slipped on 3D glasses and watched via Sony’s SXRD 4k projector, amazing 3D footage of NBA stars going crazy on the courts.

After that, Sony made some very interesting announcements as part of their “HD For All: Real Systems. Right Now” campaign. They covered everything from ENG cameras (the HDC-1500—records multiple frame rates at 1080i/p and 720p resolution and the more affordable HDC-1400 which records at 1080i/720p resolution), to projection (the above-mentioned SXRD 4k projector) to XDCAM HD cameras (and media, now dual-layer discs that store 50 gbs of HD footage, or 4.5 hours total) to HDV (no new announcements) to digital cinema solutions (the F23 camera—Band Pro purchased 100 of these monsters) and a little something new in the XDCAM segment.

The XDCAM EX seems to compete directly with the Panasonic HVX200, offering 1080i/p and 720p resolution, multiple frame rates (including the coveted 24p), Slow and Quick Motion and all stored on SxS flash-based PC cards. (That’s S by S, in case you were saying S X S.) The camera promises to have ½” imaging sensors, but there was no indication if it’s CMOS or CCD. The cards, by the way, are 16 gb and hold 1 hour of HD footage, each. Two cards can fit in the camera.

Dolby Previews Dolby 3D Digital Cinema at ShoWest 2007

http://blog.manice.org/2007/03/dolby-previews-dolby-3d-digital-cinema.html

March 17, 2007

"At ShoWest today, Dolby Laboratories unveiled details of its new Dolby 3D Digital Cinema technology, designed to provide consumers with an impressive 3D experience.

Dolby 3D provides exhibitors and distributors an efficient and cost-effective 3D solution. The ability to utilize a white screen gives exhibitors a cost advantage, as no special equipment associated with a “silver screen” is required. The ease of shifting from 3D to 2D as well as moving the film between different size auditoriums provides compelling flexibility.

Dolby 3D uses a unique color filter technology that provides a very realistic color reproduction. Dolby 3D also provides extremely sharp images thus delivering a great 3D experience to the audience from every seat in the house.

The Dolby 3D solution uses the white screens installed in most theaters today as well as standard digital cinema projectors, eliminating the need for a dedicated 3D auditorium. The solution simply adds a retractable color filter wheel accessory to the digital projector. Furthermore, the filter wheel automatically moves away from the light path when switching from 3D to 2D digital cinema presentations. Leveraging Dolby Digital Cinema technology, exhibitors easily can transfer movies down to a smaller auditorium later in the movie’s run.

Dolby 3D Digital Cinema works with comfortable and lightweight passive viewing glasses that require no batteries or charging. Initially, 3D glasses will be reusable, eliminating the need to reorder glasses and minimizing environmental impact. In the future, Dolby expects to offer the option of disposable glasses that the moviegoer can keep as a souvenir.

Unique to the Dolby 3D solution, the technology also simplifies the process of creating and distributing 3D movies. There is no need for extra color correction or other compensation processes in postproduction, as all processing is performed in the server. This innovative approach not only saves time and money, but it simplifies the overall process as the color correction is the same for both 3D and 2D digital cinema presentations."

GDC Technology launches new generation of Digital Cinema server to meet DCI specifications

http://blog.manice.org/2007/03/gdc-technology-launches-new-generation.html

Source: GDC

March 14, 2007

"GDC Technology, one of the leading solution providers of digital cinema, today unveiled new digital cinema product – SA-2100 DSR Digital Film Server which is 33% smaller in size and designed to meet DCI specifications such as Texas Instruments Cinelink 2, Hollywood’s approved forensic watermarking and FIPS-140 security features. The new SA-2100 server supports DCI defined DCP 2k and 4k digital cinema packages, and JPEG2000 and remains backward compatible with the MXF MPEG2 Interop format. GDC Technology is one of the founding members of MXF MPEG2 Interop group and its MXF MPEG2 format was selected by the studios as the transitional digital cinema format before the availability of DCI defined DCP format.

The new SA-2100 server is designed to work in cinema multiplex with Theater Management System (TMS) and Network Operations Center (NOC) which support operations such as scheduling of playlist, content rights management and collection of playout log information. The SA-2100 server is a cost-effective and flexible solution for digital cinema and alternative content sources to be playout in a seamless pipeline; various formats of content such as live interview, on-screen advertisement and feature films can be programmed to playout without the need to re-initialize the server and/or projector for different image formats. The server accommodates other image codec such as JPEG, MPEG2 and MPEG4 to support full suite of alternative content applications not found in other digital cinema servers. GDC Technology’s servers are well tested with different makes of DLP Cinema projectors since 2001. Since the servers are based on open architecture such as LINUX operating system, they can easily export the user interface and controls to DLP Cinema projectors equipped with high performance touch-panel PC. GDC Technology’s DCI-2000 Digital Cinema Integrated System is an answer to the exhibitors’ need of a fully integrated projector – server system with a single focal point of control."

GDC TECHNOLOGY LAUNCHES NEW GENERATION OF DIGITAL CINEMA SERVER TO MEET DCI SPECIFICATIONS

SHOWEST, Las Vegas-Mar 13, 2007

GDC Technology, one of the leading solution providers of digital cinema, today unveiled new digital cinema product – SA-2100 DSR™ Digital Film Server which is 33% smaller in size and designed to meet DCI specifications such as Texas Instruments Cinelink™ 2, Hollywood’s approved forensic watermarking and FIPS-140 security features. The new SA-2100 server supports DCI defined DCP 2k and 4k digital cinema packages, and JPEG2000 and remains backward compatible with the MXF MPEG2 Interop format. GDC Technology is one of the founding members of MXF MPEG2 Interop group and its MXF MPEG2 format was selected by the studios as the transitional digital cinema format before the availability of DCI defined DCP format. GDC’s DSR™ Digital Film servers were first introduced and commercially deployed in 2001 and 2002 respectively. GDC Technology has successfully delivered and installed close to 700 servers to cinema theatres in Austria, Africa, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, The Netherlands, UK and US. To date, there are more than 250 digital movies presented in GDC Technology’s servers with close to a million of perfect digital screenings; recent releases of Hollywood blockbusters in JPEG2000 format include Flushed Away, Déjà Vu, Charlotte's Web, Dreamgirls, Blood Diamond, and 300. The new SA-2100 server is designed to work in cinema multiplex with Theater Management System (TMS) and Network Operations Center (NOC) which support operations such as scheduling of playlist, content rights management and collection of playout log information. The SA-2100 server is a cost-effective and flexible solution for digital cinema and alternative content sources to be playout in a seamless pipeline; various formats of content such as live interview, on-screen advertisement and feature films can be programmed to playout without the need to re-initialize the server and/or projector for different image formats. The server accommodates other image codec such as JPEG, MPEG2 and MPEG4 to support full suite of alternative content applications not found in other digital cinema servers. GDC Technology’s servers are well tested with different makes of DLP Cinema® projectors since 2001. Since the servers are based on open architecture such as LINUX operating system, they can easily export the user interface and controls to DLP Cinema® projectors equipped with high performance touch-panel PC. GDC Technology’s DCI-2000 Digital Cinema Integrated System is an answer to the exhibitors’ need of a fully integrated projector – server system with a single focal point of control. The new SA-2100 servers which are projector-agnostic, will be showcased at National Cinema Supply Corp’s booth #1221 and GDC Technology Ltd’s booth #1724 at 2007 ShoWest convention from March 12 to 15, at the Bally’s and Paris convention centers in Las Vegas.

Sony Selects Microspace to Deliver First 4K Digital Feature Via Satellite

http://www.microspace.com/news/pr/2007/pr_sony.shtml

Source - Microspace

Raleigh, NC – March 13, 2007 – Microspace Communications Corporation (Microspace), the leading distributor of digital cinema via satellite, today announced that Sony Electronics Inc. used the company’s Digital Cinema Distribution solution to distribute the first Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) compliant 4K digital cinema package via satellite. Microspace successfully delivered Sony Picture’s The Da Vinci Code to Sony’s laboratory in San Jose to test the viability of distributing 4K content via satellite.

“4K delivery and projection permits the content that was originally captured to be displayed on the screen at the highest resolution possible today,” said Peter Ludé, senior vice president, solutions engineering for Sony Electronics. “We tested the satellite distribution of the 4K content for security, reliability, and for compatibility with digital cinema projection systems. We were impressed by Microspace’s ability to streamline the integration and process of delivering such a large file. This demonstration provided a great example of the viability of digital cinema 4K content for theaters.”

“The delivery of the DCI-compliant 4k feature, the industry’s first via satellite, demonstrates the flexibility and scalability of our solution,” said Curt Tilly, manager of digital cinema distribution for Microspace. “As more studios and theaters evaluate the delivery and management of DCP distribution, they will need to rely upon solutions that can easily manage electronic delivery and the intricacies of a secure and reliable distribution.”

Microspace has achieved many industry firsts in satellite digital cinema distribution and continues to lead the way. Microspace delivered the first JPEG 2000 feature via satellite for Walt Disney’s The Shaggy Dog and was the first to deliver concurrent JPEG2000 and MPEG content to theaters. In 2004, the company was the first to distribute over satellite 4K DCI Standard Evaluation Material (StEM) for use in a wide variety of digital cinema testing programs.

NEC announces advanced features for The STARUS Digital Cinema Screen Server

http://blog.manice.org/2007/03/nec-announces-advanced-features-for.html

March 13, 2007

NEC Corporation of America has announced enhancements to its STARUS screen server at ShoWest 2007, allowing theatre operators to easily build and manage playlists that support both JPEG2000 and MPEG2 files.

In addition to providing simple scheduling and playlist administration, the new screen server also incorporates an improved user interface to minimize training and accelerate adoption.

"As the digital cinema industry continues to grow, it is essential for exhibitors to be able to use and operate the technology with ease and ensure a pleasurable cinema experience," said Kurt Schwenk, general manager, Digital Cinema Division of NEC Corporation of America. "Our newly available screen server technologies simplify the process of presenting digital movies on multiple screens, while ensuring seamless integration of systems in a multiplex without compromising content security."

NEC's STARUS screen server supports 3D films and enables 2K and 4K playback. It also meets cinema industry standards providing enhanced security features, including CineLink II encryption and both Thomson's NexGuard and Philips' CineFence forensic watermarking technologies.

The new STARUS screen server offers selected multiplex functionality, allowing multiplex control at the screen server level so that the theatre operators can remotely monitor all servers within the multiplex from any one server. It also enables screen servers to continue running scheduled playlists, even in the case of a network outage.

With enhanced software components, the STARUS screen server complements the family of STARUS digital cinema projectors with DLP Cinema technology from Texas Instruments. NEC is the only supplier that delivers a complete digital cinema solution. This new screen server offering enhances the company's integration services for system-wide delivery and management of digital content, and supports its world-class expertise in visual display products and infrastructure.

Many world famous premier theatres have installed NEC's Digital Cinema Solution to deliver state-of-the-art presentations, including the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Clearview Cinemas' Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, Mann's Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Mann's Village Theatre in Westwood, Mann's Criterion Theatre in Santa Monica, Mann's Bruin Theatre in Westwood, and ArcLight Cinema's Cinerama Dome in Hollywood.

STARUS screen servers are available now.

International distributors, exhibitors call for cheaper digital options

Jeremy Kay in Las Vegas 13 Mar 2007 06:47

After an upbeat presentation by Paramount Pictures International Andrew Cripps on the opening day of ShoWest, the tone darkened somewhat as attendees heard a somber warning about the cost of digital conversion.

Speaking on a panel entitled Digital Cinema - The Way Forward, Warner Bros International Cinemas Millard Ochs called for greater competition among the creators of digital equipment to drive down prices.

"I hope that we, as a cooperative group of distributors and exhibitors, can go to the manufacturers to get their prices down," Ochs said. "Being quoted $85,000 for a screen doesn't motivate us to install a digital system. If Texas Instruments technology is the only commercially available system, let's try to get some more manufacturers."

And while Ochs noted the domestic viability of virtual print fees (VPF), an early economic model that offsets the digital conversion cost to exhibitors by making distributors pay manufacturers every time a film is projected onto a deployed digital system, he cast doubt on its relevance overseas. "I don't see how VPF is going to work in the international market because there are so many distributors," he said.

Odeon/UK's executive vice president of digital development Drew Kaza agreed that VPF need not become the sole option if other "equitable" solutions emerged.

Earlier in the day Cripps presented an overview of the international market in which he hailed resurgent box office in many territories and noted a change in perception over the playability of local-language product.

"It used to be that local films only worked in their markets, but the ability of these films to travel has become clear," Cripps said. "Perfume grossed $116m worldwide and took $49m in Germany, Volver took $82m around the world and grossed $12 in its native Spain, and The Queen grossed $106m worldwide and took $16m in the UK."

Cripps also urged international exhibitors to toughen up their stance on piracy and adopt stricter measures to prevent the illegal use of camcorders and theft of films during the various stages of production and delivery.

Meanwhile in other breaking news at ShoWest:

*Twentieth Century Fox has signed a worldwide print services agreement with Deluxe Laboratories, covering the duplication of both celluloid and digital prints as well as digital cinema delivery and logistics services.

*DTS Digital Cinema will preview an Avica FilmStore D-Cinema player at this year's convention. The updated product supports DCI specification JPEG2000 decoding and decryption.

*Thomson announced it has, through its Technicolor Digital Cinema business, chosen to deploy Christie's CP2000-X digital cinema projector in approximately 250 North American screens under its beta test of end-to-end digital cinema services and equipment.

*Christie will introduce the Christie CP2000-ZX DLP Cinema projector, which the manufacturer claims is approximately half the size of nearest competitors and has a brightness level of 17,000 lumens.

*Kodak will unveil the Kodak Theatre Management System (TMS), which the company says is the industry's first 'universal' system capable of managing all content from all suppliers. Kodak will begin deploying TMS at multiple sites throughout North America.

http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=31410&strSearc h=vpf&strCallingPage=ScreenDailySearchSite.aspx

Microspace Becomes First to Deliver a Motion Picture via Satellite to ShoWest

http://www.microspace.com/news/pr/2007/pr_disturbia.shtml

Source: Microspace

Leading Digital Cinema Distributor Beams DreamWorks Pictures’ Disturbia to Las Vegas

Raleigh, NC – March 12, 2007 – Microspace Communications Corporation (Microspace), the leading distributor of digital cinema via satellite, today announced that it will deliver the Paramount Pictures’ release of DreamWorks Pictures’ Disturbia to ShoWest, the most prestigious and longest-running convention and tradeshow exclusively for the cinema exhibition and distribution community. The exclusive pre-release screening of Disturbia will represent the first time a motion picture has been delivered via satellite to ShoWest.

“Paramount fully embraces the distribution of digital cinema content via satellite to deliver the highest quality presentation to exhibitors,” said Mark Christiansen, executive vice president of operations at Paramount. “Over the past years, Microspace has distributed motion pictures from our studios to exhibitors in a secure and reliable manner.”

“We’re thrilled by the opportunity to partner with Paramount to deliver the first motion picture via satellite at ShoWest,” said Curt Tilly, manager of digital cinema distribution for Microspace. “Paramount has recognized the value in and supports the distribution of digital cinema via satellite, and we continue to work closely together to deliver the latest motion pictures to exhibitors in North America.”

Microspace collaborates with studios, content preparation companies and exhibitors to utilize satellite distribution and its benefits. The proven workflow and electronic delivery of Microspace’s satellite distribution provides the industry with a turn-key solution for content delivery and minimizes the potential issues and costs associated with physical delivery. Through the use of two discrete satellite systems, movies and keys are delivered on-time, every-time at Microspace connected theatres.

Microspace will deliver Disturbia via an Intelsat satellite to ShoWest, where it will be received by equipment from Dolby Laboratories. The core of the Dolby® Digital Cinema system consists of the Dolby Show Store and Dolby Show Player, which together provide everything needed to load, store, decode and deliver pristine digital movies to digital cinema projectors. The accompanying Dolby Show Manager software application provides complete operational control and enables users to perform advanced scheduling either locally or remotely.

“This is an exciting time for digital cinema, and Dolby is honored to be working with Microspace on this ShoWest first,” said Tim Partridge, senior vice president and general manager, Dolby Laboratories. “Dolby realizes satellite distribution is important to the world of digital cinema and the Dolby Digital Cinema system is a key ingredient in providing secure and immaculate playback.”

Kodak to Unveil First "Universal" and Fully Integrated Digital System at ShoWest

http://www.broadcastbuyer.tv/publish/D-Cinema_92/NEC_Announces_Advanced_Features_For_The_STARUS_Digital_Cinema_Screen_Server_10903.shtml

March 9, 2007

"Kodak will unveil and demonstrate its comprehensive digital cinema solution, the Kodak Theatre Management System (TMS), to exhibition and distribution managers at the 2007 ShoWest Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas next week.

Kodak also announced that in April it will begin installing prototypes of the Kodak Theatre Management System at multiple sites throughout the United States. The Kodak TMS will be the exhibition industry’s first ever ‘universal’ digital system designed to manage all content from all suppliers and bring new workflow efficiencies to the cinema.

The Kodak Theatre Management System includes a server driven by unique and proprietary Kodak-written software connected to the cinema’s ticketing system. Directed by the theatre’s ticketing system, the fully integrated TMS will automatically load all content from multiple suppliers via hard drive or satellite and distribute it to targeted screens over the in-cinema network. Decryption keys are also loaded, migrated and managed over the network. The Kodak TMS is at the heart of the fully-integrated Kodak solution, which includes all networked content players and feature projectors, as well as Kodak service and support.

Kodak intends to support the solution with an innovative Business Plan. “Our plan is aimed at exhibitors intending to convert at least half the screens in their complex,” Mayson says, “because we believe a commitment of that scope is necessary for them to experience the benefits of a network solution – and to have the same ‘print movement’ flexibility they now enjoy with analog.”

The term of payback for TMS is expected to be seven years, after which the exhibitor will own the system.

Mayson emphasizes that there are no hidden obligations in the Kodak Plan. “There are no requirements that customers buy lamps from Kodak, no hidden usage charges for exhibitors, and there is no limitation on their sources of content. Those choices are up to the exhibitor; we respect the ways they need to run their business.”

Ballantyne's Strong Digital Systems and Strong Technical Services to Provide and Install 75 Digital Cinema Projector Systems Featuring REAL D 3-D Cinema Format for Regal Entertainment Group

http://www.dcinematoday.com/dc/PR.aspx?newsID=720

Source: Ballantyne

OMAHA, Neb.—Mar 8, 2007

Ballantyne of Omaha, Inc. (Amex: BTN), a motion picture projection, digital cinema and specialty lighting equipment and services provider, announced today that Strong Digital Systems (SDS) and Strong Technical Services (STS) will provide and install 75 NEC STARUS™ NC2500S Digital Cinema projectors with REAL D 3-D technology to Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC). All 75 installations are expected to be completed in time for the March 30th release of Walt Disney Pictures' animated feature film Meet the Robinsons in Disney Digital 3-D. Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

REAL D and Ballantyne have formed and financed a separate entity, Digital Link II, LLC to fund the digital projector purchase and installation. In turn, Digital Link plans to seek per-film virtual print fees from feature film studios in order to reduce the owner's and licensee's ultimate capital investment.

John P. Wilmers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ballantyne, commented, "We are pleased to team with REAL D to deliver a state of the art 3-D and 2-D digital projection solution to our longstanding customer, Regal Entertainment Group. The REAL D solution, combined with the state-of-the-art NEC STARUS projection system, delivers an impressive and memorable theater experience that will help to further differentiate Regal Entertainment Group in the cinema market. The agreement represents a win-win for all parties as it furthers the footprints of Ballantyne/NEC and REAL D, leverages our STS expertise in installation and delivers Regal a 3-D digital solution on a turnkey basis."

DTS sees strength in impending split of two divisions; electronics, digital units face different challenges.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/print/160590890.html

by Madler, Mark R.

San Fernando Valley Business Journal • Feb 19, 2007 •

Faced with two business divisions growing at different rates and in different directions, DTS Inc. will spin off its digital cinema business later this year.

How that will be done has not been decided as company officials continue to meet with bankers and investors to determine which direction to pursue to best serve the company, its shareholders, and customers.

The DTS electronics division would remain in Agoura Hills while the newly-named DTS Digital Cinema will be headquartered from an existing facility in Burbank.

By splitting the company in two, executives remove from the equation how the decisions made for one business unit will affect the other.

"We think a pure focus in both businesses on the markets that each serves will result in us being able to service our customers as well as to competitively win in these markets," said President and CEO Jon Kirchner.

Founded in 1993. DTS became a major player in the entertainment audio business as its products found their way into movie theater sound systems, home theaters, car audio, and PC and gaming consoles.

The electronics division licenses its entertainment technology to all the major consumer products manufacturers. It is the well established, low-investment, and high profit division of the company.

The digital cinema side is quite the opposite--a capital intensive business still in its early stages.

Showing its strength

Spinning the digital cinema business off is a good maneuver for DTS as it will show the value of the strong revenue stream of the electronics division, said Barbara Coffey, an analyst with investment banking firm Kaufman Bros.

"If you have one business that is losing money and another business that is making money if you put them together you can't see the strength of the one because it is hidden by the losses of the other," Coffey said.

Company executives have evaluated the two divisions over the past several years and in November formally announced the split.

In what form the breakup takes remains unknown.

DTS could sell the digital cinema business to a private or strategic investor; it could spin off the business into a separate publicly traded company; or bring in a majority partner to move the business forward and DTS would maintain a minority stake.

Each option has its pros and cons and those are being evaluated by company officials, bankers and investors, Kirchner said.

A 14-year veteran of the company, Kirchner, CFO Mel Flanigan, and general counsel Blake Welcher will remain with the electronics business. Other company executives will move over to the digital cinema side.

For its audio products, DTS faces competition from Dolby Laboratories, Inc. In the digital cinema arena, it faces multiple competitors, including Technicolor in Camarillo.

Still not in U.S.

Whereas Technicolor has its digital cinema equipment in theaters in the U.S. and Europe, the single rollout by DTS has been in Ireland. Getting its equipment into U.S. theaters should happen by year's end.

Out of the 36,000 indoor movie screens, about 1,000 are equipped to show digital films, according to statistics from Digdia, a Silicon Valley consulting firm for the digital entertainment industry.

By MARK R. MADLER

Staff Reporter

Sony and Cathay Cineplexes Introduce CineAlta 4KT Digital Cinema Systems to Singapore

http://www.digitalcinemainfo.com/sonyprofessional_12_06_07.php

December 6, 2007 Source: Sony Professional

Sony is pleased to announce the installation of the latest CineAlta 4K™ SRX-R220 digital cinema projectors, together with the LMT-100 Media Block servers and LSM-100 Screen Management System for the Cathay Cineplexes in Singapore, one of the leading cinema operators providing quality entertainment in Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai.

Sony is equipping two Cathay Cineplexes in Singapore, including their flagship The Cathay Cineplex, with the ultra-high-resolution SRX-R220 Digital Cinema Projectors. Combined with Sony’s LMT-100 Media Block servers and LSM-100 Screen Management System, the projector systems are specifically designed for digital cinema applications. The project is expected to be completed early next year. Upon the completion of the installation, movie-goers are able to enjoy the ultimate viewing experience jointly presented by Sony and Cathay Cineplexes.

"We are very impressed with the CineAlta 4K technology, as well as the professional services rendered by Sony. The deployment of the enhanced digital technology in our cinemas demonstrates our continued commitment to provide quality entertainment to our valued patrons," said Suhaimi Radfdi, President of Cathay Organization Holdings Ltd. "We are now planning to introduce this advanced technology to our cinemas in Malaysia and Dubai, so that more movie-goers can immerse themselves in the superior cinematic experience."

Designed to conform to the DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) specification requirements, Sony's CineAlta 4K digital projector offers uncompromising picture performance and functionality – a landmark for next generation movie viewing.

"Sony has always been in the forefront of developing innovative solutions for the emerging digital cinema market. Building on the unique SXRD™ (Silicon X-tal Reflective Display) technology, the new projector offers an extraordinary 4K image resolution which is more than four times the pixels of the best HDTV specifications (1920 x 1080); and Singapore is the first place in Asia Pacific to enjoy this technology," said Kozo Tetsuya, Division Managing Director of Broadcast and Professional Pacific Asia Company, a division of Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Ltd. "We are delighted to see Cathay Cineplexes provides a good exemplar for the exhibition and motion picture industries by adopting the 4K digital cinema technology."

SRX-R220, an ultra-high-resolution projector, is designed specifically for digital cinema applications. The SXRD™ imaging devices used in the SRX-R220 projector make it possible to realize its 4K resolution derives from its 4096 H X 2160 V pixel matrix, which is stipulated by the Digital Cinema Initiatives, LLC (DCI). It also provides a brightness level of SMPTE standard 14 ft-L* on a 20-meter (65.6-feet) wide screen and a high contrast ratio of 2000:1.

Since the SRX-R220 projector provides four times the resolution of 2K projectors, the visual quality of 2K and HD content is also improved over those provided by native 2K and HD resolution projectors.

In addition, the LMT-100 Media Block is a digital cinema server that can handle DCI DCP media, which is a key component in establishing highly secure theater systems. The LMT-100 server handles DCP (Digital Cinema Packages) files that consist of picture, audio and subtitle data files, and they are wrapped into a MXF (Material eXchange Format) file. It can play back the DCP file by using advanced processing to decrypt and decode the picture data, and then send it to the projector over a secure multi-pin connection system.

While the LSM-100 Screen Management System provides a variety of screen management operations such as show scheduling, communication with other theatre control of the SRX series projectors and the Media Block.

Wow! They Are Popping Up Everywhere! Here's a Current List of 3D Theaters in North America

http://marketsaw.blogspot.com/2007/12/wow-they-are-popping-up-everywhere.html

The following is a list of North American 3D Movie Theaters using Real D technology (Effective December 5th, 2007).

Select Your Region:

1. Alabama, Arkansas & Arizona

2. California

3. Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware & Florida

4. Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho & Illinois

5. Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachussetts & Maryland

6. Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi & Montana

7. North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico & Nevada

8. New York, Ohio, Oklahoma & Oregon

9. Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina & Tennessee

10. Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin & Wyoming

11. Canada - Nova Scotia, Ontario & Quebec

Kinepolis Builds Digital Alliances and a Megaplex

http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/features/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003052423

Aug. 23, 2006

BELGIAN BELLWETHER by Andreas Fuchs The July 7 opening of the Kinepolis in the West Flanders city of Brugge (Bruges), Belgium, not only unveiled another 1,605 zetels to complement the pan-European circuit's existing 91,670 seats at 21 locations with 302 screens in five countries, but also marked another major step in cementing its leadership in digital projection. The highest number of digital installations under management of one entity-13 in Belgium, five in France and three in Spain-already make Kinepolis the world leader with the largest share of digital compared to total number of screens per complex. "Kinepolis Cinema was the first European exhibitor to install a DLP Cinema projector in 2000," confirms Nancy Fares, business manager, DLP Cinema, at Texas Instruments. "We are pleased to be expanding our relationship with Kinepolis, and joining them to create Europe's first all-digital projection cinema operator." Continuing on that route, Kinepolis Group NV is now also the first European exhibitor to sign a comprehensive strategic agreement, financial terms of which were not disclosed, with Technicolor Digital Cinema. The division of Thomson will deploy DLP Cinema technology that includes Barco 2K projectors and Dolby Digital Cinema playback systems throughout all 130 Kinepolis screens in Belgium. About half, including the eight auditoria in Brugge, will have been outfitted by early 2007, with the rest scheduled for the end of that year. According to corporate communications from the circuit, for the other Kinepolis locations in Spain, France, Switzerland and Poland, "there are no concrete digital expansion plans at this moment." Expanding upon its activities in North America (FJI February and May 2006), Thomson can confirm further "negotiations with its film studio partners to complete digital-cinema equipment usage agreements that cover digital content distribution to Technicolor Digital Cinema-operated systems in Europe. The company is also in ongoing discussions with other major European exhibitors to extend the deployment of digital-cinema installations to other European nations beginning in 2007. Thomson expects to announce definitive agreements with studio and European exhibition partners in the coming months." As the tenth location in Belgium, building on the longstanding local success from Kinepolis Ghent (1981) to Imagibraine in Braine d'Alleud (2000), the "highly promising" Kinepolis Brugge warranted an investment of €10 million (US$12.64 mil.) for an expected 400,000 annual cinemagoers. It was built by De Coene Construct/Willy Naessens from plans devised by Este architects. With parking for 600 cars and some 100 bicycles, all-THX certification and a "number of pioneering innovations," according to corporate communications manager Myriam Dassonville, Brugge makes "a fine example of technology and a conceptual reference for the other Kinepolis complexes and the international cinema market in general." Let's take a look at what is "sure to strike a chord in the effervescent socio-cultural atmosphere in Brugge." Following the new features developed for Nancy last year in France, Kinepolis redesigned the open foyer to become a meeting place that "welcomes everyone." No movie tickets are needed to use the facilities, which encompass a gaming corner, the CréaCafé (a restaurant and fully licensed "lounge bar") and the Kinepolis shop. In addition to a wide range of Coca-Cola drinks and snacks such as fruit salad, pizzas and popcorn, of course, retail goods on offer there include t-shirts, film posters and books. For even more openness, the usual ticket taker has been eliminated. Admission controls happen exclusively at the auditorium, beautifully outfitted with Woutim carpeting and lighting by Clairtronics, De Maerteleire. In a very high-tech innovation, every Quinette luxury seat has a built-in sensor from manufacturer Quick Sensor that registers each place taken when customers sit down. The monitoring system then automatically compares the number of tickets sold with the number of people present in the auditorium. As a result, Dassonville says, "the ticket-checking process is conclusive, efficient and customer-friendly. What is more, the circuit encourages cinemagoers to buy tickets electronically." No wonder: The Internet-printed confirmation-indicating screen, show, film and seat/row number-provides greater convenience, and lower prices are offered on Kinepolis.com. Tickets bought at the box-office terminals onsite are also cheaper than those acquired at the cashier stations. Seating charts and available seats are displayed on the web as well as on digital screens in the foyer and at the theatre entrance. All features of this "pilot project" were developed in-house and will be expanded "once the necessary assessments and adjustments have been made," Dassonville explains. The "extensive digitalization of film, information and communication channels" also creates "more environmentally friendly surroundings," with numerous digital signs and panel screens for advertising and film information. "The moving picture will be omnipresent," permeating a "pronounced digital look" throughout the complex, which includes two Barco DP100 2K DLP Cinema projectors. To date, that makes Kinepolis Brugge the first new cinema to have digital-cinema projectors installed from the outset. 35mm is still installed right next to digital, but Dassonville predicts, "In the near future, all auditoria will be digital." Film equipment and platters come from Cinemeccanica illuminating DemoSpec screens. On the sound front, QSC amplifiers work with Dolby DP650 processors and JBL speakers. Praising them as "pioneering the revolution," Stephan Paridaen, president of Barco's Media and Entertainment division, says his company is "proud to be selected by Technicolor and Kinepolis as the exclusive partner...for this first, nationwide digital conversion of a complete theatre network in Europe. Selection of our projectors is also proof of confidence in the reliability of DLP Cinema technology for major rollouts." Barco promises "a unique and clear set of customer benefits" including sealed engines, liquid cooling, extreme reliability and unrivaled service records, all assuring to Kinepolis "that their own planned expansion and European growth will be sustained." Gilbert Deley, managing director of Kinepolis Cinema, confirms the company's full commitment to "the ongoing advancement of digital cinema. Our customers have expressed interest and enthusiasm for digital-cinema presentations, and only DLP Cinema projection technology has proven reliability and superior picture quality. Our confidence in DLP Cinema and in Barco is the result of moviegoer satisfaction and a complete analysis of alternative d-cinema systems." To that end, "the agreement specifically requires Technicolor Digital Cinema to deploy, maintain and monitor all digital-cinema systems," explains Joe Berchtold, "including Technicolor's proprietary theatre-management system." The president of newly restructured Technicolor Theatrical Services and head of its d-cinema division also gives credit to Barco and Dolby's "market-leading equipment that delivers the quality and reliability needed to make digital cinema an audience favorite." For David Watts, senior VP and managing director at Dolby U.K., that very quality includes "reliability and user-friendly operation of the system, backed by Dolby's proven customer support and commitment to industry standards... Dolby is proud to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative" that, he predicts, "will enable Kinepolis to make a smooth transition to fully digital operation." "By capitalizing on Kinepolis Group's insight into European cinema markets," Berchtold agrees, "and leveraging Thomson's expertise and experience in the region, we are extremely well-positioned for making European digital cinema a reality in the near future." And that future, digital and otherwise, certainly looks bright for Kinepolis. Right after the opening of Kinepolis Brugge, another Belgian construction project began to take shape. As a preview of their latest complex, this past August Kinepolis presented a 250-car drive-in and 250-seat open-air cinema near the newest location in Oostende. Scheduled for 2007, Kinepolis promises our readers that het nieuwste bioscoopcomplex "will take another step towards the future."

Dolby Unveils New Dolby Digital Cinema Networking and Sound Components at Cinema Expo

Amsterdam-Jun 13, 2006

Dolby® DMA8 Plus

Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB) will unveil the newest components of the Dolby® Digital Cinema system at Cinema Expo in Amsterdam, 26–29 June 2006. Dolby will introduce the Dolby Show Library, a central server for digital cinema screens within a multiplex, and the Dolby DMA8Plus, which provides audio connections for digital cinema servers, broadcast decoders, and alternative content sources, in its booth (161). Dolby will also showcase its complete Dolby Digital Cinema system playing JPEG 2000–encoded movie content. The JPEG 2000 compression format is one of the key requirements in the Digital Cinema Initiative’s (DCI) specifications for digital cinema. Dolby also offers JPEG 2000 mastering services from its facilities in the UK and US. “In addition to appreciating Dolby’s wholehearted support for open standards, exhibitors have told us that the Dolby Digital Cinema system is easy to install and use,” said Jason Power, Market Development Manager, Dolby Laboratories. “The new Dolby Show Library and the DMA8Plus simplify the installation and operation of digital multiplexes even more, providing a seamless entertainment experience for moviegoers.” Dolby Show Library Dolby Show Library acts as the heart of a multiplex’s digital network, giving users the ability to load all digital content at one central location via Ethernet, satellite, or removable hard drive. The system then distributes the files electronically (and unattended) to networked Dolby Digital Cinema systems within the multiplex. With Dolby Show Library, a cinema manager or projectionist can program the entire show schedule, including advertising, for all of the digital screens in a complex anytime night or day from one location. Movie files can be loaded just once; all movie transfers and program changes are then performed automatically across the network. Programming is done through the easy drag-and-drop Dolby Show Manager software. DMA8Plus The Dolby DMA8Plus Digital Media Adapter is a cost-effective and flexible solution for interfacing digital cinema and alternative content sources to existing cinema sound systems. Based on the Dolby DMA8, the unit accepts up to eight channels of PCM digital audio from sources such as digital cinema servers, disks, and satellite and tape systems. It also accommodates Dolby Digital bitstreams for nonfilm sources with up to 5.1 channels, such as DVD players and satellite and cable links. Six analog output channels ensure straightforward interface with a cinema's existing Dolby sound processor. The DMA8 is easily set up via a laptop computer and can be controlled by a cinema's automation system. Individual digital sources can also be selected rapidly using dedicated front-panel buttons. In addition, the unit provides a switched ”through” connection for external film audio decoders such as the Dolby DA20 Digital Adapter. An adjustable audio delay is built in to ensure that sound and picture are synchronized during digital cinema presentations. Different delays can be assigned to different inputs, giving flexibility with alternative content sources which often require different delays. The Dolby Digital Cinema system is installed in more than 160 cinemas in 12 countries worldwide including, most recently, new installations in Iceland. More than 40 digital movies have been presented by Dolby Digital Cinema, among them recent and current presentations of Mission: Impossible III, Over the Hedge, Poseidon, and V for Vendetta.

http://www.dcinematoday.com/dc/pr.aspx?newsID=521

Microspace Fetches Walt Disney's The Shaggy Dog Via Satellite for Cinemark Theaters

http://www.microspace.com/news/pr/2006/pr_shaggy_dog.shtml

Source: microspace

Industry’s First Satellite-Delivered JPEG 2000 File is a Major Step toward DCI Compliance

Raleigh, NC, March 10, 2006– Microspace Communications Corporation (Microspace), the leading provider of point-to-multipoint satellite services, today announced that it has delivered the first JPEG 2000 feature via satellite for Walt Disney’s The Shaggy Dog, opening today in theaters nationwide. The delivery is a key milestone in reaching Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) compliance. Microspace delivered the feature via its VELOCITY® satellite service in conjunction with Kodak Digital Cinema to the Cinemark Tinseltown Theater in Rochester, New York.

“Walt Disney Pictures is on the forefront of bringing digital cinema into the mainstream to enhance the movie going experience,” said Chuck Viane, president, distribution, Buena Vista Pictures. “As a member of DCI, we are actively working with the industry to ensure that digital delivery of feature films meets the utmost standards of quality. Our delivery of this JPEG 2000 feature is the next step in the adoption of the DCI specification.”

“Cinemark has always been on the cutting edge of innovative technology that can transform the exhibition industry. The digital presentation of The Shaggy Dog in our Rochester location showcases a state-of-the art technology that we are very pleased to provide for our customers,” said Alan Stock, President, Cinemark USA, Inc.

“We are leading the industry with a series of industry ‘firsts,’ from the original standardized satellite delivery of a digital feature to this first delivery of a JPEG 2000 feature film working toward DCI compliance,” said Curt Tilly, manager of digital cinema distribution for Microspace. “We see satellite-powered digital cinema delivering on the promises of secure and reliable distribution for the motion picture industry. We are delighted to work with Walt Disney Studios, Kodak Digital Cinema and Cinemark to continue this momentum.”

“Kodak Digital Cinema is excited to join Microspace in enhancing the digital cinema experience in a way that further proves the value of the Kodak network,” said Drena Rogers, director of worldwide sales for Kodak Digital Cinema. “We applaud their efforts in ensuring reliable and quality delivery of features for a great theatrical presentation.”

Microspace’s VELOCITY eliminates the expenses of producing and delivering individual film print. Since early 2004, Microspace has been working to enhance the theater experience by providing digital satellite delivery for several motion pictures, including “Chicken Little,” “Shrek 2,” “Collateral,” and “Shark Tale.”

Digital Cinema Gains Ground

News: by Jay Ankeney - August.03.2005

Recent alliance announcements, completed standard signal progress

HOLLYWOOD

Digital cinema may be coming to a multiplex near you sooner than you might think. Since June, a rush of announcements about new digital cinema alliances and installations signal that the the motion picture industry may have finally overcome the bottleneck of which technology to use and who will finance its implementation.

The fuse for this explosion has been the success of digital cinema presentations of the last episode of George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith," both domestically and overseas. U. S. box office figures for digital cinema theaters are not available, but by its May 18 premiere in Germany, 93 percent of all ticket sales at the CineCitta multiplex in Nuremberg were for the premium-priced digital presentation of the movie.

Digital theaters in Berlin, Paris and Tokyo enjoyed similar moviegoer interest and the New York and Los Angeles premieres of the last episode of the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy were presented through digital projection.

So despite Hollywood's current box office slump, there has been progress on the technology side that brings a ray of hope to those who believe in the digital cinema future.

ACCESS CHRISTIE

Currently, the only digital cinema projectors with a proven track record for cost-effective theatrical installation are based on DLP (Digital Light Processing) technology from Texas Instruments. In a three-chip configuration, DLP projectors provide 2K resolution from digital files fed off of servers, an image quality considered by many--but not all--to rival the projection standard set by celluloid prints.

Three projector manufacturers have licensed DLP technology: Christie, Barco and NEC. In June, the first of these, Christie Digital Systems, announced it had entered into a preliminary agreement with Access Integrated Technologies, Inc., a Morristown, N.J.-based provider of managed storage and electronic delivery of digital content to movie theaters, to create the movie industry's first digital cinema funding framework.

"Our goal is to install Christie CP2000 DLP Cinema projectors, media players and central server equipment in up to 2,500 screens within two years," said Craig Sholder, vice president for Entertainment Solutions at Christie Digital Systems, USA Inc., in Cypress, Calif. "We'll be using JPEG2000 files on CineStore central library management servers in each theater for ingest and distribution with individual playout servers dedicated to the projection heads. As much as possible, our systems will comply with the specifications of the Digital Cinema Initiative, most specifically the security requirements to maintain the integrity of our digital files."

The Digital Cinema Initiative, or DCI, is a joint venture by Disney, Fox, MGM, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal and Warner Bros. Studios to formulate the requirements for successful digital cinema presentation. Although the final version was not completed by press time, the DCI System Spec 5.2 released in March 2005 included both 2K and 4K resolutions.

BARCO-KODAK

Also in June, Barco, a second DLP licensee, announced an alliance with Eastman Kodak Co. to sell and support complete integrated digital cinema solutions. As part of the agreement, Barco will use Kodak color science and image management technology to expand the capability and performance of its own cinema projectors.

"We thought this would be a good marriage between the core competencies of our two organizations," said Scott Spector, executive vice president and general manager for Barco Digital Cinema. "Kodak is already the largest independent provider of digital pre-show content in North America, so they already have a networked infrastructure that can be readily scaled up to digital cinema use. We'll be able to deliver the actual MPEG-2 files on hard drives, via satellite and over fiber as different markets require."

Although Barco did not provide specific deployment goals for the new alliance, the new initiative will employ a combination of the Barco D-Cine Premiere DP100 projector and Kodak's proprietary 2k CineServer, a 80 GB MXF-compliant server.

"We have been approached by a number of Wall Street financial firms with capital available to invest in digital cinema systems," Spector said. "What is missing is a compelling business model and industry partners to manage its roll-out. That is a key factor behind the Barco and Kodak alliance."

NEC, a third digital projector manufacturer to license DLP technology has been working since May with Ballantyne of Omaha to distribute all components of the NEC STARUS digital cinema system for pre-show projection and lobby display systems. That includes the full line of NEC STARBeam iS8, iS15 and iS25 digital cinema projectors, STAR*Cor central multiplex servers, and STAR*Show screen servers.

DISNEY DOLBY DEAL

All of these alliances hope to exhibit product from any major studio that wants to release its films in digital cinema. But at the end of June, Dolby Laboratories announced a collaboration specifically with Disney Studios to install its Dolby Digital Cinema systems in approximately 100 high-profile theaters in 25 top markets. The installations should be in place for the Nov. 4 premiere of Disney's first all-CGI animated feature, "Chicken Little," rendered in 3D by LucasFilm's Industrial Light & Magic to play on Dolby Digital Cinema servers at selected theatres.

"Dolby Digital Cinema is actually a server system combined with mastering services in our Burbank office for the encoding of the feature films," said Tom Daily, marketing director for the Dolby Professional Division. "The MPEG-2 content will arrive fully encrypted in MXF-compliant files to be presented through any of the commercially available digital cinema projection systems. Most importantly, however, the Disney/Dolby arrangement will be the first studio-supported deployment of digital cinema in the world."

http://www.tvtechnology.com/features/news/n_digital_cinema.shtml