Faster Brighter Bigger Better

The exhibition industry has clearly joined the 21st century. A decade ago when we launched Digital Cinema Report the prevailing thinking at events such as ShoWest and ShowEast was that the movie business was working just fine the way it had for a hundred years and there was no real need to change to the digital devices that some people were then beginning to offer. Cut to CinemaCon 2012 which was held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas last month and everything has changed. Not only have mainstream exhibitors completely embraced the digital era they actually welcome the new wave of technology ideas that were on display at the show. These days exhibitors understand that things such as laser projection and higher frame rates to name just two can only help make the experience in their theatres faster brighter bigger better. By most measures the second CinemaCon was another success. There were still complaints about how confusing the venue can be with exhibition areas on separate floors but there were fewer than in the first show probably because people are getting more accustomed to the layout. And the conference had several highlights. All of the projector manufacturers demonstrated laser technology and high frame rate technology and both Christie and Barco took over the massive thousand-seat theatre at Caesars for their high frame rate 3D demonstrations. Both received solid reviews and Christie’s demo which was part of the opening ceremony had the added benefit of including never-before-seen footage from Peter Jackson’s eagerly anticipated feature The Hobbit. In an effort to reduce costs for all exhibitors and in particular smaller independents Texas Instruments DLP released a new smaller chip. All three of its OEMs – Barco Christie and NEC – announced plans to incorporate the new chip into projection systems soon. Hoping to help exhibitors grow their audiences Sony and Doremi unveiled new products that enable the hearing impaired and in Sony’s case the visually impaired enjoy movies on the big screen. One of the major announcements at the show was Dolby’s release of a new audio format Atmos. The format already has wide acceptance from the creative community and from supporting audio manufacturers. Disney/Pixar’s summer release Brave will be the first movie to incorporate Dolby Atmos sound. These were among the major technology developments announced at the show and we cover them in more detail below but as is usually the case at this show they were outnumbered by the business deals. Business Arts Alliance Media announced a deal with Sony Pictures Releasing International Corporation to enable exhibitors across Latin America to convert their cinemas to digital. Subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement SPRI has committed to supply its films if booked in certain countries in digital format to AAM-deployed DCI-compliant digital cinema screens to promote digital cinema.  SPRI has had a similar deal in place since 2007 with AAM covering certain European countries. Steve O’Dell president of SPRI said “Arts Alliance Media continues to demonstrate its leadership in the marketplace by extending its digital cinema expertise and product offerings to Latin America. Not only do we have a strong partner in place to administer this program but we are excited that their plan to roll out digital cinema in Latin America will allow moviegoers to enjoy a state-of-the-art higher quality theatrical experience.”   Howard Kiedaisch chief executive officer of AAM said “Having built the necessary skill set to manage these roll out programs throughout Europe it’s a natural progression for AAM to offer this capability in new territories. We are thrilled that Sony Pictures has endorsed our program and we expect to announce separate deals with additional Studios in the coming weeks.  Thousands of screens around the world have already been converted to digital under similar arrangements.” Countries covered by the deal are Brazil Mexico Argentina Colombia Chile Peru and Ecuador with the possibility of including additional countries. AAM also announced a deal with 75 screens from the group of independent exhibitors ACEC Cines (Area Catalana de Exhibición Cinematográfica).  More screens from the group may be added to this agreement to accelerate the digital transition in Spain. The rollout will be financed subject to final bank approval via the recently announced Barco Leasing Program. The ACEC sites which signed up to the rollout will be fully converted to DCI-compliant digital cinema with Barco projectors and Doremi Showvault IMB servers including high frame rate technology. The conversion and installation will be done in association with local integrator Kelonik. Jaime Tarrazón of ACEC said “Signing this deal with AAM is an exciting development for the sites involved as they can begin to realize the benefits of digital and the ease of managing content that comes with AAM’s TMS. As more and more content becomes digital it’s good to know we are working with digital experts and can pass on that expertise to all our sites to make their conversion as easy as possible.” Guillaume Thomine-Desmazures of Arts Alliance Media said “Being able to offer the Barco Leasing Program to ACEC sites demonstrates how the digital rollout is not just for big chains but is equally accessible for smaller exhibitors. We look forward to being able to bring digital to more cinemas across Europe for years to come as a result of this program.” The first cinemas to be installed are Filmax Gran Vía (Hospitalet de Llobregat) Bages Centre (Manresa) and Megacines (Badalona). Arts Alliance Media already has a strong foothold in Spain with the conversion of the 420 screens of Yelmo Cines already completed. ArcLight Cinemas has completed the digital conversion of its four locations in California including 33 auditoriums and 61 screens with Christie Solaria Series CP2210 2K Christie CP4220 and Christie CP4230 4K projectors aligned to provide the best in both conventional and premier movie experiences.
 
All auditoriums within the ArcLight brand are premium presentation auditoriums focusing on a “black box” design aesthetic which emphasizes undistracted viewing and features the best in sight and sound technology. 
 “Christie’s Solaria series will make it possible for us to present the latest technological advances to our patrons such as 3D and big-screen experiences as well as high frame rate movies scheduled to launch later this year beginning with epics such as Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit ” said Joe Miraglia director of design construction and facilities for ArcLight. “Since we offer a range of movies and theaters to suit distinct audiences we needed digital projection that could adapt to any need and Christie gave us the best solution.” ACS Enterprises installed the projectors. Craig Sholder vice president Entertainment Solutions for Christie said “We offer an unparalleled range of leading-edge product support partnerships and financing options to make the benefits of digital projection available to all types of exhibitor in every market. It’s because of this commitment and the loyalty of our customers that we lead the market for digital projection solutions and we’re pleased to have ArcLight as part of our customer family.”
  Barco announced that Cinema City International and Blitz Cinestar have selected Auro 11.1 as their preferred cinema sound format which creates the most immersive cinema experience available for moviegoers. “Auro 11.1 allows the creative forces behind today’s most successful films to envelop audiences in rich realistic sound for a more compelling motion picture experience. It opens up new possibilities in storytelling by using tools that are specifically developed for the existing production workflows. This makes mass adoption easy and affordable. The result is the ability to create more realistic soundtracks which greatly enhance the overall movie experience ” said Brian Claypool senior director strategic business development at Barco. “With a steady slate of titles coming from our partners Auro 11.1 continues to provide exhibition with the most immersive 3D sound experience at the most economically viable price.”  “Barco is highly committed to offering the digital cinema industry the most comprehensive suite of products and solutions to create a premium movie experience ” said Wim Buyens senior vice president of Barco's Entertainment Division. “We are very proud that Auro 11.1 is quickly gaining traction with leading exhibitors worldwide and that it is supported by industry icons such as Lucasfilm Ltd. Bad Robot Productions and Jerry Bruckheimer.” 
 Barco also announced that it has been selected as the exclusive digital cinema provider to convert 26 screens owned by REI Cinemas in South Carolina. Working closely with digital cinema integrator CineVision Corporation Barco deployed its  DLP Cinema projectors in the exhibitor's theaters in three sites. “We've benefitted in so many ways from converting to digital with Barco beginning with a very fast and efficient deployment and concluding with fabulous projectors that offer outstanding brightness image quality and ease of use ” said Richard Robb president of REI Cinemas. “Our patrons and staff alike have commented that it's the best 3D they've every seen. Thanks to Barco we've been able to elevate the cinema experience to the highest standards of any cinema around.”  “Image quality was critical to REI especially good color rendition. The Barco projectors offer the most film-like movie presentation of any digital projector out there which is why we recommend them exclusively to our customers ” said Steve Newton owner and president of Cinevision Corporation. “We've enjoyed a long relationship with Barco through our sister company Magna-Tech Electronic Company and we're proud of the quality that we mutually bring to exhibitors like REI Cinemas.” 

 REI Cinemas' installation includes both 2D and 3D projectors which can be upgraded to Barco's Enhanced 4K model. This flexibility and expandability was a key factor in the decision to select Barco. 

REI is converting to digital with the help of Cinedigm's long-term VPF agreement via an exhibitor-buyer deal structure which enables the exhibitor to recoup most of its costs – including financing fees – associated with the deployment. Cinedigm's VPF program also features the largest number of movie distributors of any program enabling exhibitors to maximize their VPF revenues. “We're proud to be working with REI Cinemas as they revolutionize their theaters ” said Scott Freidberg vice president sales digital cinema for Barco North America. “The digital model now reaches into every demographic and REI has certainly transformed the cinema experience in the Northwestern part of South Carolina. With Barco REI can now reap the benefits of superior image quality world-record brightness and the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry.” Barco is also supplying 350 DP2K-20C and 150 DP2K-32B systems equipped with GDC Technology SX-2000 integrated media blocks to the China Film Group. CFG Barco (Beijing) Electronics the joint venture formed between Barco and China Film Equipment Co. last October has procured 500 DLP Cinema projectors as a strategic element of China’s 12th Five-Year-Plan focused on fostering a period of rapid development over the next five years to contribute five percent to China’s GDP.  The procurement of this latest round of projectors reflects the CFG’s objective to fuel China’s digital cinema market with localized development. The deployment of these 500 integrated systems in which Barco projectors are integrated with GDC Tech’s IMB began in the first quarter this year and is expected to be completed at the end of 2012. “We are very pleased to expand our relationship with Barco and GDC Tech two companies extremely focused on superior product quality and local dedicated support ” said Cheng Yang general manager of the CFG’s Digital Cinema Development Initiative.  “We have been a Barco customer since 2002 while GDC Tech bears the distinction of being one of the first digital cinema suppliers to China. As a result we have great confidence in their respective abilities to assist us in achieving our economic goals through successful digital cinema growth.” “We are honored to partner with GDC Tech in support of the China Film Group’s objective and eager to provide all of the products and services to enable rapid expansion of their digital cinema footprint ” said Buyens. “We look forward to a long successful relationship as they enjoy the benefits of our industry-leading technologies and top-notch service.” “GDC Tech is proud to supply its IMB to China market leader in digital cinema ” said Man-Nang Chong founder and CEO of GDC Tech. “We have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with Barco for many years. Working together as a team Barco and GDC Tech have forged a compelling solution for cinema owners offering the best in the way of each company’s technologies in projector and integrated media blocks.” The Event Cinema in Berlin’s Sony Center at Potsdamer Platz recently upgraded its sound system with Harman’s JBL 5742 ScreenArray four-way cinema loudspeakers. The Event Cinema at the Sony Center is the flagship cinema of the Cinestar chain which has more than 500 screens in Europe. The 5742 ScreenArray incorporates patented SSC Screen Spreading Compensation which corrects for the high-frequency dispersion of a perforated movie screen when the speakers are placed behind the screen. The 5742’s Focused Coverage Technology provides an asymmetrical coverage pattern tilted 10 degrees downward from horizontal to deliver uniform coverage in every seat. In addition the JBL 5742 ScreenArray cinema loudspeaker features a four-inch titanium high-frequency compression driver operating in conjunction with a patented Optimized Aperture waveguide for uniform frequency response over a large area. The 5742 has a quad midrange array of four eight-inch Differential Drive cone midrange drivers and the low-frequency section features two 18-inch woofers. It also has a shallow profile to accommodate minimum behind the screen depth requirements and a Flat Front Waveguide design for easy baffle wall installation.

 The Event Cinema at the Sony Center features three 5742 loudspeakers behind the screen. To accommodate multiple needs the cinema also features 12 SRX725F high-performance PA loudspeakers to create an immersive audio experience. A total of 16 Crown I-Tech 5000 HD amplifiers power the system with a total capacity of 80 kW of which two are for each front-end system (four amplifier channels) six SRX725F (one amplifier channel per speaker) and four for the sub-bass (one channel per sub-bass). The I-Tech 5000 HD amplifiers feature Omnidrive HD DSP processing to handle the signal processing for each individual loudspeaker including crossover functions. Christie has signed a technology co-operation agreement with Park Road Post Production (Park Road) and Weta Digital (Weta) to work together to advance the state of the art of digital cinema production and projection with an emphasis on high frame rat delivery – the industry's most exciting new technology. For its part Christie will supply a combination of ‘direct to engineering’ technical support Christie Solaria Series DLP Cinema projectors and early access to prototype projection technologies including laser projectors that Christie is developing.
 
As part of the agreement Park Road and Weta will upgrade their current facilities with Christie projectors and provide Christie with review testing and feedback on new hardware and software developments related to high-bandwidth interfaces and technology as well as sample movie content (consistent with the content owner’s permission) for Christie to use in testing its projectors and integrated media block units. 
 “The team at Park Road has a strong and long-standing relationship with Christie and we are delighted that this will continue into the future ” said Cameron Harland general manager Park Road. “We hope that our joint research and knowledge exchange on high frame rates in particular will benefit filmmakers studios exhibitors and most importantly the movie-going audience.”
  Kathy Gruzas chief information officer Weta Digital said “Christie shares a common vision with our facility and Park Road – that is to be on the leading-edge of world-class developments in digital cinema – and we look forward to combining the sum total of our collective experience and knowledge to thrill cinema audiences in the upcoming new world of 3D and HFR.”
  “We are delighted to be teaming up with these two legends in the post production and visual effects world ” said Don Shaw senior director product management Christie Entertainment Solutions “and look forward to pushing the envelope with Park Road and Weta on this exciting endeavor.”
 Christie Duo combined with the new RealD XL-DP Cinema System to project Warner Bros. Pictures’ Sneak Peek of The Hobbit in 3D in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The clip was presented at High Frame Rates of 48 frames per second achieving an unprecedented combination of uniformity and brightness. In the setup for this presentation projection engineers calibrated the system using brightness measurements taken towards the edges of the screen rather than at the center. The abundance of light available allowed the center brightness to be reduced considerably and still provided luminance measurements in excess of six foot lamberts across the better part of the massive 70-foot-wide screen. By combining the Christie Duo and the RealD XL-DP 3D Cinema System exhibitors can actually achieve double the light output over the previous leading large format solutions and at a significant overall value during regular commercial movie showings. “With the new RealD XL-DP Cinema System there is a technical solution for achieving 3D brightness at 2D light levels on some of the largest movie theater screens in the world ” said Rod Archer vice-president of Cinema Products RealD. “RealD technology delivers twice the light of other 3D providers allowing premium large format screens to demonstrate the true potential of digital 3D cinema with a lifelike and immersive 3D presentation without compromising brightness.” Said Don Shaw senior director Christie’s Entertainment Solutions product management group: “Although it may seem too good to be true the incredible experience delivered today by RealD and Christie was achieved on a silver screen using Christie’s Pureformity Color Technology to ‘control’ the center brightness allowing us to obtain the most uniform image possible across this large screen. Standard Christie Solaria projectors the Christie Duo integration kit and the RealD XL-DP Cinema System combined to achieve this industry first which will present a compelling alternative to the more costly but half as bright offering from the current large-format market leader.” Christie also announced that Cinema 21 Indonesia’s largest cinema chain has ordered 300 Christie DLP Digital Cinema projectors including the Christie Solaria CP2220 Christie CP4220 and Christie CP4230 models.
 
Almost 100 units purchased are Christie’s 4K digital cinema projectors. “Our experience with Christie has been a positive one. Almost 90 percent of the installation has been done and Christie provides fast and reliable technical support. The projectors also produce very high-quality and sharp images and they are very reliable in terms of technology ” said Suryo Suherman president Cinema 21.
 
Working together with Christie’s Indonesian partner PT Megatech Engineering the installation was expected to be fully completed by June this year in the entire country. “We’ve been working with Christie for more than five years and the company has always been a technological leader with groundbreaking advancements such as the Christie 4K projectors as well as high frame rate (HRF) projection development. Through Christie we hope to bring the latest technologies to the audience in Indonesia ” said Rudy Susanto president PT Megatech Engineering.   
  “Christie as the pioneer of digital cinema projection technology and also the first to present digital solutions based on 4K is committed to deliver the best cinema projection solution and service to our customers. We are very happy to establish this new relationship with Cinema 21. With the cinema industry experiencing such vigorous growth in Indonesia we are confident we will be able to continue serving film operators like Cinema 21 with the same level of commitment and dedication that we always have ” said Lin Yu vice president Christie Asia Pacific. NEC Display Solutions announced that its partnership with Cinedigm has yielded the digital cinema conversion of more than 2 000 exhibitor screens using NEC digital cinema projectors. NEC offers a complete line of digital cinema projectors including the NC1200C NC2000C NC3200S and NC3240S models.  NEC digital cinema projectors are Digital Cinema Initiatives compliant and High Frame Rate upgradable which allow exhibitors to capitalize on current and future growth opportunities.  These projectors can be centrally managed freeing up on-site theater personnel for more strategic activities. “Our strong partnership with Cinedigm is groundbreaking and has guided the steady transformation of an entire industry to digital ” said Pierre Richer president and COO of NEC Display Solutions.  “We’re grateful to the many exhibitors who have entrusted us with enriching the experiences of their patrons.” Cinedigm announced the deployment of 16 Cinedigm-Certified screens at La Maison du Cinema a leading independent cinema in Quebec Canada.   
 
The deal was jointly announced by Cinedigm and La Maison du Cinema owners husband and wife team Denis and Karen Hurtubise and their two sons Alexandre and Karl who are respected film buyers through their company Services de Programmation DenHur and a digital cinema equipment dealer through Karalex Cinema Services.
 
“Denis and Karen are exceedingly well respected in the Quebec film industry and we are thrilled that after extensive research they have chosen Cinedigm as their digital partner ” said Gary Loffredo president of digital cinema services at Cinedigm.  “We look forward to sharing the benefits of digital cinema with La Maison du Cinema’s customers and enhancing the already magnificent cinematic experience that they offer.”   Cinedigm Entertainment Group also announced that it has acquired U.S. distribution rights to 22 Bullets (L'immortel) directed by Richard Berry (I Cesar) and starring Jean Reno (The Professional Ronin). This $22 million French-language feature produced by Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita The Fifth Element) has garnered $7.4 million worldwide at the box office and has been praised for its thrilling mobster-crime plot with comparisons to Goodfellas. The acquisition of 22 Bullets follows the announcement April 19th that Cinedigm acquired leading entertainment distributor New Video Group. Cinedigm’s acquisition of New Video creates a new full service end-to-end digital releasing studio enabling them to acquire and distribute independent films like 22 Bullets both theatrically and through digital mobile and home media platforms.
 
Although the first acquisition for the newly acquired entity 22 Bullets marks the fourth in a slate of acquisitions under the partnership announced at Sundance between Cinedigm and New Video. Recent deals include Sundance award-winner The Invisible War SXSW award-winner Citadel and In Our Nature starring John Slattery. “22 Bullets is a shot of adrenalin to our formidable line-up of new titles ” said Susan Margolin co-president of Cinedigm’s new Entertainment Group. “Jean Reno is magnetic and a force of nature. His creative collaboration with Berry and Besson represents the best of independent cinema from around the world that we’re bringing stateside through our new partnership.”
 GDC Technology announced a series of sales including that it is deploying 210 GDC digital cinema servers to Dickinson Theatres a privately owned movie theatre chain operating 18 theatres with 210 screens in seven states including Arkansas Arizona Kansas Missouri Nebraska Oklahoma and Texas. Cinedigm is responsible for structuring and implementing the underlying Virtual Print Fee agreement enabling Dickinson’s conversion to digital cinema as well as assuming the entire administrative responsibility of the VPF program. Ballantyne Strong as the system integrator is providing the NEC projectors and the GDC servers for Dickinson’s digital deployment. GDC Tech’s exceptional products and quality services ensure that we will be able to deliver a great movie going experience to our customers said Ron Horton president and CEO Dickinson Theatres. GDC Tech is always responsive to our questions and needs leading the industry into the digital era as a pioneer in advanced technology. Dickinson has a long esteemed history as an exhibitor in the United States and we are honored that it has chosen GDC Tech to help it migrate to digitalization. We will stand by Dickinson as a steady and reliable partner for another 90 years of its history said Dr. Man-Nang Chong founder and CEO of GDC Tech. GDC also announced that it has secured a server supply contract with Brenden Theatres to install 70 GDC SX-2000 Digital Cinema Servers with Integrated Media Block at six locations over the coming months. Bright Star Systems will be providing other equipment and technical support. Brenden currently operates nearly 100 screens at seven locations in the East Bay of Northern California Colorado Southern Nevada and Arizona. “Brenden Theatres is very excited to partner with GDC Tech as we share a common goal to provide the best movie going experience possible. We are always looking for ways to bring the magic of movies to life and adopting digital projection and sound that bring us that much closer to our goal.” said Johnny Brenden president and CEO of Brenden. “Bright Star has had a close relationship with Johnny Brenden and Brenden Theatres since its founding and we are pleased that they look to us for our assistance with the technical side of their business.  This relationship goes back to Johnny’s grandfather Ted Mann when he operated theatres in Minnesota and later on the West Coast.  While our relationship with GDC Tech is quite a bit newer we find that they are an excellent company to work with as well. A significant number of our digital installs have been done with GDC servers. GDC Tech operates on the same principles and values that we expect from a key vendor in this market ” said Mel Hopland president of Bright Star. GDC also announced that Frank Theatres has selected GDC SX-2000A Digital Cinema Servers with Integrated Media Block for its digital conversion with NEC projectors. This deployment covers close to 80 renovated and redesigned screens and an additional 36 newly constructed screens which will be completed by the end of 2012 or by mid 2013 respectively. “We’re always open to exploring new technologies that can enhance our customers’ experience when they visit our theatres ” said Bruce Frank president and CEO of Frank Theatres. “GDC servers pave the way for innovative digital technology which is a perfect match for what we want to be able to accomplish moving our circuit into the future.” Entertainment Supply & Technologies is supplying all digital projection and sound equipment as well as GDC servers to Frank for its digital migration. “The GDC Tech team has been an exceptional supply partner for ES&T and its digital deployment for long-standing exhibitors in the cinema industry. ES&T contracts currently in production through the end of 2012 include many systems to be deployed by ES&T Technical Services using GDC servers and IMB’s as part of its digital cinema program ” said Bruce Schneiter vice president of technical services for ES&T. “We are excited about moving forward with new cinematic technologies and embrace the opportunity to provide a wonderful outcome and presentation for our exhibitor clients as well as their patrons with the move into digital cinema.” Rave Cinemas has adopted the Digital Screen Checker from Harkness Screens a low-cost hand-held digital cinema luminance meter for accurately measuring screen brightness expressed in foot-lamberts.   “Brightness levels are a serious issue for cinema operators especially with more 3D content coming to market.  We’re committed to making sure that we maintain suitable brightness levels in each of our auditoria to ensure our customers have the best viewing experience possible.  The Digital Screen Checker allows us to utilize a low cost solution on our weekly lamp inspection reports to measure screen brightness in each of our auditoria.  The readings obtained from the device help our technicians to understand the impact of projector configuration power settings lamp life and screen quality on a regular basis and take remedial action to ensure that our brightness levels are maintained ” said Tina Loucks digital services specialist at Rave Cinemas.” The battery powered Digital Screen Checker provides instant readings accurate to within 0.5fL for both 2D and 3D screens and is calibrated to be accurate even in the lower ranges used in 3D projection.  The foot-lambert reading is shown on an LED digital display and is expressed to at least one decimal place.   “Modern Theatre Management Systems are capable of providing a lot of information about the projector setup but they cannot determine the screen brightness.  The industry is more than aware of Xenon lamp light output degradation and regular use of the Digital Screen Checker is a very simple way of confirming this ” said Richard Mitchell worldwide marketing manager at Harkness Screens.  “Rave Cinemas adoption of the Digital Screen Checker shows a real awareness of this significant issue which all cinema operators face and a genuine commitment to monitoring light output and we are delighted that Rave Cinemas chose our device.” Harman International India recently concluded a successful installation of Harman’s JBL ScreenArray cinema loudspeakers at the Cinepolis multiplex in Ahmedabad India. Cinepolis India part of the Mexico-based Cinepolis multiplex chain is rapidly expanding its operations in India since establishing its first property in 2009 in Amritsar. Cinepolis is one today’s fastest growing chains in India totaling five cinemas with 26 screens and a total of 6 000 seats. Each of the six screens at Cinepolis Ahmedabad features a complete system of Harman’s JBL ScreenArray loudspeakers JBL 46462A dual subwoofers and JBL 8340A surround speakers powered by Crown Audio DSi 2000 Series amplifiers to deliver a spectacular surround sound experience. The DSi cinema amplifiers deliver perfectly matched performance with each award-winning JBL ScreenArray system making this a winning cinema solution. By virtue of its location in the bustling Alpha One mall the Ahmedabad Cinepolis location plays host to most of the major movie releases every week. “The sound of the ScreenArray loudspeakers and the surround speakers is exceptional. JBL was the natural choice for a number of reasons the main ones being JBL’s reliability reputation sound quality and value ” said Prem Kumar Tewari head of technology Cinepolis India. “We wanted loudspeakers we knew would be reliable under continuous use and especially suit our requirements for future upgrades. JBL and Crown have been around a long time and are proven successful in movie theaters worldwide. The Harman systems easily fill all of our theaters in Ahmedabad with clear and powerful sound and really complement the excellence of the digital projection picture quality.” Samir Mistry carried out the installation with assistance from technicians from MRH Digital Systems authorized business partner for Harman Professional’s range of cinema products in India. Sony Digital Cinema announced that its technology is increasingly being found at the heart of today’s theater experience as the company reached the milestone of more than 13 000 Sony Digital Cinema 4K projectors shipped worldwide.   Sony also announced that Paragon Theaters has chosen the company’s digital signage and related services in a 10-year agreement. Under the agreement all Paragon theaters across the U.S. including those operated in conjunction with Cinepolis will be outfitted with Sony digital signage for all concessions box office and auditorium locations. Sony will also provide full turnkey service that includes hardware equipment and all related services for installation as well as content distribution and hosting. 

 “We pride ourselves on a great deal on the different amenities that we offer to our guests and having digital signage provided by Sony only enhances the overall experience for our customers ” said Mike Whalen partner of Paragon Theaters.  “We were one of the first theater chains to offer an all-digital Sony 4K theatre to our viewers and the response to that was tremendous.  By adding in digital signage we will truly be a modern theater.”

 “This agreement underscores the tremendous trust and faith that exhibitors are putting in Sony and demonstrates how exhibitors continue to benefit from the comprehensive range of services Sony offers ” said Gary Johns senior vice president Digital Cinema Solutions Sony Electronics. “With today’s agreement for digital signage solutions Paragon will be able to implement a wide range of customized applications that demand attention enhance the value of the theater’s network increase revenues and enable theaters to uniquely engage its customers.”
  Built on the Prodokol Cinema platform Sony is able to transform traditional menu board box office movie poster and auditorium entrance signage into a dynamic customer experience.  As a fully managed solution Prodokol Cinema provides optimal flexibility and reliability to support the creation management distribution and playback of content.  Its simple user interface allows users to manage schedule and target video content to any display in the theater.  And all content is centrally distributed and supported by the same network operations center that monitors and supports Sony 4K projectors. 
 
 Sony Digital Cinema debuted its Content Exchange Platform a proof-of-concept marketplace for alternative independent and repertory content that aims to provide exhibitors with a broad view of all content available to them while providing content owners with a standardized distribution model for reaching exhibitors. The marketplace would effectively enable exhibitors to pull content on demand such as live or repertory events and independent or classic films rather than the push model currently employed where content owners seek out exhibitors. Alternative independent and repertory content has become increasingly important to exhibitors' businesses as they look for ways of generating incremental ticket and concession sales and attracting new customers said Johns. The content marketplace driven by Sony's Content Exchange Platform seeks to put a vast library of content at exhibitors' fingertips managing rights and distribution so that they can focus on building stronger relationships with their patrons and generating more revenue. While the project is in the proof-of-concept stage the aim is that the Content Exchange Platform will be open to all content owners and exhibitors globally. The platform is being developed in conjunction with the digital asset and content management experts at Sony DADC New Media Solutions. National Amusements Theatres announced that it has chosen Sony Digital Cinema Solutions to provide digital signage for its concession stands.  National Amusements will deploy a mix of digital signage options from Sony including a managed solution comprised of displays controllers and software and self-administered standalone displays. Initially the new signage technology will be rolled out at 14 of National Amusements’ 33 locations in the United States.
 “National Amusements is committed to providing moviegoers with the ultimate entertainment experience and that starts from the moment you arrive at our theatres. Updating our concession areas with Sony’s digital signage gives us new flexibility in catering to our customers ” said Shari Redstone president of National Amusements. 
 “Sony digital signage solutions are an integral part of the modern theatre and with National Amusements introducing Sony displays to their locations customers will soon come to enjoy changing promotions and more flexible concession options while National Amusements benefits from ease-of-administration ” said Johns. SmartJog unveiled plans to double its satellite capacity over Europe. The multi-year agreement with Intelsat S.A. the world’s leading provider of satellite services is for distribution of digital cinema services on Intelsat 905 at 335.5°East to customers in Europe. Currently SmartJog delivers an average of 40 000 Digital Cinema Packages each month via Intelsat 905 to SmartJog’s network of more than 800 cinemas and 3 000 screens in 13 countries across Europe. “With a second full time satellite transponder we will have an aggregated throughput of 140 Mbps available for delivery to cinemas once the upgrade is completed with dual tuner DVB-S2 cards ” said Jean-Sebastien Petit CEO of SmartJog. “This will enable speedy delivery of four to six large feature film DCPs per day at an average of 60 gigabits per hour.” “Intelsat continues to support the growth of SmartJog’s business as they develop innovative approaches to delivering non-linear content via our satellite network ” said Kurt Riegelman senior vice president of global sales for Intelsat.  “This agreement will allow SmartJog to reach new audiences across Europe and greatly expand its viewership on Intelsat 905.” SmartJog and Intelsat have also jointly developed digital distribution solutions that are scalable for SmartJog’s potential strategic partners in other markets such as the Americas and Asia. SmartJog recently announced a new licensing and white-label product and service model available for third party digital cinema network operators. Julien Seligmann director of media services at TDF the parent company of SmartJog said “Our agreement with Intelsat is key to our success as a global digital cinema distribution solutions leader. TDF is committed to supporting the growing need for fast and efficient digital cinema satellite delivery services from our customers.” SmartJog and CineLab announced that they have reached a long-term agreement for the license of SmartJog digital cinema distribution solutions as a white label service and product for the operations of their CineLab Data Delivery Network in Russia and CIS. The agreement was executed after a pilot phase that concluded recently with several multicasts of feature films to cinemas connected to the CineLab Data Delivery Network. With this announcement SmartJog is launching a global strategy to offer the SmartJog technology and its innovative cloud based solutions to other international licensees worldwide who want to manage and operate their own electronic distribution network for digital cinema using the best solutions and technology available in the market. The US office of SmartJog in Los Angeles will lead the commercialization of this new line of products. Under this agreement SmartJog provides gateway solutions that are hosted on the CineLab servers and NOC applications for CineLab to manage and supervise their network.  In addition CineLab is sharing resources with SmartJog’s digital cinema network and operations based in Paris for commissioning of new sites traffic monitoring and network supervision. CineLab has been providing DCP mastering services KDM and physical media delivery to several Russian distributors for three years. Delivery via satellite was a natural extension to their activity and it will simplify availability of digital film content particularly to remote regional cinemas in Russia and neighboring countries. “CineLab has deployed a digital cinema network which includes today over 200 cinema sites in Russia and Kazakhstan with a reach to 436 screens and a target to connect all digitized cinemas in Russia and CIS said Denis Glinsky CEO of CineLab Group. “We are very pleased that with our partnership with SmartJog along with our recent agreement with RSCC the national satellite service operator in Russia we can offer a comprehensive solution using the Express-AM2 satellite with delivery speeds reaching 45 Mb/s said Kirill Kuzmenko CEO of CineLab Digital.” Qube Cinema announced that it will install 39 Qube XP-D servers for Kuwait’s main theatrical distributor Kuwait National Cinema Compan completing the chain’s transition to digital cinema. Previously Qube Cinema had partnered with KNCC to convert an additional 15 screens. Real Image the parent company of Qube Cinema was the system integrator on the project delivering a turnkey solution for KNCC pairing Barco projectors with the Qube XP-D servers. Sixteen of the screens also include MasterImage 3D systems for playing stereoscopic content. “The choice was easy this time ” said Hisham Al Ghanim general manager KNCC. “We looked at several digital systems before adopting Qube Barco and MasterImage for our first round of installs. We are very pleased with the technology and the support we received.” “We are proud to partner with Qube on this important roll-out for KNCC ” said Abel Garamhegyi Barco vice president Growth Markets and managing director for India. “These converted theaters now have high-quality systems that allow them flexibility in a rapidly changing environment.” “KNCC has always been a technology pioneer and had moved to digital ahead of the market ” said Raja Enok chief marketing officer at Qube Cinema. “They were one of our first customers in the region and we are delighted that they have now chosen Qube for their entire network.” THX announced five new facilities that have received certification: Basecamp Films  Kuala Lumpur Malaysia (in progress); Chinese Theatres  Hollywood California; James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment MBS Media Campus  Manhattan Beach California (in progress); Meyer Sound  Berkeley California; and SonicPool  Hollywood California.Bottom of Form Technology Barco and Doremi announced that they are teaming up to launch fully integrated ready-to-use projection and media server systems for the digital cinema industry. “We are very pleased to team up with Doremi and are proud to present this breakthrough solution. It’s another industry-first for both Barco and Doremi and just another example of how we continuously strive to offer our customers an even better cinema experience ” said Wim Buyens senior vice president entertainment for Barco. “What’s more thanks to this solution we are able to make digital projection available for the entire exhibitor community ranging from large multiplexes to smaller art house cinemas. In our new DP2K-12Cx package independent cinemas will find a truly safe worry-free and top-notch solution for their digital conversion needs supplied and supported by the leading projector and server brands in our industry.” “Just like Barco we are highly committed to the exhibitor community and we always strive to provide the latest technology ” said Michael Archer vice president of digital cinema at Doremi. “We are proud to help bring the first fully DCI-certified projection and media server packages to the digital cinema market.” Both the DP2K-Cx and DP2K-Bx bundles are fully DCI-certified providing the exhibitor community with maximum ease of mind. Another major plus is that these integrated systems are compatible today with higher frame rates up to 120 fps in 3D and 60 fps in 2D which makes them a perfect match for playing out Hollywood’s upcoming HFR releases. Furthermore the packages also set new standards in terms of image crispness while offering more vivid colors and an improved image quality especially in 3D. In addition to the new fully integrated solutions which are delivered HFR ready all Barco DP2K projectors can be upgraded to support HFR 3D through a free and simple software update. The brand-new projector and media server packages will be available for Barco’s DP2K and DP4K series. Each new bundle contains a Barco digital cinema projector a Doremi ShowVault and IMB media server. The DP2K-Cx media server package comes in three models: the DP2K-12Cx (for screens up to 12m) the DP2K-15Cx (for screens up to 15m) and the DP2K-20Cx (for screens up to 20m). Each of these consists of a compact digital cinema projector featuring Texas Instruments’ 0.98 inch DLP Cinema chip. The second family the DP2K-Bx also includes three members: the DP2K-19Bx (for screens up to 19m) the DP2K-23Bx (for screens up to 23m) and the DP2K-32Bx (for screens up to 32m). The projectors in these bundles are based on the 1.2-inch DLP Cinema chip. The projectors of the final two play-out packages are geared with the 1.38-inch DLP Cinema chip and come in two variants:  the DP4K-23Bx (4K resolution for screens up to 23m) and the DP4K-32Bx (4K resolution for screens up to 32m). Doremi also unveiled CaptiView a small three-line electronic caption display for movie theatres. The CaptiView system transmits and receives AES-128 encrypted closed captions on a wireless band frequency. With an 80-meter signal range CaptiView can be used from any seat in the house (unlike existing “mirror image” systems that limit seat selection). The CaptiView system consists of a small OLED display on a bendable support arm that fits into the theater seat cup holder. The easy-to-read screen is equipped with a rechargable Lithium Ion battery that lasts up to 16 hours per charge. The high contrast display comes with a privacy visor so it can be positioned directly in front the movie patron with minimal impact or distraction to neighboring patrons. CaptiView is economically priced to allow the cinema owner to outfit 100 percent of the multiplex. It runs on the existing Doremi digital cinema server so no additional hardware is required. It supports SMPTE and Cinecanvas packages and can support up to six languages simultaneously. Christie introduced the Christie IMB an integrated media block solution that seamlessly converts and delivers feature-film and alternative content within a secure environment to all of Christie’s 2K and 4K DCI-compliant Solaria Series 2 projectors. 
 
Built into Christie projectors or easily inserted into previously purchased units the Christie IMB utilizes industry standard non-proprietary storage solutions giving exhibitors the smoothest possible transition to high frame rate and 3D projection standards. The Christie IMB provides an integrated solution from a single trusted equipment supplier. “Most digital projector installations use a media block in an external server that is linked by cables to the projector ” said Don Shaw senior director entertainment solutions Christie. “This creates bandwidth limitations that have an impact on picture quality and restrict the system’s ability to offer higher frame rates and increased pixel resolution. The Christie IMB operates within the projector becoming an integral part of the display device. The result is a secure connection that can manage the high bandwidth required for HFR and 4K content while maintaining terrific image quality.”
 
 The IMB design reduces complexity because it eliminates the need for an exhibitor to support varied servers and IMBs currently on the market from different manufacturers. Christie achieves a fully integrated system solution by ensuring seamless interaction between its IMB and Christie Avias-TMS a Theater Management System software application that allows exhibitors to centrally manage and orchestrate all of their projection operations within a cinema multiplex.
 
“Christie now offers a ground-breaking single projection solution that converts and delivers packaged feature film content within a secure DCI-compliant environment while providing the option to upgrade to full HFR capabilities. Because we also manufacture the projector that forms the keystone of our advanced digital cinema solution we eliminate compatibility issues that could occur in media blocks from third party suppliers especially following software upgrade cycles ” said Shaw.
 Christie also announced the launch of the new Christie SKA-3D digital cinema processor a l product innovation that delivers flawless audio performance and 2D/3D image playback from virtually any content source on any brand of projector with separate L/R eye dual DVI inputs.  It is a true high-caliber “all in one” cinema processor that ends equipment rack clutter by combining multiple units typically found in a projection booth – an audio processor digital crossovers video scaler 3D decoders video cross conversion and more – into a single lightweight and compact box.  
  On the video front the new Christie SKA-3D featuring full support for Sensio Hi-Fi 3D and RealD Format seamlessly switches between multiple 2D/3D alternative content sources – including pre-show advertising servers Blu-ray players Sony PlayStation set-top boxes personal computers and satellite feeds – which in turn facilitate new revenue streams for digital cinema owners through the playback of any content available to them.
 
Additionally the Christie SKA-3D provides audio support for up to 16 DCI-AES input channels from the cinema server/Integrated Media Block (IMB) and is configurable with up to ten balanced analog outputs and five two-way crossovers as well as built-in support for Hearing Impaired (HI) and Visually Impaired-Narrative (VI-N) audio outputs.   It is fully equipped with high-end audio processing features such as 1/3 octave EQ for main channels parametric EQ for LFE channel adjustable lip-sync delay individual speaker channel delays microphone input and flexible input to output channel mapping to support any installed equipment. The system also has numerous analog/digital audio connectors and extensive support for Dolby and DTS multichannel audio formats.
 
Many older installations today use multiple boxes for alternative content support video scaling A/D & D/A conversion audio processing and digital crossovers. “To upgrade their systems owners would need to add a digital-to-analog converter that can cost thousands of dollars or upgrade their audio processor – all expensive propositions ” said Shaw. “The Christie SKA-3D delivers the digital input these older theatres need while upgrading their processing and connectivity capabilities and integrating the widest range of alternative content feeds and interfaces in a single product and at a reasonable price.”  
  No other audio processor on the market today can match the scaling/processing/switching capabilities of the Christie SKA-3D while providing 3D playback from any consumer product into a digital cinema projector added Shaw. “With Christie SKA-3D exhibitors can expand their portfolio offerings at a lower cost while improving and enhancing the audio quality of their digital cinema presentations ” he noted. “Because it can be used with any projector and brand – not just D-cinema – it can provide professional audio processing for the most popular A/V products and gaming systems in the market. In fact although not its primary market one can even envision the Christie SKA-3D forming part of the ultimate home theater set-up in the future.”
 Texas Instruments DLP Cinema announced the new S2K chipset optimized for theatre screens up to 20 feet (six meters) wide in size for 2D presentations. Featuring the same core technology that powers DLP Cinema's 2K and 4K chipsets the S2K chip has been engineered for small screens and will meet DCI specifications for image quality color and security allowing for greater versatility including 3D and high frame rate capabilities. With the new S2K design motion picture exhibitors from small towns and villages to large metropolitan cities will have access to DLP Cinema's complete portfolio of cutting-edge projection technologies each tailored to help ensure an optimal viewing experience with every 2D and 3D showing regardless of the screen size. Moving from film to digital is a critical step in order for exhibitors throughout the U.S. and the world to enter what is undeniably an important era for the entire cinema industry said John Fithian president & CEO National Association of Theatre Owners. I commend DLP Cinema's longstanding industry leadership and especially its commitment to help exhibitors more easily evolve with this transition whether they operate a single screen location or a network of multiplexes and keep movie-going a relevant part of modern American culture. China is a leading proponent of the widespread deployment of digital technology across the cinema industry said Cheng Yang president of the film distribution and exhibition corporation and China Film Digital of China Film Group. As theatergoers seek opportunities to witness the latest Chinese and foreign content at local cinemas the benefits of digital projection become even more apparent and so we applaud the dedication of DLP Cinema to supply the best technologies possible. We continue to build close relationships with exhibitors in India the Middle East Latin America and other regions to bring more Hollywood titles to cinemas and also further the growth of locally-produced content said Ranjit Thakur founder and CEO at Scrabble Entertainment. No doubt it's an exciting time to witness these and other changes firsthand which really heighten the demand for digital exhibition options like DLP Cinema S2K-powered projectors that can match local exhibitors' needs and budgets. Our goal has always been to deliver top quality reliable and attainable digital cinema projection: Our 2K 4K and new S2K chipsets stand as proof of our continued dedication to exhibitors and their audiences said Dave Duncan manager of DLP Cinema for Texas Instruments. And with select VPF models expiring soon the S2K chip will offer an affordable solution for small screens to resourcefully switch to digital cinema in every corner of the world. All three of DLP Cinema's OEM licensees – Barco Christie and NEC – have agreed to develop projector models utilizing the S2K chip design which will join each manufacturer's pre-existing DLP Cinema 4K- and 2K-powered product lines. Pre-production versions of the S2K chipset have already been delivered to each licensee for product research and development with production-ready chipsets currently scheduled for delivery later this year; S2K-powered projectors can be expected to become available to exhibitors for ordering and installation soon after. Dolby Laboratories announced Dolby Atmos a new audio platform that the company believes will change the experience of sound in entertainment. Launching in the cinema Dolby Atmos delivers a more natural and realistic sound field which transports people into the story with a lifelike sensory experience.

For the first time Dolby Atmos introduces a hybrid approach to mixing and directs sound as dynamic objects that envelop the listener in combination with channels for playback. Dolby Atmos enables adaptive rendering to ensure that the playback experience is as close as possible to the creator’s original vision in any given environment irrespective of the specific speaker configuration in the playback environment. “Dolby Atmos is our most significant innovation in years and represents the future for entertainment sound in cinema ” said Kevin Yeaman president and chief executive officer Dolby Laboratories. “We have leveraged our deep insights into how people hear and experience sound to empower filmmakers studios and exhibitors with new technology that transforms storytelling.”

 Dolby Atmos is an end-to-end solution that takes into account the entire content pipeline and brings together mixers studios and distributors to create dramatic improvements in the audio experience. The Dolby Atmos platform provides content creators with a new creative freedom to tell their stories. It simplifies movie distribution with a single universal package to deliver to audiences the full impact of the artist’s intent regardless of theatre configuration.

 Dolby Atmos delivers a new level of creative control to sound designers and mixers by marrying today’s familiar channel-based mixing methods with the versatility of dynamic audio object–based mixing. The flexibility of object-based mixing provides total control over placement and movement of individual sounds or “objects” anywhere within a theatre environment.

 “Dolby Atmos brings a completely new dimension to the motion picture soundtrack. To be able to move sounds anywhere in the theatre and to also create environments that surround and excite an audience is extremely powerful ” said Mike Hedges the Academy Award–winning re-recording mixer at Park Road Post Production.

Dolby Atmos is designed to fit into existing studio workflows with minimal impact on the production schedule. It allows studios to author once and optimize playback everywhere eliminating the need for multiple print masters. Distribution is simplified with a single Digital Cinema Package master which can then be faithfully rendered at playback in a way that is independent of channel count or speaker location.

“ China Film Group takes a keen interest in the development of Dolby’s new audio platform ” said Chen Fei CTO China Film Group Corporation. “Our post-production facilities are already well on the way for us to incorporate Dolby Atmos into our movies and we plan to produce a movie this calendar year using the Dolby Atmos format.”

 Dolby Atmos uses information about the speaker layout and acoustic playback capabilities of the theatre to determine how best to render the audio delivering consistent and optimized playback that will sound as close to the original artistic intent as is possible for that specific environment. Introduction of the Dolby Atmos platform to the industry offers a compelling only-in-a-theatre experience to audiences. “We have been working with Dolby for more than a year on this initiative and we are very impressed with this new platform ” said Dan Huerta vice president digital systems AMC Theatres. “A solution like Dolby Atmos takes an innovative and practical approach to cinema sound rivaling anything the industry had been able to accomplish in a movie theatre environment.” “Wanda was among the first to hear the demo of Dolby Atmos ” said Ye Ning general manager Wanda Cinemaline Corporation. “The effect was excellent and it is a true breakthrough. We believe it will bring people a brand new moviegoing experience.” “We have been extremely impressed with the new Dolby Atmos platform and the truly stunning extra dimension it offers to filmmakers and audiences ” said François Ivernel Movie Producer and Chairman Les Cinémas Gaumont Pathé. “For a large cinema group like Gaumont Pathé the scalability of the solution is a significant step for the industry. With auditoriums of different sizes a format that can play back with such amazingly natural quality in any theatre environment is tremendously appealing.”

 Initially Dolby will be focused on installing Dolby Atmos in a select number of premium global locations in the United States Europe China and Japan with plans for a larger rollout of Dolby Atmos in 2013.

With the ability to transmit up to 128 simultaneous and lossless audio inputs (channels or objects) and the ability to render from 5.1 all the way up to 64 discrete speaker feeds Dolby Atmos introduces a completely new audio capability for exhibitors. The inherent scalability and adaptability of Dolby Atmos allows exhibitors to manage their budgets and upgrade cinemas over time yet improve the experience for audiences at each step.
 To help exhibitors with their upgrades Harman Professional a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio equipment has been working with Dolby to design innovative and optimized solutions to simplify deployment of Dolby Atmos.

“After first previewing Dolby Atmos last year we immediately recognized the tremendous potential ” said Michael MacDonald executive vice president of sales and marketing Harman Professional. “Dolby Atmos is clearly the next-generation audio platform and will provide considerable performance advantages to our customers in the global cinema market.” The Department of Moving Picture Technologies at Fraunhofer IIS announced its high frame rate technologies being tested in the 3D space. Together with ARRI and Stereotec Fraunhofer IIS shot short test clips with 120 frames per eye (fpspe) to simulate content at various frame rates and to create digital cinema packages that will play back at 24 fps 30 fps and 60 fps based on the same footage. For the shooting two Arri Alexa cameras and a midsize rig from Stereotec were used. Harkness Screens introduced the Spectral 300 a specialist ultra-high brightness silver screen with an increased gain of 25 percent against Harkness’ existing Spectra 240 product.    Spectral 300 gives excellent performance with “passive” 3D applications using polarized light such as RealD where achieving suitable brightness levels particularly for 3D presentation in larger auditoria has proved problematic. It also performs well under 2D conditions and can be used for 3D/4D rides simulators and special effects. “We developed our new higher-gain Spectral 300 screens to provide cinema operators with the ability to optimize digital projection and improve brightness levels particularly under passive 3D conditions using polarized light.  It is these conditions where light loss is proven to be most significant and where consequently presentation quality can sometimes be below the standard required.  Using this new higher gain surface can help exhibitors achieve sufficient brightness levels in their larger auditoria and we are very happy to introduce it at CinemaCon 2012 ” said Andrew Robinson managing director of Harkness Screens. Silver aluminum flake based coating applied to the unique base material provides high gain characteristics strong signal to noise ratios generous viewing angles and excellent color temperature whilst utilizing Harkness’ proprietary and unique seam welding process to ensure that these screens have no visible seams under projection conditions. NEC showcased its full range of technologies. NEC offers a complete line of digital cinema projectors including the 2K-resolution NC1200C NC2000C and NC3200S models and the 4K-resolution NC3240S models.  The NEC projectors were upgraded last year to prepare for higher frame rates in the digital cinema industry.  The upgrades enable the projectors to support the HFR with IMB input allowing 60 frames per second in 2D and 3D with 48 frames per second in Double Flash 3D. This leads to faster movement sharper images and a much smoother picture leading to less eye fatigue for the viewing public. Besides selected digital cinema projectors NEC featured for the first time a next-generation 4K-resolution laser projector designed for varying screen sizes and installation flexibility using the latest 4K DMD from Texas Instruments.  NEC’s P Series and X Series of industrial-strength digital signage displays also will be shown of which the latter includes ultra-narrow bezel models for near-seamless video walls. “CinemaCon is a great venue for NEC to convey its industry leadership and innovation ” said Jim Reisteter general manager of digital cinema at NEC Display Solutions.  “We welcome exhibitors and other industry partners to view our latest technologies discuss digital cinema conversions through the virtual print free agreement before it ends soon and talk about financing options in US market.” NEC digital cinema projectors are Digital Cinema Initiatives compliant which allows exhibitors to capitalize on current and future growth opportunities and can be centrally managed freeing up on-site theater personnel for more strategic activities. The movie industry’s transformation to digital technology has created an opportunity to efficiently deliver closed caption data to movie patrons.  This coincides with large demand from people with hearing difficulties to watch movies more easily and enjoyably.  Sony has developed the STW-C140GI Entertainment Access Glasses with Audio and as part of this system the STWA-C101 Data Transmitter.  When wearing this stylish and lightweight see through eyewear users can see closed caption text seemingly superimposed onto the movie picture that they’re watching on screen. It’s a natural subtitle movie experience.  In addition as the captioning glasses’ receiver box is equipped with an audio assist function it is useful not only for people with hearing difficulties but also for people with visual impairments: both can enjoy movies far more than ever before. With Sony’s entertainment access glasses a broader range of the movie-going public can now enjoy exciting movie experiences and exhibitors can achieve valuable service differentiation while also increasing customer traffic. Sony Digital Cinema also announced its high frame rate upgrade program further demonstrating the company’s continuous commitment to deliver the highest image quality possible in digital entertainment. Through the program all existing Sony Digital Cinema 4K customers can realize have high frame rate playback without the need for complex hardware upgrades. Sony’s unique parallel projection method displays both right and left eye images at the same time allowing audiences to enjoy films as they were intended to be by mirroring the stereo right and left eye shooting process to deliver the best quality high frame rate projection possible. The upgrade will be available in autumn as a software update at a list price of $3 000 per complete projector/server system. “With the High Frame Rate upgrade for our existing Sony Digital Cinema 4K customers the best just got better ” said Sony Digital Cinema’s Johns. “Today our image quality and viewing experience in 3D remains unmatched and with this innovative software update we’re providing a straightforward way for customers to realize even better picture quality extending the investments they’ve already made while readying them to take advantage of the next phase in super smooth 3D viewing.” Technicolor announced that it has successfully completed a terrestrial electronic distribution of feature and trailer content to Theatres at Mall of America. As part of the test Technicolor delivered content directly to its distribution platform that was deployed at Theatres at Mall of America.  Electronic delivery offers the benefit of redundancy as well as operational efficiencies. In addition terrestrial electronic delivery leverages existing infrastructure and offers ease of installation and integration for exhibitor customers. “Technicolor is constantly evaluating new electronic methods of feature and trailer distribution to theatres to complement its existing satellite and hard drive delivery platforms ” said Curt Behlmer senior vice president of Technicolor’s Digital Cinema business. “We are excited to promote new solutions that make the delivery of feature and trailer content as seamless as possible by utilizing broadband connectivity combined with Technicolor’s electronic distribution platform.” Technicolor currently owns and operates the largest digital cinema satellite distribution network in North America and as a result the company saw an opportunity for terrestrial electronic distribution for theatre locations that have sufficient high speed broadband connectivity. “Theatres at Mall of America is an innovative industry leader focused on enhancing the theatre-going experience ” said Jill Renslow managing director of entertainment and business development at Mall of America.  “As an independent theater our partnership with Technicolor and their success on the terrestrial electronic distribution continue to keep Theatres at Mall of America on the forefront.” As testing progresses Technicolor plans to make this form of delivery a regular occurrence for the Theatres at the Mall of America and is looking to expand the solution at qualified sites.