Thomson délivre "Transformers" par satellite aux US et à l'international

Thomson diffuse Transformers, premier film distribué par satellite en simultané aux Etats-Unis et à l'international
Le film de Paramount/DreamWorks a été transmis via le plus grand réseau numérique ouvert de distribution cinématographique par l'activité Technicolor de Thomson
Paris (France) et Burbank (Californie), le 11 juillet 2007 - Thomson (Euronext Paris : 18453 ; NYSE : TMS) vient de réaliser une première le 3 juillet dernier avec la distribution par satellite de Transformers, le film de Michael Bay, produit par Paramount / Dreamworks en association avec Hasbro.
Thomson, via son activité Technicolor Digital Cinema au sein de sa division Services, est ainsi le premier groupe à diffuser un film par satellite à la fois vers les salles des Etats-Unis et vers les salles internationales, grâce à un réseau de distribution numérique ouvert.
C'est la première fois également qu'un distributeur comme Thomson diffuse un film à la fois vers des salles équipées de ses propres systèmes de projection numériques et vers des salles dont les systèmes sont gérés par d'autres groupes.
" Il s'agit d'une étape importante dans la mise en place d'un modèle de distribution "agnostique" tel que l'attendaient les studios ", explique Curt Behlmer, directeur d'exploitation de Technicolor Digital Cinema.
Thomson fournit désormais un réseau de distribution numérique complet, aussi bien pour la distribution électronique que pour la distribution physique de films numériques vers les salles du monde entier. " Pour la diffusion numérique par satellite, nous ne sommes plus limités aux seules salles équipées de nos systèmes de projection numériques", se félicite Joe Hart, vice-président en charge des services de distribution numérique de Technicolor. " Notre réseau de distribution numérique parfaitement ouvert et donc neutre, combiné à notre réseau mondial déjà existant de distribution physique, nous permet de fournir n'importe quel film sur n'importe quel système, partout dans le monde et à tout moment. "
Diffusant actuellement des films numériques dans plus de 200 salles en Amérique du Nord et en Europe, le réseau de diffusion par satellite de Thomson devrait se développer parallèlement à l'expansion des systèmes de projection numériques.

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Newest Kinepolis Multiplex goes 3D with New Barco 2K Digital Cinema Projectors

"Barco, a pioneer in digital cinema, is proud to announce that its latest range of 2K digital cinema projectors has been installed in Kinepolis’s newest cinema multiplex at Oostende, Belgium. At the opening of the multiplex this weekend, Barco’s 2K digital cinema projectors and Dolby 3D technology will enable Kinepolis to create a radically new 3D cinema experience for its visitors.

Exactly one year after its opening of Kinepolis Brugge, Belgian’s number one cinema chain will open its newest multiplex in Oostende this weekend. The new multiplex is the chain’s 23rd in Europe and houses eight state-of-the-art cinemas with a total of 1,755 seats. Kinepolis Oostende incorporates many of the revolutionary concepts from its Brugge multiplex - including the “open foyer” concept, seat reservation and ticket control facilities. Kinepolis Oostende has been fitted with Barco’s latest range of digital cinema projectors, the DP-3000 and DP-1500, which were launched at ShoWest in March this year.

The new range of Barco digital projectors present cinema-goers not only with the highest quality digital cinema film experience but also with the opportunity to experience more alternative content in digital format, such as prestigious events, television series, live concerts and of course the recently launched XL Gaming experience (large-screen video games) for gamers. In addition to these digital experiences is Kinepolis’s most exciting new experience - digital 3D cinema. The digital 3D movie experience engages the audiences in something much richer and more compelling than they are used to seeing in the cinema. The events on-screen seem closer to real life. Kinepolis plans to equip each of its 23 complexes with one 3D auditorium.

The DP-3000 is Barco’s new flagship, and the brightest “large venue” digital cinema projector in the industry. Using Texas Instrument’s 1.2 inch DLP Cinema chip, the DP-3000 is designed for screens up to 30m (98’) wide. With a 2000:1 contrast ratio, new lenses, a new optical design and high efficiency 6.5kW lamps, the DP-3000 exemplifies Barco’s hallmark attributes of image quality, reliability and robustness. Because of its incredibly high light output, the DP-3000 is projector of choice for 3D digital cinema.

The DP-1500 is Barco’s new mid and small-venue projector, designed for screens up to 15m (49’) wide. Like its sister the DP-2000, the DP-15000 incorporates Texas Instrument’s new 0.98 inch DLP Cinema chip. This remarkable new 0.98 inch DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) offers the same pixel resolution (2048x1080) as its larger 1.2 inch counterpart, but its smaller size offers significant advantages. For the projector and the digital cinema facility itself, this new technology translates directly into a smaller, more compact package, lower power consumption, lower operating cost and longer lamp run-times — without sacrificing Barco’s renowned image quality, modularity or system flexibility."

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DTS Digital Cinema Debuts FilmStore CMS at Cinema Expo 2007

"DTS Digital Cinema introduced its FilmStore Content Management System at the recent Cinema Expo 2007.

The system is designed to provide a complete solution for management of digital content within a multiplex, and consists of three interrelated components: FilmStore Director content management software, FilmStore Central ingest and storage system, and the FilmStore Digital Cinema Player. Together they provide a powerful digital cinema management system, from the ingest of content through playout and presentation.

FilmStore Central is the core of the FilmStore Content Management System and the main repository from which content can be distributed as needed to multiple screens. The FilmStore Central stores features, trailers and advertising content and serves that content to individual players via high-speed network connections. FilmStore Central also serves as a redundant storage medium for each screen player in a multiplex as well as supporting extensive activity logging, performance reporting and system maintenance.

The FilmStore Digital Cinema Player will store up to three full-length 4K features or many 2K features plus trailers, advertising and other content. Designed for rugged operation in a 24/7 environment, the FilmStore player can be used as a standalone digital cinema player for a single screen, or in a multiplex configuration when used with FilmStore Central. It has been designed to fully support the DCI specification for 2K resolution JPEG2000 content, with optional capabilities for playback of 4K and HD-MPEG2.

FilmStore Director is the central control interface for the cinema. Designed for ease-of-use by exhibitors, FilmStore Director software is intuitive, allowing exhibitors to focus on managing their content rather than managing a computer system. It provides direct control of the FilmStore Central and can independently view or manage any player in the cinema, from virtually any location. With FilmStore Director’s drag-and-drop functionality, managers can easily create new shows, schedule and supervise receipt of content and keys, manage and monitor system security.

The FilmStore Content Management System is one of several innovations that form the DTS Theatre Management System, a comprehensive suite of products engineered to support the build-out and operation of a fully digital cinema environment. The FilmStore system has been demonstrated at Cinema Expo, with planned availability for delivery during Q3 2007."

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