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Monthly Archives: June 2008

Sony’s new 4K can now do 3D

Posted by Patrick von Sychowski | June 26, 2008 1:25 am


Sony appears to have overcome one of the biggest drawbacks of its SXRD projector - the inability to do stereoscopics without resorting to two stacked projectors. The new wonder was unveiled at Cinema Expo. From THR.com:

Sony has unveiled a 4K digital projector with easy adaptability to 3-D projection. Previously, two of the pricey projectors were necessary to rig an auditorium for 4K 3-D, preventing the wide use of the high-resolution systems for 3-D exhibition.

Once considered the next-generation technology for digital cinema, Sony’s 4K systems have been struggling to overcome cost and manufacturing woes, and more conventional 2K d-cinema systems have remained the prevalent hardware in the marketplace. So Sony executives — hoping soon to remedy the additional 3-D headache — are demonstrating prototypes of the new 4K projectors with the aim of bringing the hardware to market by Christmas.

“It’s from the customer that you get the best feedback,” said Tore Mortensen, a Sony business manager now working with theater operators in Norway to test 3-D 4K projectors in four multiplexes.

Elsewhere at the confab Wednesday, Arts Alliance Media announced a 3-D addition to its alternative-programming offerings for d-cinema.

Interesting to see Tore being quoted, but then it is in Norway where the 4K SXRD has had the largest European installed base to date thanks to the NORDIC Project. [Full disclosure, I have worked in the past to assist the NORDIC project, which looks on course to help make Norway the first country to switch all of its cinemas to digital.]

Popularity: 37% [?]

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AccessIT To Beam Live 3-D Events To Theatres

Posted by J. Sperling Reich | June 5, 2008 10:19 pm


AccessITHaving announced their CineLive offering at ShowEast in October of 2007, and with the success of the live 3-D broadcast of a Dallas Maverick’s basketball game, AccessIt announced on Monday that it would be beaming live events in 3-D to 150 cinemas throughout the United States. The offering will commence immediately in 50 theatres equipped with 3-D digital cinema technology and is expected to grow to the full 150 sites by the end of 2008. The Bigger Picture, AccessIT’s alternative content subsidiary, will handle the distribution of the live events.

In the press release announcing the program, Bud Mayo, the chairman and CEO of AccessIT, stated:

“By deploying these systems now, we hope to encourage more live 3-D programs to accompany our proven 2-D live broadcasts. The expansion of pre-recorded 3-D content has broadened the addressable market considerably during the past year and we are committed to providing more choices for theatre owners and content providers alike.”

CineLive is a joint venture between AcessIT, International Datacasting Corporation and Sensio Technologies Inc. AccessIT will install CineLive in the top 100 markets in the U.S. and use its proprietary satellite network to transmit the live events to digital cinema systems it has installed at customer’s theatres. Presently, AccessIT has deployed such equipment on over 3,700 screens throughout the country in its first phase and plans on entering its second phase of installations on more than 10,000 screens later this year.

With the right promotion and marketing, the concept could prove to be a winner in attracting patrons to exhibitor’s theatres on days in which attendance would otherwise be relatively low. After all, during the NBA playoffs and the recent Stanley Cup Finals sports fans ventured to arenas and stadiums to watch their teams compete in away games on jumbo screens. With a quality 3-D broadcast, exhibitors could easily woo such fans into venues that are potentially closer to their homes. Concerts for some of the hottest musical acts should also be an easy sell, what with good concert tickets being nearly impossible to obtain, not to mention prohibitively expensive.

Now all exhibitors have to do is get a liquor license so they can serve beer, and potentially spring for a few security guards to keep any rowdy fans in line after they’ve downed a few pints.

Popularity: 31% [?]

Posted in Alternative Content, Digital 3D
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India takes luxury cinema concept further

Posted by Patrick von Sychowski | June 4, 2008 3:05 am


Do you balk at the prospect of paying $25/£12/€19/Rs 1,000 for a cinema ticket? Then the future of India’s premium cinema market is not one for you. Right now there is a race between the major cinema chains in India to see who can the offer the most luxurious cinema experience to the audience segment with enormous price elasticity. From liveMINT/WSJ.com:

Adlabs Cinemas, an arm of the Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group’s Adlabs Films Ltd, is raising the stakes in the battle for cinema goers’ wallets by launching a chain of stand-alone luxury lounges centred around film.

The cinema chain will open up to a dozen independent 6,000-10,000 sq. ft lounges over the next year, loosely based around the concept of its existing “ebony lounge” format that offers audiences reclining leather chairs and waiter service.

“Cinemas are our iconic statements,” says Tushar Dhingra, chief operating officer of Adlabs Cinemas. “We want to set a world benchmark for the cinematic experience. What we create has the potential to set a trend.”

“It is no-holds-barred. Anything can be done. The premium and mass markets in India are the sweet spot. They are largely unpenetrated, and we are well positioned to move in,” he added.

Adlabs Cinemas is far from alone and will be battling it out with the likes of Fame and PVR, though the latter has reservations about the prospects for the market:

Ajay Bijli, managing director of PVR Cinemas Ltd, says that although the top segment does represent an opportunity, the mass market will continue to provide the bulk of the company’s revenues. “I don’t think that stand-alone gold classes would work,” says Bijli. “It is just a way of catering to more than one audience. But, out of a cinema hall of 500 seats, only up to 40 seats would be gold class.”

I for one love the Adlabs Ebony Lounges, though sadly there are none where I live in Mumbai (yet!) and the Cinemax equivalent is just not as, well, luxurious. However, I find that the typical multiplex hall is as good if not better than what I was used to back in London.

If only it wasn’t for the dim projector. As you might have guessed, my local multiplex is not digital.

Popularity: 22% [?]

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