Who said recessions can’t be good for something? After spending the last two years lugging countless 4K projectors around the world to show them off to exhibitors Sony now finds itself with an inventory of B-stock units they would like to unload. Last week the manufacturer sent out an email to industry executives and equipment vendors announcing a a 50% off promotion on its SXRD 4K projectors. According to the email all of the units that are up for grabs are completely refurbished and carry the same warranty and service options available on A-stock units.
So if you find yourself with a spare USD $34,000 and have a movie theatre you have always wanted to convert to digital, you can pick up Sony’s low-end SRX-R105. The top of the line model, the SRX-S110 projects 10,000 lumen and is going for a mere USD $51,000. Heck at those prices you may as well pick one up for your home so you can enjoy the upcoming Academy Awards telecast in all its 4K glory!
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As if the recent quarterly earnings reports from Warner Bros, Walt Disney and News Corp were not proof enough that the entertainment industry is far from recession proof, news is out that Dolby Laboratories will be closing down its UK manufacturing operation. Some 60 people will lose their jobs from the shuttering of their UK manufacturing base. From BBC news website:
The company, which provides products for the cinema industry, is closing the manufacturing arm of its UK operation in Wootton Bassett in April.
It blamed “changing market conditions” for its decision to close the site which employs 170 people.
Dolby says other business activities at the site will be not be affected.
This is a bitter blow for a company that started in the UK and whose British operation still sees itself as the carrier of founder Ray Dolby’s torch, even when the man himself moved back to the UK and most of the company’s activities is out of San Francisco these days. But it would not be true Brit grit if they did not put a brave face on the decision and declared in their recent earning’s statement: “Having concluded a comprehensive consultation process with our UK employees, the proposal to close our UK manufacturing operation at Wootton Bassett and consolidate manufacturing operations at a single facility has been accepted.”
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Popularity: 44% [?]
Mentioned in passing in the Hollywood Reporter’s round-up of Day 1 of CineAsia, the big news appears to have been the Chinese digital cinema network powered by Barco (projectors) and GDC (servers) from 7,00 to 2,000. In a questionably headlined article (‘CineAsia hosts digital revolution‘ – what, no ‘CineAsia – Digital Great Leap Forward’ or ‘Death to Counter-revolutionary 35mm prints!’??) the most interesting piece of news is buried down in the sixth paragraph:
Later, China Film Digital Cinema Circuit Co. said it has extended a deal with Barco and Singapore-based GDC Technology to bring more digital screens to China. Beijing-based China Film Digital has already installed 400 of a planned 700-screen rollout, but it said it will raise the total number of digital screens to about 2,000, CineAsia founder Bob Sunshine said.
Earlier in the article the focus was that having shot themselves in the foot by moving the trade show from Bangkok to Beijing, CineAsia has re-discovered its mojo since the Sunshines moved it to Asian gambling capital Macau. GDC had been trumpeting 1,000 DSR servers installed world-wide, though the inclusion of territories like India, Germany and the Netherlands means that they must be counting e-cinema servers as well for the likes of Mukta-Adlabs (currently disused) and CinemaNet Europe (definitely not DCI compliant). Also that day Dolby showed of their digital 3D solution and 20th Century Fox no doubt beat the digital cinema drum loud and clear.
On Wednesday the talk will be about real estate, concessions, and more digital 3D with a no-surprise appearance of Jeffrey Katzenberg of Dreamworks Animation. Mr Katzenberg is a big believer in the potential of digital 3D and will leave no corner of the Earth un-traveled to in order for that gospel to be spread.
Popularity: 24% [?]
Much to no-one’s surprise, French cinema chain CGR will use Doremi servers for their digital cinema deployment with Arts Alliance Media (AAM). This has less to do with both companies being French (though it doesn’t exactly hurt) than with AAM’s new found love for Doremi after the costly tech divorce from QuVis. More details on the technology providers and plans from the press release:
CGR Cinémas chose Doremi’s DCP-2000 server out of the brands evaluated and selected by AAM. Christie Digital has been chosen to provide digital cinema projectors and French cinema integration and services company Cine Digital Service will provide local installation and support services.
Two hundred screens are scheduled to be completed during the first year of the rollout that is set to begin in the first quarter of 2008. Eight screens will be equipped in December this year, in time for 3D digital cinema screenings during the Christmas holidays. In addition to the players, Doremi Cinema will also provide the Theater Management System (TMS) and the gateway integration with CGR Cinémas POS/Ticketing system developped [sic] by Monnaie Services. The Smartjog secured media delivery network will also be interfaced with the DCP2000 & TMS.
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Popularity: 23% [?]
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