If there was any debate over whether digital cinema would ever roll out in the European market one would hardly know after the past two weeks. Sure there have been lots of discussion at the European Cinema Summit and Cinema Expo about which European countries would be eligible for virtual print fees, which would have to go it on their own and wether the European Commission would offer any subsidies, but at the same time several theatre chains have been announcing their plans to deploy the new digital technology.
After yesterday’s announcement that Hungary’s Palace Cinemas had selected XDC for the conversion of 170 screens, Euroscoop, a chain with theatres in Belgium and The Netherlands, has also signed an agreement with the European integrator. Finance by their VPF agreement, XDC will install DCI-compliant digital cinema equipment on Euroscoop’s 61 screens starting in September and finishing before the end of the year.
Euroscoop will be using XDC’s CineStore Solo server and central library server, the CineStore Plaza. Each of the circuits six theatres will get XDC’s theatre management system and will be fully networked. Euroscoop has elected to go with Barco projectors. Read More »
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Just a few months after announcing the installation of 12 digital 3D screens, Palace Cinemas, a leading Central European exhibitor has selected XDC as the d-cinema integrator which will deploy digital cinema throughout all its 170 screens. Installations will be financed using XDC’s virtual print fees and will commence in the latter half of 2009.
Budapest based Palace is the largest theatre circuit in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Of course, XDC will rely on the CineStore server they manufacture in each installation. Every one of Palace’s 20 theatres will be networked and use the CineStore Plaza as their central storage server in conjunction with XDC’s TMS. No word on what projectors have been selected, though they are sure to be DCI-compliant.
In Amsterdam for Cinema Expo, V.J. Maury, Palace Cinemas Chief Executive Officer, seemed excited that digital cinema was finally rolling out at circuit-wide. Read More »
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As European digital cinema integrator XDC continues to negotiate potential virtual print fee (VPF) deals with Hollywood studios they are definitely signaling to the industry that they want to be prepared to move fast once such deals close. In a press release dated January 14, 2008, XDC announced that it was forming an official partnership with Film-Ton-Technik (FTT), the German based cinema services company. This seems to be a bit of an upgrade from their previous relationship labeled a “co-operation” by FTT.
XDC and FTT have been working with one another to install digital cinema equipment on 170 screens in Germany, Poland, Austria and The Netherlands. This represents just about half of XDC’s 350 installations.
What does this mean for XDC? Read More »
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Pan-European digital cinema integrator XDC has poached the Benelux head of pan-European cinema advertiser Screenvision to head up its virtual print fee effort as the company get a 7.5m euro cash injection. Serge Plasch is replacing Laurent Minguet as head and will go head to head with the likes of Arts Alliance Media in promoting digital cinema all over Europe. From the press release:
Serge Plasch (40), has been Managing Director of Screenvision Benelux since 2001 where he reinforced the leadership of that major advertising saleshouse for the Cinema Industry. Speaking fluently four languages, English, French, Dutch, German, he will contribute to strengthen XDC position in the large but fragmented European Cinema market. Enthusiast over this new opportunity, the new Managing Director & CEO says : “After years of talks and trials, large DC deployment is starting. All market players are convinced that Cinema will be digitized and that will improve the business model of the industry, for the good of the audience. XDC has proven its skills to operate DC screens through a full range of services and technologies. XDC is the first DC Content lab in Europe and it has built the largest early stage DC network exceeding 300 systems for leading cinema groups. I am also very pleased to work closely with a very motivated team and in particular with Bernard Collard.
Though tucked away at the bottom of the press release, but in many ways no less important, long-term consultant to XDC John Burchill Hughes has been appointed “special advisor to the Board of Directors and member of the management board for content related matters.”
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Popularity: 29% [?]
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