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.
