EIKON Develops Smart Workflow with GDC’s SCL Centralized Playback Server Solution

EIKON selects GDC’s SCL Centralized Playback Server to streamline DCP ingest and streaming for Quality Control at its global facilities

Reduces DCP ingest time by 90 percent compared to EIKON’s Legacy Workflow

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA ( April 1, 2025 ) -

GDC Technology Limited (‘GDC’), a leading global provider of digital cinema solutions, announced today that EIKON has selected GDC’s SCL Centralized Playback Server solution to manage the ingest and streaming playback of Digital Cinema Packages (DCP) for Quality Control (QC) of content at its global facilities. The SCL Series Centralized Playback technology is part of GDC’s Cinema Automation CA2.0 and it allows real-time streaming of DCP content from a single central storage to as many as 30 screens in a multiplex. EIKON has applied this technology in its post-production environment to reduce ingest time and improve operational efficiency by automating its workflow. As part of their mastering process to create DCP content, all final packages are now simply downloaded onto the SCL Centralized Playback Server. This set up allows EIKON to play any DCP on any screen without needing to ingest the content to the local playback server for QC. Additionally, the SCL Centralized Playback Server enables just-in-time playback of last-minute updates to screen schedules. This solution ensures changes within the workflow happen in a very compressed timeframe but with no compromise on quality or delivery.

Key Benefits of the SCL Centralized Playback Server for EIKON

  • Ingest time reduced by 90 percent

    • The typical ingest time for a 250-gigabyte DCP in EIKON’s legacy system was around 43 minutes. With the SCL Centralized Playback Server, EIKON has reduced the ingest time to five minutes, achieving a 90 percent improvement across its 13 theatres which run 24 hours a day.

  • Improved total theatre capacity by 30 percent with increased quality checks

    • The reduced ingest time allows EIKON to operationally budget over 11 quality checks a day which has effectively increased the total theatre capacity by nearly 30 percent.

    Other benefits

  • Storage de-duplication – only ingest the content once, as opposed to legacy workflows which require taking up storage on each cinema server with exactly the same piece of content.
  • Scales seamlessly – add additional screens and live playback immediately.
  • Access SCL storage as a network share – direct access to manage content at a file system level.
  • Simplified verification – only need to verify the DCP once, as opposed to legacy workflows which require taking up verification compute time on each individual cinema server for the same content.

    • “GDC’s SCL technology plays a significant role as part of our smart workflow,” said Jonathan Gardner, CIO of EIKON. “The SCL Centralized Server generates efficiencies and scale like no other solution in today’s marketplace. It works perfectly within our bespoke workflow and environment creating additional capacity through smart thinking and design.”

    “GDC is proud to partner with EIKON. Typically, the SCL Centralized Playback Server is integrated with our Cinema Automation CA2.0 to streamline cinema operations and significantly reduce labor costs”, said Pranay Kumar, CTO of GDC Technology Limited. “Integrating SCL into EIKON’s smart workflow is a testament that the technology is robust enough to help EIKON guarantee time-sensitive projects are delivered with the quality and precision they are known for.”

    Mr. Gardner adds, “Our global management team is always investing time and money in developing better workflow systems to increase the desired and necessary speed to market of theatrical mastering and delivery for our studio partners. GDC’s SCL has been a game-changer, allowing EIKON to deliver tricky time-sensitive and wide releasing projects, including last-minute censor and editorial or even pull-forward release date changes.”

    About GDC Technology Limited
    GDC Technology Limited (‘GDC’) is a leading digital cinema solutions provider with its manufacturing facility certified with ISO 9001:2015 by SGS. GDC develops, manufactures, and sells cinema media server for both projector and LED cinema display, content storage system, cinema audio processors, cinema enterprise software including theatre management system and advanced cinema automation system for the global cinema industry. GDC is a licensee of the DTS Surround and DTS:X with IAB, the object-based immersive sound technology from DTS, Inc. for the development of its media servers and cinema audio processors. In addition, GDC also provides a suite of digital cinema products and services, including cinema projectors, LED cinema, 3D product, audio equipment, projector lamp, post-production service, and Electronic Delivery System (EDS).