GDC Technology Limited (‘GDC’), a leading global provider of digital cinema solutions, announced today that renowned German independent cinema chain Kinowelt will deploy the industry’s highest degree of cinema automation – Cinema Automation CA2.0 designed to fully automate the cinema operations for perfect presentation while significantly reducing the cost associated with booth operations. Kinowelt will also be utilizing Central Management Enterprise Software CMS-3000 – a comprehensive web-based solution to manage screenings across an entire cinema circuit from its headquarters.

Like many independent cinemas throughout Europe, Kinowelt has traditionally worked with a basic theatre management system (TMS) and library server, having to ingest content screen by screen – a laborious task when large amounts of content are played daily. Upgrading with GDC’s software solutions will see a rapid increase in efficiency and flexibility of content movement across sites and within screens in each location.

The upgrade strategy involves the replacement of legacy media servers with the GDC Standalone Integrated Media Block™ SR-1000 , along with the Centralized Playback Server Series SCL live-streaming library server, Quality Management System QMS-1000 and the Power Management Adapter PMA-2000. The initial deployment will be undertaken by leading German Integrator, Vandors GmbH, which will also provide ongoing technical services for the duration of the deployment. “We are delighted that Kinowelt recognizes that GDC technology will provide them with a reliable solution to improve their operations and lower operating costs. We are proud to be delivering these projects in partnership with GDC in Germany, working together to spread this cutting-edge technology in the region,” said René Wagner, director of Vandors.

“Kinowelt is committed to providing our guests with a cutting-edge entertainment experience, including a large choice of movies and content,” said Bianca Krippendorf, managing director at Kinowelt. “We rely on our vendor partners, such as GDC to provide innovative technologies to help deliver our vision. GDC’s CA2.0 and enterprise software were selected for its user-friendly user interface and GDC’s growing reputation for providing outstanding technical and customer services, along with the ease of operation and labor-savings.”

“The deployment of our technology will provide Kinowelt with industry-leading capabilities, solving operational issues with automation designed for today’s and tomorrow’s digital cinema operations. Independent cinemas make up a vast amount of the screens in Europe and at GDC, we believe that cinemas of all sizes should be able to benefit from the latest and most advanced technologies to streamline operations, save costs and deliver the best experience to their customers,” said Adam MacDonald, European sales manager, GDC Digital Cinema Technology Europe, SL.

CA2.0 incorporates the SCL Series Centralized Playback Server – an integrated centralized storage and playback system designed to streamline content management, and leverage machine intelligence to increase efficiency while dramatically reducing the need for human intervention.

SCL Series Centralized Playback Servers offer each auditorium access to a wide assortment of movies without the need for local storage attached to every media server. SCL Series servers are designed with scalability and reliability in mind. Their storage capacity can be customized based on the number of screens (from four to 30) and the number of movie titles (up to 2,000 movies) to be stored and streamed to any auditorium on demand.

With the storage capacity increased by more than 100 times when compared to the traditional local storage of a cinema media server, SCL Series servers are designed to meet exhibitors’ demand for an “online” content solution that enables them to maintain competitiveness in today’s market.

By integrating SCL Series servers with Cinema Automation CA2.0, manual operation and human intervention are significantly reduced.

In addition to automating the complex procedure of manually preparing or editing show playlists, CA2.0 incorporates other impressive advances, such as:

• CA2.0 intelligently manages equipment power supply and assures industry-standard screening quality automatically by smart testing and analysis

• SCL Series centralized servers can ingest DCP at USB3.0 maximum speed while live-streaming any content to any (or group of) media servers up to the size of a 30-plex cinema

CA2.0 fail-safe technology to ensure that every screening continues undisturbed in the highly unlikely event of a centralized server failure.

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 projector, media server for both projector and LED cinema display, content storage system, 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 object-based immersive sound technology from DTS, Inc. for the development of its media servers. In addition, GDC also provides a suite of digital cinema products and services, including LED cinema, 3D product, audio equipment, projector lamp, silver screen, post-production service, and Electronic Delivery System (EDS).

About Espedeo Holdings Limited

Founded in 2006, Espedeo Holdings Limited (‘Espedeo’), a GDC Technology company is a global digital cinema display equipment and solutions provider offering premium commercial and home cinema display solutions, cinema 3D system equipment, professional audio equipment and after-sales support service.

About Cinema Kinowelt Sylt

Kinowelt Sylt belongs to the group Weltkino / Zweitausendeins which holds a profound background in media and film distribution throughout Germany. Its headquarters is based in Leipzig where their largest cinema Passage Kino is located.

About Vandors

VANDORS is the leading full-service partner for digital cinema technology in Germany. The team behind VANDORS is well-established in the industry. It comprises experienced film, event, and broadcasting experts, dedicated to cinema’s long-term success. With its tailored and holistic technology solutions, VANDORS meets the specific needs of each of its cinema customers. From consulting to implementation and integration to service and operational reliability, VANDORS’s focus is on transparency in business and technology and open dialog. VANDORS’ goal is the delivery of reliable, easy-to-maintain, and well-structured systems with clear documentation. VANDORS rounds out its portfolio with in-depth training, customized maintenance plans, remote maintenance and diagnostics, financing solutions, and managed services. Founded in 2021, VANDORS GmbH is headquartered in Munich, Germany.

Trademarks

Standalone Integrated Media Block is a trademark of GDC Technology Limited. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.