Reinforcing its global leadership in digital cinema, Thomson announced that its Technicolor Digital Cinema business, part of the Services division of Thomson, has selected the STARUS line of digital cinema projectors from the Digital Cinema Division of NEC Solutions (America), Inc. to include in its upcoming beta test of end-to-end digital cinema services. Technicolor and NEC Solutions America have formed a strategic alliance to support and promote this initiative.
The digital cinema beta test is an important component of the Technicolor Digital Cinema plan to ensure reliability and adherence to Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) standards prior to a nationwide rollout. The beta test, in up to 200 theatres in North America, will test up to three different projector and server configurations and is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2006.
The strategic alliance between Technicolor and NEC was formed to establish a clear spirit of collaboration among both companies. Removing obstacles in the working relationship will accelerate the development of best-in-class digital cinema technologies, and the ultimate adoption of efficient and reliable digital cinema solutions in theatres.
"We are pleased to have selected the NEC STARUS projector as part of our upcoming beta test of digital cinema services in North America," said Curt Behlmer, senior vice president of Operations for Technicolor Digital Cinema. "The NEC projector met our stringent requirements for performance, reliability and functionality and should provide consumers with a satisfying and dynamic cinema experience."
"NEC is committed to delivering the latest in digital cinema solutions to our clients," said Kurt Schwenk, general manager, Digital Cinema Division of NEC Solutions America. "NEC's strategic alliance with Technicolor is an example of industry expertise working together to advance the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies."
NEC's complete family of STARUS Digital Cinema projectors, announced today, includes the STARUS NC2500S for large screen multiplexes; the STARUS NC1500C for medium-sized movie screens; and the STARUS NC800C for small theatres, screening rooms, and post-production facilities. Submitted for the Technicolor beta test, the STARUS NC2500S is the world's brightest DLP Cinema ® projector for large-sized screens 49 feet wide and larger[1]. NEC's STARUS Digital Cinema projectors deliver amplified brightness, sharper graphics and eye-catching color, using DLP Cinema technology from Texas Instruments ®. Delivering 2K resolution and high contrast images (2000:1), the STARUS NC2500S Digital Cinema projector is easy to operate and requires minimal maintenance.
NEC's STARUS projector was selected after a rigorous evaluation at the Technicolor Digital Cinema Test Center. To ensure the integrity and transparency of its research methodology, Technicolor Digital Cinema first actively solicited the participation of major hardware developers via an open request for information (RFI) process, followed by the issuance of formal requests for proposals (RFP) based on OEM interest and the scope of equipment details provided to the company. Technicolor Digital Cinema then accepted projectors and servers into its facility for evaluation based on the quality of RFP submissions, and the willingness of manufacturer representatives to work closely with staff engineers on test implementations and their corresponding findings.
During equipment evaluation and analysis, Technicolor Digital Cinema engineers examined both server and projector abilities to efficiently handle such core digital cinema operations as subtitle display, simultaneous playout and movement, inter-server movement, automation, 2K and 4K interoperability, alternative content playback, remote management, 3-D capabilities, and on-screen advertising integration. Furthermore, the company also tested each unit's ease of distribution and back-of-house systems integration, since projectors and servers are required by the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) specification to work seamlessly with each other, and with different distribution and theatre management systems.
Technicolor Digital Cinema, following the successful completion of the beta test, plans an initial deployment of complete digital projection systems in up to 5,000 DCI-compliant screens over the next 3-4 years. It is the strategic intent of the company to introduce systems into at least 15,000 digitally-equipped screens in the United States and Canada over the next 10 years through the preliminary rollout and additional phases. The company recently reached an understanding with Century Theatres, Inc. which calls for the theatre chain to participate in the beta test, with the expectation that Century will then participate in the broader rollout.
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