Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS), through its Technicolor Digital Cinema business, announced today it will install digital cinema projection systems with Milwaukee, Wis.-based Marcus Theatres® at the Cinema At The Renaissance 13-plex in Sturtevant, Wisconsin.
The Technicolor projection systems will deliver razor-sharp images and pure uncompressed digital sound to moviegoers, and will enable a new range of programming opportunities such as live concerts, sporting events, and 3-D. Additionally, the systems will be fully integrated with the current digital advertising system, allowing for seamless pre-show presentation in 2K resolution.
Marcus Theatres, a division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS), is the seventh largest motion picture exhibitor in the United States and operates 595 screens at 49 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, North Dakota and Iowa.
“Marcus Theatres has been an industry leader for over 70 years,” said Curt Behlmer, executive vice president of Technicolor Theatrical Services and COO of Technicolor Digital Cinema. “We look forward to working with them in their ongoing pursuit of providing their customers with the highest quality motion picture presentation available.”
“Marcus Theatres is pleased to partner with an outstanding company such as Technicolor to test Digital Cinema in Milwaukee. Now our guests will be able to experience a wide variety of entertainment options – everything from 3D presentations, unique alternative content and the greatest Hollywood hits – all presented in digital cinema’s outstanding sound and image quality,” said Bruce J. Olson, president of Marcus Theatres.
Each theatre installation will feature Technicolor’s fully integrated networked systems, which includes a satellite system for content delivery and the Technicolor Theatre Management System (TMS). The Technicolor TMS is a software solution that enables exhibitors to control theatre automation and manage all content such as trailers, advertisements, and features with simple drag-and-drop technology. The digital cinema systems will be supported by Technicolor’s maintenance services with 24/7 remote monitoring to ensure system health.
The Marcus installations are part of Thomson’s previously announced North American digital cinema beta test. Technicolor Digital Cinema has installed digital cinema systems with several prominent exhibitors in North America and Europe including ArcLight Cinema Company, Cinemaworld, Clearview Cinemas, iPic Entertainment, Mann Theatres, National Amusements, Wehrenberg Theatres, Zyacorp’s Cinemagic Stadium Theatres, and Kinepolis Group in Belgium.
All hardware and software placed in each site will conform to industry-standard specifications published by Digital Cinema Initiatives LLC (DCI). Furthermore, the Technicolor Digital Cinema plan is technology agnostic, enabling both exhibitors and studios to benefit from the best available technology.
As previously announced, Thomson has signed digital cinema equipment usage agreements with DreamWorks SKG, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. to facilitate the roll-out of up to 5,000 digital projection systems in North America. Under the separate, long-term accords which began in late 2006, each of these studios has agreed to distribute content digitally throughout the United States and Canada and pay a virtual print fee to Thomson for screens equipped with Technicolor Digital Cinema systems.
