Sophia Antipolis—Apr 11, 2005
Doremi Stars at Jules Vernes Festival
Doremi Technologies has provided support at the 2005 Jules Vernes Film Festival
6-11 April in Paris playing a crucial part in the digital screening of movies –
new and old. The application of the latest disc server and codec technologies
enshrined in the Doremi V1-HD server has now establish a new standard for high
quality digital cinema.
Doremi supplied replay facilities for showpiece presentations at the
high-profile Jules Vernes Film Festival. These used a single* V1-HD server with
its integral JPEG2000 codec to provide 3D replays displayed through two Barco
D-Cine Premiere DP100 projectors. The capacity 2,400 audience, including many
VIPs, watched the 18-metre screen at the Grand Rex cinema and were treated to a
3D viewing of James Cameron’s ‘Aliens of the Deep’. Further presentations using
the equipment included the recently digitally re-mastered version the 1954
classic ‘20,000 Lieux Sous Les Mers’ (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) as well as a
new 12-minute 3D animation movie ‘Les Monstres de l’Abysse’, directed by Pascal
Vuong with images created by Dominique Rigaud.
Comments from the highly qualified VIP guests, that included industry names from
film laboratories, the largest cinema networks, the advertising market and the
cream of the French 3D specialists, were positive. Steven Quale, Cameron’s
Co-Director, who joined the event to see his film’s first European replay prior
to the commercial release the next day in the IMAX network, said: “It was the
best 3D replay of our movie.” Luc Heripret of Cognacq Jay Images who acts as
technical expert for the Festival, remarked on the, “Unbelievable 3D depth”
achieved using 6:1 compression. With ‘Les Monstres de l’Abysse’, Rigaud’s
originally TIFF images were shown with a reported down-to-pixel sharpness.
Viewing just 3m from the giant screen no artefacts or aliasing were noticed –
despite using up to 30:1 compression. Heripret commented of the ‘20,000 Leagues’
showing that said that it was as good as the large formats he ran at Grand Rex
years ago. The look and colour were ‘purely film’.
Since showing the V1-HD replaying its JPEG2000-coded version of the American
Society of Cinematographers StEM footage at IBC, JPEG2000 has become widely
recognised as the best compression system for larger displays. Over the same
period, Doremi’s reputation as a supplier of D-cinema replay equipment has
continued to grow. Patrick Zucchetta Doremi Technologies’ Business Development
Manager says, “We are driving for the highest quality and at the best price. We
invested in JPEG2000 technology at a very early stage and now it’s paying off.
Our V1-HD server and codec, discs and all, is just 3U in size. After DCI
compliance, quality was our next goal, but it’s also way smaller and cheaper
than anything else out there. Now we are releasing our Nugget G3 Dolphin
JPEG2000 cinema player at NAB and that’s just 1U. I don’t think anybody dreamed
we would have so much available – the quality, the price and the size – so soon.
This is really going to play a big part in opening up the D-cinema market.”