Los Angeles—Sep 26, 2003
MPEG Interop Initiative Releases Digital Cinema Specification Document
The members
of the MPEG Interop Initiative, Avica Technology Corp. of Santa Monica,
California, EVS Digital Cinema of Belgium, and newest member GDC Technology
Private Ltd. based in Singapore, today announced the completion and publication
of their Digital Cinema Packaging Specification 1.04 that defines standards for
interoperable mastering, content delivery, security and theater playout. The
purpose of the MPEG Interop Initiative is to specify an industry-wide standard
for the exchange of MPEG encoded Digital Cinema content between the member
companies. The announcement, made in conjunction with the opening of ShowEast in
Orlando, Florida, signals a major step in providing customers with a competitive
range of product choices that are interchangeable within large distribution
networks.
The specification, developed with the participation of former interop member
Grass Valley Group, will be delivered to representatives of DCI and SMPTE DC28.
Copies may be obtained by contacting any of the MPEG Interop member companies.
"It is always a landmark event when established companies put aside their
competitive differences and come together in the interest of moving an entire
industry forward," says Don Bird, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for
Avica.
"Avica is pleased to be able to participate in this effort to establish
interoperable practices for distribution and exhibition of Digital Cinema
content."
Building on the Interop group's previous success in demonstrating
interchangeable compressed image and audio files, the MPEG Interop Packaging
Specification now establishes standards and guidelines for creation of a common
Digital Cinema Package (DCP) that will facilitate transport and playout of
compressed image data and multi-channel uncompressed audio. The DCP
specification includes support for interchangeable "reels" and playlists,
encryption and key management.
According to EVS' Jean-Francois Nivart, Product Manager for Digital Cinema, "Our
commitment to interoperability is critical in establishing confidence amongst
exhibitors, studios and delivery providers that Digital Cinema content can be
exchanged from network to network, providing a cost effective and efficient
method of encoding and delivering movies."
In addition to their efforts with interchangeable files and packaging, the MPEG
Interop Initiative member companies' products have all been upgraded to support
Texas Instruments' CineLinkTM security
management, which provides an encrypted link between servers and projectors, and
CineCanvasTM subtitling and watermarking
capabilities.
"GDC is passionate to contribute to the Digital Cinema development through the
MPEG Interop Initiative." says Dr. Man Nang Chong, CEO of GDC Technology Private
Limited, "We are firmly convinced that the new MPEG Interop specifications will
significantly speedup the process of delivering digital content in theaters
around the world and achieve rapid progress toward increased availability of
digital content."
All three companies plan to have their implementation of the specification
completed during Q4 of 2003. The result will be premiered in a series of public
and private demonstrations that will initially be scheduled to take place in the
Los Angeles area.
