Cinema Technology Mar. 27, 2023
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Arts Alliance Media (AAM) is the global leader in digital cinema software and services, offering a wide range of solutions which help exhibitors to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve the cinematic experience for their customers.

AAM’s extensive portfolio, including Producer, Screenwriter, Lifeguard, MX4D, and HeyLED, touches over 42,000 screens worldwide, while their network operations centre (NOC) supports several thousand screens.
 
AAM is part of the Luxin-Rio Group, the world’s foremost cinema technologies provider.




QSC is the global leader in cinema signal processing, power amplifiers, and loudspeakers for all applications within today's modern cinema entertainment center. Our “SystemSynergy” design approach ensures that the entire system, from source to sound, delivers an audio experience as intended by the filmmakers. Beyond cinema audio for the movies, QSC also provides complete audio systems with network control and monitoring for other areas in the cinema entertainment complex, such as lobbies, concession, food service, arcades, and bowling centers.



Strong Cinema, a segment of Ballantyne Strong, Inc., consists of:

Strong Technical Services, that offers a comprehensive suite of cinema-focused services, including installation, maintenance, and technical support, to exhibitors throughout the United States.

Strong MDI, one of the world's leading cinema screen manufacturers that produces and sells specialty screens, screen support structures, and other film exhibition equipment for customers globally.  





USHIO manufactures the highest-quality digital cinema projection bulbs available. USHIO xenon short-arc lamps boast a spectrum that is closer to natural sunlight than that of any other artificial light source. In addition to commercializing products for search and spot lights, which demand precise, powerful white beam lamps, USHIO became the first in the world to develop a xenon short-arc lamp exclusively for large scale, theater-use movie projectors.



welcome to Cinionic
welcome to wow

These days, it’s no longer just about technology, it’s about experiences – WOW experiences. We are a team of cinema and technology experts from around the globe – Barco, ALPD, and CGS – who help you in creating surprising experiences.  We combine innovative cinema technologies with our unique and comprehensive service models to guarantee your peace of mind. So you can focus on new ways to surprise and delight your customers for years to come. Together, we engage to deliver a world-class cinema experience - the one you’ve been waiting for.





GDC Technology is a leading manufacturer and provider of cinema equipment and solutions including cinema automation systems, cinema servers, cinema enterprise software, cinema storage, cinema audio solutions, and cinema projectors that meet the highly demanding performance, security and reliability requirements established by motion picture studios.





Christie is a leader in visual solutions for world-class organizations, offering diverse applications for business, entertainment, and industry. A leading innovator in film projection since 1929 and a pioneer in projection systems since 1979, Christie has established a global reputation as a total service provider and the world's single source manufacturer of a variety of display technologies and solutions. Christie offers comprehensive solutions for cinema, large audience venues, control rooms, business presentations, training facilities, 3D and Virtual Reality, simulation and education as well as industrial and government environments.



SHARP NEC Display Solutions’ Digital Cinema Projector Series offers the most comprehensive digital cinema solution on the market today. These 3D-capable models enable theaters to deliver stunning digital images regardless of screen size, while simplifying theater management and reducing costs. All of SHARP NEC's digital cinema projectors meet DCI specifications for performance and reliability, meeting the requirements of today’s cinema industry. SHARP NEC also offers full digital signage solutions, highlighted by its award-winning 32”-98” LCD displays, multimedia projectors and desktop monitors for lobbies, concessions and concourses.

Industry Partners



For more than a century, the people of SMPTE (pronounced “simp-tee”) have sorted out the details of many significant advances in media and entertainment technology, from the introduction of “talkies” and color television to HD and UHD (4K, 8K) TV. Since its founding in 1916, SMPTE has received an Oscar® and multiple Emmy® Awards for its work in advancing moving-imagery engineering across the industry. 



The International Cinema Technology Association is a global network of professionals in the motion picture industry. Members of the ICTA are those companies that manufacture, service and create the equipment that goes into movie theatres. Our members are on the cutting edge of new technologies and have been the driving force in digital, 3D, immersive sound systems, high frame rates and lasers. The ICTA promotes technological advancements in the motion picture industry through educational seminars and programs. The ICTA logo stands for excellence and professionalism and when on a member’s letterhead signifies that the company is reliable, competent and committed.



The Union Internationale des Cinémas/International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) represents the interests of cinema trade associations and cinema operators covering 37 countries in Europe and neighboring regions.​ ​





The Inter-Society for the Enhancement of Cinema Presentation, Inc. promotes interactive dialogue and information exchange between cinema-related entities with the goal of resolving issues affecting the overall cinema presentation. Founded in 1978 by Eastman Kodak VP Ken Mason, membership is composed of its four charter trade organizations - International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) - along with over 40 member companies, made up of trade organizations, motion picture studios, exhibition companies, manufacturers, technical consultants, and other industry stakeholders.
 




The EDCF is a not-for-profit voluntary organisation that aims to act as a "Forum" to discuss key issues surrounding Digital Cinema in Europe. The purpose of EDCF is to provide a basis of common understanding across all European territories of the business and technical matters of digital cinema. 

Shows & Events



CinemaCon 2023 has been scheduled for 24-27 April 2023 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.  Check the links below for the latest information. 




CineEurope 2022, has been scheduled for June 20-23, 2022 in Barcelona.  CineEurope promises to bring you another year with the very best in exclusive studio screenings and product presentations, cinematic technologies and innovations and educational seminars to keep your business on top of industry trends.



ShowEast 2022 scheduled to be held in Miami from Oct 17-20, 2022 at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, features a range of exclusive product presentations and screenings from both Independent and Major Hollywood studios to help you make important programming decisions for the 4th quarter box office.  Powerhouse seminars offer valuable insight from top executives on the latest industry trends and concerns; while our EXPO experience offers delegates a glance at the latest and best technologies, entertainment, services, comforts, and conveniences to make their theatres must-attend destinations.  ShowEast’s International program draws a large contingency of Latin and South American delegates – more than any other convention of its kind. A one and a half day program dedicated to the latest content and concerns and within this rising region.



CineAsia 2022 has been scheduled for Dec 5-8, 2022 in Bangkok.  Check links for more information.  The CineAsia trade show is where cinema exhibition and distribution professional come to do business and network. The convention will also feature product presentations and screenings of major upcoming films, exclusive sponsored events, and seminars relating to current and future trends happening across the industry.  Additional information on CineAsia can be found at www.cineasia.com.


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El Segundo, Calif.—Jun 8, 2012

How Technology is Changing the Movie Theater Business

Little Hobbits seem to have a big impact—not only in the mythology of Middle Earth, but in the real world, where the release of the much-anticipated film “The Hobbit” is expected to bring major changes to the movie theater business, potentially requiring new investments in digital projection technology in order to support the film’s higher frame rates.

The frame rate issue is just one of several challenges for the global movie theater business presented by the ascendance of digital cinema technology, according to an IHS Screen Digest Cinema Intelligence Service report from information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS).

Digital cinema is rapidly replacing 35mm and made up the majority format on global screens for the first time last year. The number of digital cinema screens in 2011 reached 63,825, equivalent to 51.5 percent of global screens. Growth was hefty, with last year’s overall numbers up 82 percent from 35,070 screens in 2010.

The rate of digital expansion last year ranged from 92 percent in the Asia-Pacific territory to approximately 66 percent in the Middle East-Africa market, as shown in the figure below.

“As a result of the shift to digital cinema, many changes are rapidly sweeping across the industry, presenting new challenges and opportunities in the exhibition and distribution of movies,” said David Hancock, senior principal analyst for cinema at IHS. “With digital cinema leading the market, the full effects of this disruptive technology now are being felt across the board by film exhibitors, distributors and a range of affiliated industries. The most pressing technology issue is higher frame rates—now a matter of concern due to the December 2012 release of ‘The Hobbit’ by director Peter Jackson.”

Cinemas will require an upgrade to the projector to be able to play the film—which was shot at 48 frames per second instead of the conventional 24 frames. About 50,000 screens equipped with Series 2 and Sony projectors potentially will be able to show the movie, but time and money will still be required for the upgrade. Another leading director, James Cameron, is in the process of producing follow-ups to “Avatar” at the even higher rate of 60 frames per second.
 
Laser focus
A second looming technology issue is laser illumination, which will move ahead initially through the retrofitting of existing lamphouses, and then move onto laser-illuminated projectors in the longer term.

The established digital cinema projection companies and a private company, Laser Light Engines, is driving interest in this area, which could significantly reduce the projector’s cost of ownership as well as providing the extra light sometimes needed for good quality 3D presentation.

Cinema sound is also back on the agenda, shifting from channel-based sound systems such as 5.1 and 7.1 into so-called immersive sound—effectively object-based soundtracks that can be mixed more flexibly. Dolby, Barco, Immsound, Iosono and Illusonic 3D are the five major actors in this market, and the key as to which entities win out will be determined by the partnerships that are formed by the players, as well as by acceptance of the new system by content mixers and original creators.

On the business side, the major improvements in the past year included full conversion to digital cinema for the larger exhibitors, along with a spread of the funding group mechanism to help otherwise struggling exhibitors achieve conversion. For the latter, groups are in place or in advanced negotiations in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, the Philippines, Brazil and Denmark—on top of the larger exhibitor groupings also working for this purpose in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and South Korea.
 
The end of 35mm
Along with the shift in film format, the increasing use of digital cinema equipment has resulted in plunging demand for 35mm prints. At its peak, film distribution used approximately 13 billion feet of film a year—equivalent to a trip to the moon and back five times. That amount began to decline sharply in 2010, and the industry this year will use closer to 4 or 5 billion feet for distribution purposes.

Also contributing to declining demand for 35mm prints is the rising cost of silver, a key material for film processing. The price of silver has climbed from a stable $5 an ounce for almost two decades to around $25 an ounce in 2012, even hitting a high of $50 at one point.

Such developments involving the change in film format are having an impact across the entire value chain including film distributors; film stock suppliers such as Kodak, Fuji and Agfa; and film processing entities such as Deluxe, Technicolor and other film labs. Already, mainstream use of 35mm is projected to cease in the United States and other major markets by the end of next year, with global cutoff likely to happen by the end of 2015.

For many players in the digital cinema space, the focus at present is turning to the second phase of digital cinema conversion: distribution. The industry assumption for the medium to long term is based on satellite delivery of content, but competition may emerge from terrestrial networks, especially as the cost of higher-speed broadband networks decreases over time.


About IHS Screen Digest: Screen Digest is the pre-eminent firm of industry analysts covering global media markets including film, television, broadband media, mobile media, cinema, home entertainment, gaming, and advertising. In November 2010, Screen Digest Limited was acquired by US research company iSuppli Corporation who were subsequently acquired by IHS, one of the biggest providers of market research and insight globally. Together IHS Screen Digest and IHS iSuppli offer the most complete and insightful analysis of the global technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector. IHS Screen Digest Directory page

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