announcement now provides exhibitors in major parts of Asia with operational and financial resources needed to implement DCI-compliant 4K SXRD projection technology. SPRI and DCSS previously announced plans to work together in digital deployment in Europe and North America. DCSS has already entered into agreements with four other studios — Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International - for deployments in the United States and Canada. DCSS now has agreements with two major studios for Asia - Sony Pictures Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox. “The growth of digital cinema is a worldwide technological reality, so it makes sense that any
agreement covers the broadest reach possible. We’re extremely pleased to be working with SPRI on our expanded joint efforts,” said Sony Electronics’ Digital Cinema Solutions and Services Group senior vice president Mike Fidler. ”As we move toward an all-digital future, exhibitors are going to need the product, resources, and marketing support of companies like Sony Electronics and its Digital Cinema Solutions and Services group, in order to offer their customers the most compelling state-of-the-art cinema experience available today,” said Sony Pictures Releasing International Corporation president Mark Zucker.
MPAA Seeks More Energy The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) urged the law enforcement agencies across the global cinema geographies to step up their efforts to prevent video piracy and protect the intellectual property rights of the moviemaking community. MPAA Chairman and CEO Dan Glickman, appearing at a recent media conference with the co-chairs of the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus (IAPC), noted that dealing with escalating IP theft is far more important during the current difficult economic times as the creative industries generate millions of jobs each year, as many as 2.5 million jobs coming from motion picture industry alone. ”During tough economic times it becomes even clearer how important it is to protect those industries that are truly creating jobs and generating revenue,” Glickman said. “I appreciate the efforts of IAPC …as they recognize that our future place in the world will be determined less by the sweat of our brows and more by the value created with our minds – and that value is worth protecting.”
The IAPC members released the Caucus’ 2009 Priority Watch List which highlights five countries where piracy has reached alarming levels. This year the group identified Canada, China, Mexico, Russia and Spain. Canada has appeared on the IAPC Priority Watch List for several years and last month was elevated to the United States Trade Representative’s Special 301 Report’s Priority Watch List, as well. The MPAA chief felt it was important to draw attention to the fact that Canada is lagging behind other organizations for economic co-operation and development. He also pointed to Spain, where Internet piracy continues to go unchecked, harming not only to US creators but also to Spanish artists. ”The US motion picture industry is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to deliver creative content to consumers, particularly over the Internet. It is extremely important that US trading partners have effective legislative frameworks for protecting creative content online and that they enforce IP rights in the digital environment,” Glickman said.
Dolby, Arquiva Join for New E-Delivery Network Dolby Laboratories, Inc. launched Dolby Direct Distribution Services- a pan-European satellite content delivery network for digital cinemas. The service is provided in association with leading digital network solutions provider Arqiva and uses their international satellite infrastructure to distribute feature movies, trailers, and advertising content direct to their participating exhibitors and cinemas throughout Europe. Dolby Direct Distribution Services will simplify the cinema distribution process, eliminating physical delivery and manual upload of digital content onto individual cinema servers. The new services, coupled with Dolby’s world class JPEG 2000 compression and two-pass encoding system, delivers Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) efficiently without compromising quality. The incredibly low file sizes offered by Dolby DCPs are a key element in the efficient use of satellite as a highly effective delivery platform. “Dolby is committed to utilizing the most effective methods to deliver cinema content. Our new service using Arqiva’s satellite delivery network offers very exciting TW-12
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opportunities in that area,” said Richard Welsh, digital cinema services manager, Dolby Laboratories. “Arqiva’s extensive experience in delivering live content via satellite to cinemas, coupled with their core satellite expertise and international infrastructure, makes them an excellent technology partner for this innovative service.” Arqiva operates at the heart of the broadcast and mobile communications industry and is at the forefront of digital network solutions and services. The company provides much of the infrastructure behind television, radio, and wireless communications in the UK and has a growing presence in Ireland, mainland Europe, and the United States. “We see electronic content distribution as the future of cinema and satellite is the most efficient means of delivering content to multiple sites across countries and continents,” said Barrie Woolston, Commercial Director of Arqiva’s satellite and media division. “We are delighted to have entered into this partnership with Dolby which we believe represents an important advance for digital cinema.”