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Studios Look into Digital Distribution

Posted on: Monday, 5 March 2007, 12:00 CST

Two Hollywood studios will join with a spinoff of several theater chains to investigate delivery techniques for digital cinema files to theaters.

Universal and Warner Brothers are the only distribution partners involved initially with Digital Cinema Implementation Partners in the effort to solve the delivery question, Hollywood Reporter said Monday. Other studios expressed interest, but said they didn't want to be involved because of antitrust concerns.

Currently, individual prints of each movie are shipped to theaters. The joint venture will look at all new digital methods of direct delivery, including satellite and broadband, that will streamline distribution and eliminate potential security breaches that can lead to piracy.

All three partners said they want their findings available to all possible users, including other exhibition chains and service vendors.

Scale is what's going to drive down the costs when it comes to electronic delivery, DCIP CEO Travis Reid said. Our goal is very simple: to create something efficient in the cheapest possible way.

DCIP, a spinoff of Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Entertainment and Cinemark's National Cinemedia subsidiary, is putting together its own conversion to digital cinema.

Source: United Press International

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