Digital cinema

Digital cinema refers to the use of digital technology to distribute and project motion pictures. The final movie can be distributed via hard drives, DVDs or satellite and projected using a digital projector instead of a conventional film projector. Digital cinema is distinct from standard video and high-definition video. In particular, it is not dependent on using television or HDTV standards, aspect ratios, or frame rates. Digital projectors capable of 2K resolution began deploying in 2005, and in 2006, the pace has accelerated. HDTV and pre-recorded HD disks will put great pressure on theaters to offer something better to compete with the improved home HD experience.

Alternative meaning: "Digital Cinema" is sometimes also used for the meaning of any digital technology applied to making motion pictures. The usage is only sometimes clear from the context of the discussion, and is an overly broad usage.

Technology

To match or improve the theater experience of movie audiences, a digital cinema system must provide high quality image, sound, subtitles, and captions. Theater managers require server controls for managing and displaying content in multiple theaters, and studios want their content encrypted with secure delivery, playback, and reporting of play times to the distribution company.

In this article, 2K and 4K refer to images with 2048 and 4096 horizontal pixel resolution, respectively.

The Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), working in conjunction with members of the SMPTE standards committee, has published a system specification for digital cinema that was agreed upon by the major studios. A draft of this specificaton can be found at dcimovies.com (PDF file). Briefly, the specification calls for picture encoding using the ISO/IEC 15444-1 "JPEG2000" (.jp2) standard and use of the CIE XYZ color space at 12 bits per component encoded with a 1/2.6 gamma, and audio using the "Broadcast Wave" (.wav) format at 24 bits and 48 kHz or 96 kHz sampling, controlled by an XML-format Composition Playlist, into an MXF-compliant file at a maximum data rate of 250 Mbit/s. Details about encryption, key management, and logging are all discussed in the specification.

Digital capture

Further information: digital cinematography

Digital post-production

Film is scanned from camera-original film negatives into a digital format, typically Cineon-format or SMPTE DPX files, on a scanner or high-resolution telecine. Data from digital motion picture cameras may be converted to a convenient image file format for work in a facility. All of the files are 'conformed' to match an edit list created by the film editor, and are then color corrected under the direction of the film's staff. The end result of post-production is a digital intermediate (DI). This D.I. may be used to record the motion picture to film, or as the basis for the digital cinema release. As of 2005, the digital intermediate route of scanning the entire film, (not just effects sequences) and then recording back to a film internegative is becoming the dominant method for finishing a film. It may shortly become the standard route for even low to medium budget features, and features that originate on Super 16 mm film.

Digital mastering

When all of the sound, picture, and data elements of a production have been completed, they may be assembled into a Digital Cinema Distribution Master (DCDM) which contains all of the digital material needed for a show. The images and sound are then compressed, encrypted, and packaged to form the Digital Cinema Package (DCP).

Digital Cinema Distribution

Digital Cinema Distribution (DCD) is the process of transmitting the DCP to theater servers via different methods that may include: hard drives, LTO tapes, DVDs, or satellite.

Physical media delivery

Digital content is currently distributed on hard drive for feature content and DVD for trailer content. Other potential physical media include LTO3 tape or high-capacity DVDs, BluRay Discs and other similarly emerging high density media.

Network delivery

Digital files can be delivered to theater servers via shared or dedicated network connections.

Satellite delivery

Content can be sent in a multi-cast transmission to theatres via satellite. The received files have to be verified and missing or corrupted portions would have to be rebroadcast.

Distribution challenges

Each method of distribution faces its own unique challenges and there is currently much debate regarding preferred methods. The issue can become hotly debated by advocates for the various methods and media. Currently, there is no industry or de-facto standard for distribution. This issue will likely be decided by market forces and business models. There is some testing of the various methods going on that may provide empirical data and objective analysis in the future.

Digital cinema distributors

Technicolor, Deluxe and Access Integrated Technologies are the leading companies in digital distribution. Other companies currently distributing digital cinema include Kodak, Dolby, and Arts Alliance Media.

Of the digital distributors, Technicolor and Deluxe also distribute film.

Digital projection

There are currently two types of projectors for digital cinema. Early DLP projectors, used primarily in the US, used limited 1280 x 1024 resolution which are still widely used for pre-show advertising but not usually for feature presentations. The current specification for digital projectors calls for three levels of playback to be supported: 2K (2048x1080) at 24 frames per second, 4K (4096x2160) at 24 frames per second, and 2K at 48 frames per second.

Three manufacturers have licensed the TI-developed DLP technology. Christie Digital Systems, Barco and NEC. Christie is the maker of the CP2000 line of 2K DCI-compliant Digital Cinema Projectors, and long established in traditional film projector technology thoughout the US. Barco is the market leader in terms of units sold and deployed internationally. NEC manufactures the Starus NC2500S, NC1500C and NC800C 2K projectors for large, medium and small screen respectively and the Starus Digital Cinema Server system, as well as other equipment to connect PCs, analog/digital tape decks and satellite receivers, DVD, and off-air broadcast, etc. for pre-show and special presentations. Where NEC is a relative newcomer to Digital Cinema, Christie is the main player in the US and Barco takes the lead in Europe and Asia.

The other soon-to-be-deployed-technology is from Sony and is labeled "SXRD" technology. Their projector provides 4096x2160 resolution.

Other manufacturers have been developing digital projector technology, but these have not yet been deployed into motion picture theaters.

Current developments

As of March 2007, with the relase of Disney's Meet the Robinsons, about 600 screens have been equipped with 2K digital projectors that are equipped with REAL D Cinema's stereoscopic 3D technology, marketed under the Disney Digital 3-D brand.

In mid 2006, about 400 theaters have been equipped with 2K digital projectors with the number increasing every month.

In February 2005, Arts Alliance Media was selected to rollout the UK Film Council’s Digital Screen Network (DSN), a $20m contract to install and operate Europe’s largest 2k digital cinema network. 200 screens have so far been installed, and by Spring 2007, 240 screens will be installed and operating.

Chicken Little from Disney, with its experimental release of the film in digital 3D, increased the number of projectors using the 2K format. Several digital 3D films will surface in 2006 and several prominent filmmakers have committed to making their next productions in stereo 3D.

By early 2006, Access Integrated Technologies (AccessIT) had announced agreements with nearly all of the major film studios and several exhibitors that enable the company to roll-out its end-to-end digital cinema systems.

In August 2006, the Malayalam digital movie Moonnamathoral was distributed via satellite to cinemas; thus becoming the first digital film to be so distributed.^[1]

Economics

Savings in distribution

Digital distribution of movies has the potential to save money for film distributors. A single film print can cost around US$1200, so making 4000 prints for a wide-release movie might cost $5 million. In contrast, at the maximum 250 megabit-per-second maximum data rate defined by DCI for digital cinema, a typical feature-length movie could fit comfortably on an off the shelf 300GB hard drive, which could even be returned to the distributer for reuse after a movie's run. With several hundred movies distributed every year, industry savings could potentially reach $1 Billion or more.

Alternative content

An added incentive for exhibitors is the ability to show alternative content such as live special events, sports, pre-show advertising and other digital or video content. Some low budget films that would normally not have a theatrical release because of distribution costs might be shown in smaller engagements than the typical large release studio pictures. The cost of duplicating a digital 'print' is very low, so adding more theaters to a release has a small additional cost to the distributor. Movies that start with a small release could 'scale' to a much larger release quickly if they were sufficiently successful, opening up the possibility that smaller movies could achieve box office success previously out of their reach.

Greater protection for content

A last incentive for digital distribution is the possibility of greater protection against piracy. With traditional film prints, distributors typically stagger the film's release in various markets, shipping the film prints around the globe. In the subsequent markets, pirated copies of a film (i.e. a cam) may be available before the movie is released in that market. A simultaneous worldwide release would mitigate this problem to some degree. Currently, simultaneous worldwide releases have been used on the films The Da Vinci Code, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and Mission: Impossible III. With digital distribution, a simultaneous worldwide release would not cost significantly more than a staggered release.

Costs

On the downside, the initial costs for converting theaters to digital are high: up to $150,000 per screen or more. Theaters have been reluctant to switch without a cost-sharing arrangement with film distributors. Recent negotiations have involved the development of a Virtual Print License fee which the studios will pay for their products which allows financiers and system developers to pay for deployment of digital systems to the theaters, thus providing investors a certain payback.

While a theater can purchase a film projector for US$50,000 and expect an average life of 30-40 years, a digital cinema playback system including server/media block/and projector can cost 3-4 times as much, and is at higher risk for component failures and technological obsolescence. Experience with computer-based media systems show that average economic lifetimes are only on the order of 5 years with some units lasting until about 10 years before they are replaced. [citation needed]

Risks

Server and digital projecter systems also have increased (but low) risk of 'going black' and being unable to continue with an audience in the theater.

History

Digital media playback of hi-resolution 2K files has at least a twenty year history with early RAID arrays feeding custom frame buffer systems with large memories. Content was usually restricted to several minutes of material.

Transfer of content between remote locations was slow and had limited capacity. It wasn't until the late 1990's that feature length projects could be sent over the 'wire' (Internet or dedicated fiber links)

There were many prototype systems developed that claim a 'first' in some form of digital presentation. However, few of these had a significant impact on the advance of the industry. Key highlights in the development of digital cinema would likely include: demonstrations by TI of their DMD technology, real-time playback of compressed hi-resolution files by various vendors, and early HD presentations from D5 tape to digital projectors.

Standards Development

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers began work on standards for digital cinema in 2001. It was clear by that point in time that HDTV did not provide a sufficient technological basis for the foundation of digital cinema playback. (In Europe and Japan however, there is still a significant presence of HDTV for theatrical presentations. Agreements within the ISO standards body have led to these systems being referred to as Electronic Cinema Systems (E-Cinema))

Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) was formed in March 2002 as a joint project of the motion picture studios (Disney, Fox, MGM, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal and Warner Bros. Studios) to develop a system specification for digital cinema. In cooperation with the American Society of Cinematographers, DCI created standard evaluation material (the ASC/DCI StEM material) and developed tests of 2K and 4K playback and compression technologies. DCI published their specification in 2005.

Claims to significant events

One claim for the first digital cinema demonstration comes from JVC. On March 19, 1998, they collaborated on a digital presentation at a cinema in London. Several clips from popular films were encoded onto a remote server, and sent via fibre optic for display to a collection of interested Industry parties. A report on the event is linked below.

The Last Broadcast made cinematic history on October 23, 1998, when it became the first feature to be theatrically released digitally, via satellite download to theaters across the United States. An effort headed by Wavelength Releasing, Texas Instruments, Digital Projection Inc. and Loral Space, it successfully demonstrated what would become a template for future releases. In 1999, it was repeated utilizing QuVIS technology across Europe, including the Cannes Film Festival, making The Last Broadcast the first feature to be screened digitally at the Cannes Film Festival.

Several feature films were shown in 1999 using DLP prototype projectors and early wavelet based servers. For example, Walt Disney Pictures Bicentennial Man was presented using a QuBit server manufactured by QuVIS of Topeka, Kansas. DVD ROM was used to store the compressed data file. The DVD ROMs were loaded into the QuBit server hard drives for playout. The file size for Bicentennial Man was 42 GB with an average data rate of 43 Mbit/s.

In 2000, Walt Disney, Texas Instruments and Technicolor with the cooperation of several US and international exhibitors, began to deploy prototype Digital Cinema systems in commercial theatres. The systems were assembled and installed by Technicolor using the TI mark V prototype projector, a special Christie lamp housing, and the QuBit server with custom designed automation interfaces.

Technicolor manufactured the DVDs for uploading on these test systems and was responsible for sending technicians out to the locations for every new feature film that was played. The technicians would typically spend ten or so hours to load the files from the DVD to the QuBit, set up the server to play the files, and then set up the projector. A full rehearsal screening of the feature was mandatory as was the requirement to have back up DVDs and backup QuBits available should something fail.

The systems were eventually replaced or upgraded after TI made improvements to the projectors and Technicolor developed a purpose-built digital cinema server in a venture with Qualcomm, the engineering giant from San Diego best known for advanced mobile phone technology. The new systems were called AMS for Auditorium Management Systems and were the first digital cinema servers designed to be user friendly and operate reliably in a computer-hostile environment such as a projection booth. Most importantly, they provided a complete solution for content security.

The AMS used removable hard disk drives as the transport mechanism for the files. This eliminated the time required to upload the DVD ROMs to the local hard drives and provided the ability to switch programs quickly. For security, the AMS used a media block type system that placed a sealed electronics package within the projector housing. The server output only 3DES encrypted data and the media block did the decryption at the point just before playout.

The first secure encrypted digital cinema feature was Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. The results were so astounding that George Lucas vowed to never shoot another movie on film again.

The system functioned well but was eventually replaced because of the need to create a standard data package for D-cinema distribution.

Universal Pictures used their film Serenity as the first DCI-compliant DCP to be delivered shown to an audience at a remote theater, although it was not distributed this way to the public. Inside Man was their first DCP cinema release, and was transmitted to 20 theatres in the United States along with two trailers.

Stereo 3-D images

In late 2005, interest in digital 3-D stereoscopic projection has led to a new willingness on the part of theaters to co-operate in installing a limited number of 2K stereo installations to show Disney's Chicken Little in 3-D film. Seven more digital 3-D movies are slated for 2006 or 2007 release (including Monster House and Meet the Robinsons). The technology combines digital projectors with the use of polarized glasses and screens. DLP technology is well-suited for stereo 3-D as it can handle the higher frame rates required for flicker free presentations.

Digital cinema companies

• Access Integrated Technologies, Inc. (AccessIT)
• Arts Alliance Media (Arts Alliance Digital Cinema)
• Avica Europe
• Ascent Media
• Barco: digital projectors
• Christie: digital projectors
• Dalsa
• Digitale Videosysteme
• DLP
• Dolby Laboratories
• Doremi Laboratories, Inc.
• EFilm
• FilmLight
• GDC Technology
• GS Vitec
• IMAGICA
• Kodak
• Lucasfilm
• NEC Solutions America: DLP Cinema projectors and DCI compliant servers
• QuVIS: Quality Visual Information Systems-providing DCI compliant servers
• Real Image Media Technologies
• Red Digital Cinema
• Rising Sun Research
• Sony
• Technicolor
• Texas Instruments
• XDCinema: digital media management
• Qube Cinema, Inc.: End to end Digital Cinema Solutions

See also

• Digital cinematography
• Digital projector
• Digital intermediate
• Digital film post-production
• Digital Cinema Initiatives
• List of film-related topics (extensive alphabetical listing)

Wikipedia information about Digital cinema This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Digital cinema". It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). Help contribute to Americola and edit this article.