250 2K DLP Cinema Projectors To Be Deployed By Next Year
U.K. Timetable Set For Digital Cinema
LONDON – Though Europe as a whole currently contains fewer than 60 public auditoria equipped with Hollywood-compliant digital-cinema projectors, the United Kingdom Film Council now pledges to complete the installation of 250 new DLP Cinema projectors in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by next year.

Some 320 U.K. cinemas have bid for the government-subsidized DLPC equipment – Texas Instruments’ DLPC is currently the only d-cinema projection technology on which Hollywood’s major studios are willing to exhibit their movies theatrically – and will learn in May which 250 of the 320 will get it.

Installations will begin this fall and all are slated to be in place by November 2006. In return for the d-cinema equipment, participating U.K. cinemas agree to exhibit a minimum number of specialty films.

A $22-million contract places Arts Alliance Digital Cinema at the helm of the installation process, including all training, servicing and upgrades for four years after initial set-up.

The 2K DLPC projectors will be provided by both Christie Digital and Digital Projection International. QuVis will supply the servers.

The venture will provide the public with greater access to arthouse and foreign fare and reaching extremely underserved regions like England’s East Anglia.

“Access to specialized film is currently restricted across the UK,” stated Peter Buckingham, the council’s head of distribution. “Although a genuine variety of films is available in central London and few metropolitan areas, the choice for many outside those areas remains limited.”

Arts Alliance Digital Cinema is part of venture capital firm Arts Alliance Media, which owns a majority stake in the City Screen circuit, the nation’s biggest specialty-fare exhibitor. c