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Cinemas and DLP: How are things distributed?
Mugenmidget
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I was reading an interesting snippet on how the film "Transformers" will arrive in theaters in order to deter illegal copying:
I wondered how this would apply to a digitally distributed movie. I don't seem to get the big picture on DLP, but it seems like you have a DLP projector which has some sort of storage system. The blurb on Texas Instrument's site says that there are different kinds of "servers" for the projector, leading me to wonder if there are perhaps solutions that involve a broadband pipeline to the theater.
More to the point: I'd like to know some specifics on how different theaters receive DLP films and some concrete examples. Are there DVDs involved (like this site suggests) and are there other methods at work?
To combat piracy, when the Transformers Movie is shipped to theatres, it will arrive in two film 'cans.' Can 1 will contain reels 1-3, and assorted trailers to attach to the film. Can 2 will have reels 4-7. Can 1 will arrive like any other film cans to a theatre, but Can 2 will be locked, and the combination will only be given to theatre personnel at noon on Monday.
I wondered how this would apply to a digitally distributed movie. I don't seem to get the big picture on DLP, but it seems like you have a DLP projector which has some sort of storage system. The blurb on Texas Instrument's site says that there are different kinds of "servers" for the projector, leading me to wonder if there are perhaps solutions that involve a broadband pipeline to the theater.
More to the point: I'd like to know some specifics on how different theaters receive DLP films and some concrete examples. Are there DVDs involved (like this site suggests) and are there other methods at work?
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Digital cinema in general (DLP is a projection method) involves a playback server which is universally hard-drive based (almost always in a RAID or other striping system) feeding a projector of some kind, and usually involving encrypt/decrypting the data.
But more seriously, satellites and the such. Some theatres have even started using that technology to broadcast plays live, as in, instead of going to broadway they have people film it there and satellite it up to a movie theatre.
First of all, I worked as a projectionist 3 years ago and they did this with some movies then, except they locked both cans. Sometimes the production company wouldn't call us with the code until the day the movie started.
But 90% of the time they weren't locked, but they diidn't even show up until Thursday, the day before the movies actually start.
Now Transformers opens on the 4th and if they're only leaving them locked until Monday, it's not going to help at all. At most, big theatres will be showing it on 4 screens, it doesn't take two days to put 4 movies together.
Concerning DLP projectors, while I have never used one and broadband solution is off by aways. First of all, there's no standard in the industry for format or clarity for digital projectors. That's why there are so few of them. Also the movie sizes are HUGE right now. Most digital movies come on giant discs, like Laser disc size, at least last I heard.