The future is here my friends. Sony Digital has just singed a deal with Regal Cinemas (they had already recently signed a deal with AMC Theaters) to install 4k (far beyond “high Def”) digital projectors in all of their 6700 screens across the USA. This is a HUGE deal.
This isn’t just a shift in picture quality… this will revolutionize how films are distributed to theaters, which will in turn change programing at theaters.
The way things are now, using film, a movie has to have an expensive film print made for each and every movie theater screen it’s going to show on and be physically shipped to each theater. It’s a HUGE money and time consumer and it drastically limits what films can and can’t be shown.
With 4k digital projectors, the possibilities become greatly expanded:
– Movies don’t need a physical print
– Movies can be securely downloaded by each theater
– An infinite increase in the number of theaters able to project 3D
– Small Indie films can be added to a data base like any other movie and made available to theaters
– Theaters will have a massive amount of flexibility in choosing what they want to show and when
The list will go on and on. This will mark the most significant change in the movie theater industry since sound was introduced. I’m not exaggerating… this changes everything.
AMC Theaters are supposed to start rolling out the new 4K digital projectors by the end of this year, with an approximate 11,000 screens installed across the US by 2012. Wow.
What are some of the other benefits you can think of that will come from this switch to digital projection? (source: Hollywood Reporter)
