Giant Screen theaters are rapidly converting to digital
cinema and at the GSCA Conference later this month in Sacramento, California, visitors
can see the latest technology from Qube Cinema. The Qube XP-I server will stream
a single high bit-rate 4K 3D DCP through two Qube Xi 4K Integrated Media Blocks
(IMBs) in two Barco DP4K-23B projectors. This high bit-rate, 4K 3D projection from
a single DCP through a single server greatly simplifies exhibition for Giant Screen
theaters.
The Qube system has already been installed in the
Houston Museum of Natural Science’s Giant Screen theater, which was converted
to digital in March 2012 when they installed a Qube XP-I server and two Xi 4K
IMBs.
“Our conversion from 70mm film to digital cinema
couldn’t have been smoother,” said Charlotte Brohi, VP giant screen operations
and film production at the HMNS. “The projectionists found the move to digital
seamless and, because of the decrease in troubleshooting that comes with
digital – for example, there is no film breakage –we only need one
projectionist in the booth, saving labor costs.”
The HMNS, which could only have three films at a
time on its schedule prior to the conversion, intends to launch a film festival
later this year with five or six movies. “Audiences are still getting the
pristine, immersive experience they were used to and, although attendance is
stable, our net revenue has increased because of the lower operating costs,”
said Brohi. “We also plan to convert our library of self-produced films to
digital so we can continue to offer them to other Giant Screen theaters.”
At the GSCA Conference, the Qube XP-I server will be
paired with two 4K Xi IMBs installed in two Barco DP4K-23B projectors. The XP-I
server is capable of synchronizing the IMBs and can stream up to 1 GB of data –
or 500 Mbps per projector – through a dual Gigabit Ethernet interface,
supporting dual projectors at up to 60 fps for 4K projection and up to 240 fps
for 2K content.
“This Qube system is ready to ship to other Giant
Screen venues around the world,” said Eric Bergez, Qube Cinema’s director of
sales and marketing for the Americas. “As digital conversions sweep the
industry, our advanced technology couldn’t have come at a better time.”
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