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Brazil Takes Lead in All-Digital Cinema Projection

securitas writes "The CS Monitor's Andrew Downie reports that Brazil plans to open in May the world's largest digital movie theater network. About 100 theaters will use Sao Paulo-based Rain Networks' KinoCast digital theater DRM software. Rain based its system on Windows Media 9 software with MPEG-4 video compression. 'The MPEG-4 software can squeeze a feature film onto a file of just five gigabytes, 15 times smaller than the MPEG-2 technology presently used' at one-third the $150,000 cost. It takes 20 minutes to distribute a 90-minute film over a VPN and the system avoids the costs associated with transporting physical copies to areas largely inaccessible by road - it can cost up to $750,000 for 500 copies of a Matrix-type blockbuster to be distributed. Interestingly, in the affluent USA the fight between the 35,000 theater owners and Hollywood is about who will pay for cinemas to switch to digital projection. In December 2003 the Guardian published a story with more financial and technical details of the KinoCast digital cinema system."

11 of 293 comments (clear)

  1. WMP9 by CptChipJew · · Score: 4, Funny

    Rain based its system on Windows Media 9 software

    "Man, independant films are so weird. I totally didn't understand that one part where right in the middle of the car chase, it showed that big blue screen. What was all that weird text on it, the credits?"

    --
    Vonal Declosion
    1. Re:WMP9 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      "hey, projector person, right click and select full screen, it's too small!"

    2. Re:WMP9 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Aye aye Sir! But the error said: Displaying the film in full screen would constitute a DMCA violation!

  2. Distribution system by nmg196 · · Score: 5, Funny

    It takes 20 minutes to distribute a 90-minute film over a VPN and the system

    The distribution system used by Rain Networks is available for free here...

  3. Re:Episode III NOT coming to any theaters near you by Angry+Toad · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think you're missing the point here. Clearly the reason many people didn't like Episodes I and II was that they saw them in analog. Jar-jar isn't funny in analog, only in high-clarity digital. Lucas understands this and is trying to help us all to really get his film-making genius.

  4. This is cool by Molina+the+Bofh · · Score: 2, Funny
    'The MPEG-4 software can squeeze a feature film onto a file of just five gigabytes, 15 times smaller than the MPEG-2 technology presently used

    Cool. Now where can I download this movie ?
    --

    -
    Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF, find / -name '*base*' |xargs chown -R us && mv zig greatjustice
  5. Re:Bout time by PatrickThomson · · Score: 3, Funny

    I dunno about you, but scratchy popping is all part of the exerience.

    You see those black ovals? Cigarette burns.
    For that matter, it'd be harder to splice in single frames of hard core pronography as well.

    --
    I am one of many. My idea is not unique, nor do I expect my voice alone to sway you. I speak in a chorus of opinion.
  6. Re:Yes but by janpf · · Score: 2, Funny

    If there are no roads, I can only imagine how the people are going to the theater: hanging on vines !?

  7. Re:Episode III NOT coming to any theaters near you by betelgeuse-4 · · Score: 2, Funny

    "I just want to see how the thingends already"

    I believe the ending to Episode III is available on DVD already. It's called Episode IV - A New Hope.

  8. Re:24fps vs. blocky video by /dev/trash · · Score: 3, Funny

    Maybe YOU can't see the fluorescent blink off and on, but it annoys the living hell out of me.

  9. Re:DRM? psst by Dark+Lord+Seth · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wait for the source code to leak, heh