XDC SCREENS IN GERMANY
[BIZ: Liège, July 19] Under the terms of the agreement with XDC, Cineplex will exclusively install Series 2 DCI-compliant digital projection systems. Cineplex will also implement a fully integrated and networked solution within the cinema circuit, thanks to XDC’s advanced Theatre Management System and Central Library, the XDC’s CineStore® Plaza. A content delivery network will also be implemented by XDC in order to allow distributors to deliver films directly by satellite and/or broadband connection to the cinemas, as well as to give the opportunity to Cineplex to perform live 2D and 3D transmissions. All the systems will be connected to the XDC’s NOC (Network Operations Center) which will perform the hotline support and the preventative remote maintenance. Thanks to the sophisticated XDC’s CineStore Data web based application, the frontline support (with the possibility to have a full remote monitoring of the digital systems) will be directly managed by FTT, which will also take care of most of the installations and maintenance. XDC is the n°1 digital cinema company in Europe with more than 1,350 committed digital screens of which 50% have already been deployed. XDC HQ is based in Liège and provides end-to-end digital cinema solutions including equipment supply, financing (VPF, leasing, etc), training, installation and 24/7 maintenance, as well as content processing and delivery. The company is the first entity to have VPF digital cinema deployment agreements with all 6 major US studios (Warner, Fox, Universal, Paramount, Sony and Disney) for a total of 8,000 digital screens in 22 European countries. In addition to its financing program with ING Lease, XDC has set up a global financing of EUR 100 m with a bank consortium led by BNP Paribas Fortis to allow the VPF roll out of 2,000 digital screens for its European deployment program. XDC Digital Content Lab has been processing more than 600 different titles, and offers a full service including mastering, duplication, key management, 24/7 helpdesk, extranet tracking, physical/virtual delivery. Last but not least, XDC is also very active in Alternative Content by offering a full service from booking and promotion up to delivery, reporting and box office collection. The main shareholders are EVS Broadcast Equipment (www.evs-global.com) (Euronext Brussels: EVS, Bloomberg: EVS BB, Reuters: EVSB.BR), GIMV (www.gimv.com) (Euronext Brussels: GIMB, Bloomberg: GIMB BB, Reuters: GIMV.BR) and SRIW (www.sriw.be). About Cineplex Cineplex group is an association of independent medium-sized cinemas that decided to act jointly in important business segments in the middle of the nineteen-nineties. With around 450 screens in over 80 cinemas and 60 cities in which just under 20 million visitors are entertained each year, Cineplex group ranges among the largest players in the German cinema market. Cineplex combines the advantages of regionally established family-run companies with those of a large group. The lean head office in Wuppertal pools the demand of its shareholders, e.g. as far as purchasing, marketing, technology, cooperation management, representing of interests, are concerned. More info available at www.Cineplex.de About Film Ton Technik (FTT) FILM-TON-TECHNIK Hannsdieter Rüttgers GmbH (FTT) is based in Düsseldorf. As a cinema service provider with 50 years of experience FTT has already implemented a large number of projects for multiplexes and independent cinemas in Germany and abroad and has subsidiaries in Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Poland and the Netherlands. Apart from project planning, in addition to selling and installing traditional 35mm technology, FTT has been active in the field of digital cinema and electronic advertising for more than 7 years and established itself as a systems integrator.
Cineplex, one of the large German cinema circuits, and the Belgian VPF service provider XDC have agreed on the conditions of a digital roll out of 451 Cineplex screens. The German integrator FTT played an important role in the pre-negotiations and has also carried out a major part of the installation. The agreement between Cineplex and XDC includes the roll out of DCI-compliant projection systems co-financed by the Virtual Print Fee (VPF) model using the financing solution proposed by XDC via the credit facility structured by BNP Paribas.
http://www.xdcinema.com/