Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Digital revolution to allow simultaneous screening of movies

Staff Reporter

Private provider Pyramid Saimira to renovate 167 theatres for the project Private provider Pyramid Saimira to renovate 167 theatres for the project

CHENNAI: Digital cinema projected simultaneously across several theatres using satellite communication: this is what a private provider is planning for Tamil Nadu.

"The new technology will be a sort of digital revolution," says Natarajan, chairman of Pyramid Saimira.

"Producers are unable to release new films in many centres due to the high variable cost of prints. This is where our company Pyramid Saimira comes in handy for the producers, distributors and exhibitors. We want to take theatres on long lease. Our target for the first batch is 167 theatres. We will renovate the theatres and give all the facilities required for screening digital cinema. This project will cost about Rs. 25 lakhs for each cinema hall. In Chennai, we are in the process of signing lease agreements with six theatres."

Explaining the projects, P.S. Swaminathan, managing director of the company, said, "The negative will be changed in digital HD 5 format and encrypted and put on the centralised server. It will then be up-linked to satellite. The theatre concerned will receive the signals, which in turn will go into the local server and then on to a digital projector. The digital projector would be used for screening on a bright background screen.

"A major advantage would be the elimination of piracy. The theatres have very little in terms of print cost nor will they have to incur film transportation or other related charges."

Specifically, a single film can be viewed in several (even hundreds of theatres) at the same time

Pyramid Saimira has roped in quite a few names from the Tamil film industry into their advisory panel, including `Abirami' Ramanathan, Balu Mahendra, Cheran, S.Ve. Shekar, Madan and Suhasini Mani Ratnam.

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