LAS VEGAS—Jan 9, 2007
DLP Cinema® Projector Deployment Reaches More Than 3,000 Worldwide Screens
Texas Instruments (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today at the 2007 International CES, announced the deployment of more than 3,000 DLP Cinema® projectors worldwide from manufacturers Barco, Christie and NEC. Far surpassing the 1,000 screen milestone reached just 10 months ago, this DLP Cinema achievement represents a tremendous advance and endorsement as the motion picture industry continues to adopt digital projection. The digital cinema conversion process has momentum worldwide, with 1,934 projector systems in North America, 572 in Europe, 398 in Asia and 26 in Latin America deployed in commercial theatres, plus an additional 285 installed in screening rooms and post-production houses.
With technical standards set, business models in place, and all the major studios committed to providing content, the adoption of digital cinema progressed rapidly through 2006, and continues to grow at significant rates of adoption. DLP Cinema projector deployments have grown 300 percent since March 2006. While the industry continues to focus on and realize efficiencies for standard and 3D cinema projection enabled by DLP Cinema, TI continues to focus on the compliance of systems, as well as ensuring future compliance, through close collaboration with customers and server manufacturers Dolby, Doremi, GDC, Kodak, NEC and QuVIS.
DLP Cinema is also enabling the wider availability of 3D digital projection since DLP Cinema is the only one-projector 3D commercial solution, when used in tandem with either passive or active 3D glasses. Conventional 3D projection currently requires the use of two synchronized projectors which increases costs and technical knowledge needs on the part of projectionists. Currently there are 182 DLP Cinema-equipped movie screens in North America presenting feature films in 3D. Carmike Cinemas also recently announced plans to convert 500 of their DLP Cinema screens for 3D presentations.
“At 3,000 screens around the world, and 99% global digital cinema market share, DLP Cinema® is a proven industry standard that is now in widespread use by major theatrical exhibitors, motion picture distributors and post production houses,” commented Nancy Fares, Business Manager, DLP Cinema® Products. “We continue to work in close collaboration with industry members to accelerate the deployment of digital cinema its many benefits to the worldwide exhibition community,” Fares added.
In mid-2006, approximately 32,000 digital cinema system conversions were announced for North America, including:
4,000 DLP Cinema projectors and related hardware provided by Christie will be deployed in the U.S. and Canada through the Christie/AccessIT business plan.
National CineMedia, the joint venture owned by Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Entertainment Inc. and Cinemark USA, are preparing a digital cinema business plan for the volume purchase of approximately 13,000 systems.
Technicolor announced a deployment of up to 15,000 digital cinema systems over 10 years.
DLP Cinema projection technology has been exposed to millions of movie-goers, delivering clear, sharp, bright and accurate images to movie theatres around the world. The total number of installed DLP Cinema projectors is now 3,215, with theatres located in 35 countries around the world. Since May 1999, more than 350 movies have been released for screening on DLP Cinema projectors. DLP Cinema systems have been deployed and tested commercially in theatres since 1999, providing more than seven years of in-field usage.
For more information, or to find a DLP Cinema theatre near you, please visit www.dlpcinema.com.
