MUMBAI: Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group’s Adlabs Films has crossed the milestone of over 10,000 shows in the true 2K Digital Cinema format.
The record was achieved with the 5:05 pm screening of Shyam Benegal’s Welcome to Sajjanpur on 22 September at Adlabs’ IMAX cinema in Wadala, which was Mumbai’s first multiplex to convert entirely to 2K Digital Cinema in April.
An official communique states that Adlabs Digital Cinema was the first operator in the world to commercially distribute digital cinema films over the optic fiber cable (OFC). Using the network of Reliance Communications, over 2000 Digital Cinema shows to-date have come from digital copies delivered via OFC on a weekly commercial basis.
Films are encoded at Adlabs Digital Cinema Mastering Facility at Film City in Mumbai and sent over a 200 Mbps connection to its Content Distribution and Logistics (CDL) Hub at Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City (DAKC) in Navi Mumbai, from where they are sent further via dedicated 100Mbps OFC to cinemas as far as Ahmedabad. OFC allows for transportation of Digital Cinema films that is faster, more reliable and more secure than any other form of delivery.
Adlabs Digital Cinema COO Patrick von Sychowski said, "The Adlabs Film City complex, which includes the Digital Cinema Mastering facility – is the first facility in Asia to receive the prestigious international FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) accreditation. Using fiber for end to end delivery, we are able to offer unparalleled picture and sound quality and we are proud to have offered that to our patrons for over 10,000 screenings of both Bollywood and Hollywood films."
These screenings have also included regional Indian films as well as Hollywood films shown in BIG Digital 3D format.
Adlabs Films CEO Anil Arjun added, "Adlabs is implementing globally recognized Digital Cinema technology standards and processes and is, at the same time, pushing the envelope by introducing distribution technologies such as OFC. We intend to be an end-to-end world class service provider covering mastering to delivery on site; and are looking at significant expansion in this space aimed to cover 500 screens in the initial phase."
