Barco And Cine Colombia Expand Digital In Latin America

Barco, a global leader in digital cinema technology, has announced an agreement with Cine Colombia S.A. to supply 20 Barco DP-1500 digital projection systems to multiple theatre sites throughout Colombia.
Each projector will be 2D/3D capable and each will be configured with Barco's ACS-2048 "alternate content" switcher.
As a progressive exhibitor with over 200 screens in operation across Columbia, Cine Colombia is not new to the digital cinema domain - nor are they new to Barco. Throughout the remainder of 2009, the first new Barco deployments will be placed in Cine Colombia sites in the major population centres of Bogota, Cali and Medellin.
Starting in 2010, Cine Colombia will deploy additional Barco projection systems in the country's secondary markets of Cartagena, Barranquilla, Pereira, Armenia and Manizales.
The digital cinema package selected by Cine Colombia is ideal for the market. The DP-1500 is purpose-built for screens up to 15m (49') wide, and offers Barco quality and reliability in an affordable and compact package. The ACS-2048 is the perfect peripheral for all Barco digital cinema installations.
This eight input "universal" switcher enables exhibitors to scale both analog and digital inputs up to the full digital cinema format. In this way, Cine Colombia can expand each theatre's revenue stream, as a versatile presentation facility for events, businesses, meetings and more.
Munir Falah, President and CEO of Cine Colombia, said: "Our mandate is quality and excellence and Barco provides exactly what we are looking for. Because of their product performance, reliability and value, we're advancing our partnership with Barco. We have worked with other manufacturers and we choose carefully. Barco's repuation of excellence is well-earned."
Cine Colombia's notable expansion comes just as ShowEast commences in Orlando, Florida. Because ShowEast draws a large contingent of exhibitors from all across Latin America, a significant portion of the exhibition's programming is specifically modeled for the attendees from South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Scott Freidberg, Barco's Vice President of Sales for Digital Cinema, said: "We're honoured to again be working closely with Colombia's largest exhibitor, and helping them expand the magic of digital cinema throughout the world's third largest Spanish-speaking country.
"Cine Colombia has truly recognised both the success and the investments that Barco has created in Latin America, and by their actions, it's evident that they choose only the finest partners.
"Their theatres are in the best locations, the equipment is superb, their staff is excellent and each theatre provides customers with an unsurpassed environment in which to watch a movie."
(KMcA/BMcC)