Kinepolis To Screen First Belgian Digital Film In JPEG 2000 Format

The Kinepolis complexes in Flanders and Brussels will present the latest Flemish production 'King of the World' (Koning Van De Wereld) in digital JPEG 2000 format.
This is a major film first as King of the World is not only the very first Belgium film specifically designed for Kinepolis in this top-quality digital format, it is also one of the first such productions on the European cinema market. It is the fruit of a partnership between Kinepolis Group and Caviar, the producers of King of the World, and offers Belgian and European cinema goers a truly hi-tech experience in sound and image.
JPEG 2000 is that format used for the internationally renowned DCI Digital Cinema Initiatives. It is already being used by the seven largest Hollywood studios for the creation and showing of digital Hollywood movies. A digital 2K projector (DP100) used in conjunction with a JPEG server guarantee optimum image quality in this format at a high resolution for the big screen.
The Kinepolis cinema group and Kinepolis Film Distribution (KFD), ever faithful to their mission to act as pioneers in the fields of innovative and digital cinema, have subscribed fully to the DCI recommendations and opted exclusively for JPEG 2000 for all digital films they distribute.
In comparison to the traditional 35mm film, digital cinema guarantees outstanding picture sharpness, perfect subtitling and more intense colours. Digital films also retain their quality over a longer term. The film is projected onto the screen using a computer server and digital projector and it makes no difference whether it is shown once or a thousand times over. A complete absence of wear and tear, unlike the classical 35mm format, ensures that the quality remains irreproachable.
The Kinepolis Group has been blazing the trail on the European digital cinema market for some years now. Film fans are already enjoying the benefits of High Definition Digital Cinema (HDDC) in several Kinepolis cinemas and the digitisation of all of the Kinepolis complexes in Belgium will be complete by the end of 2007 thanks to a partnership agreement signed with Thomson’s Technicolor Digital Cinema.
The theatres are equipped with Barco HD projectors. Alongside digital productions, it will also be possible to show a broader range of other types of content in digital format, such as prestigious events, premieres of television series, live concerts, live sporting events, big-screen gaming and a host of other applications for businesses, universities and the medical sector.
Using the digital technology already available at the Kinepolis complex in Lomme, the premiere of American mega-production 'Déjà vu' was broadcast by satellite in France and Belgium on December 6, enabling some 5000 cinema-goers to witness live the meeting and greeting of actors such as Denzel Washington.
(SP/CD)