European Exhibitor CGR Cinémas Selects Doremi Cinema DCP-2000

Doremi Cinema, a leading provider of digital cinema players and mastering stations, has announced that its DCP-2000 series of cinema players have been chosen by Circuit George Raymond (CGR Cinémas), one of France’s largest cinema chains. The DCP-2000 installation will be part of an exclusive Virtual Print Fee (VPF) based agreement with Arts Alliance Media (AAM), Europe’s leading provider of digital distribution services. With this agreement CGR Cinémas will become the first European exhibitor to convert completely to Digital Cinema exhibition.
CGR Cinémas chose Doremi’s DCP-2000 server out of the brands evaluated and selected by AAM. Christie Digital has been chosen to provide digital cinema projectors and French cinema integration and services company Cine Digital Service will provide local installation and support services.
Two hundred screens are scheduled to be completed during the first year of the rollout that is set to begin in the first quarter of 2008. Eight screens will be equipped in December this year, in time for 3D digital cinema screenings during the Christmas holidays. In addition to the players, Doremi Cinema will also provide the Theatre Management System (TMS) and the gateway integration with CGR Cinémas POS/ticketing system developed by Monnaie Services. The Smartjog secured media delivery network will also be interfaced with the DCP2000 and TMS.
CGR Cinémas is a leading and expanding cinema chain in France. The company is well known for the success of its multiplexes in many mid-size cities across the country, for the efficiency of its cost management and for its profitability. By becoming the first European cinema chain to go fully digital CGR Cinémas is demonstrating that it is an innovative company, ready to embrace new technology to deliver the best possible quality cinema experience.
CGR Cinémas is the first European exhibitor to sign up to a VPF-based rollout. The VPF business model is a means of financing the conversion to Digital Cinema, where both distributor and exhibitor contribute over time towards the total cost of the digital projection and server equipment, funded up front by the rollout entity AAM. The VPF model has been proven in North America, with over 4,320 digital screens installed to date, all using Doremi Cinema servers and Christie’s digital cinema projection systems.
“We are delighted to be the first movers in the digital transition and to enter into a new era of French and European cinema,” said Jocelyn Bouyssy, Director General of CGR Cinémas. “CGR Cinémas is a forward-thinking company and its ability to seize new opportunities makes it one of the most successful chains in the French exhibition market. I would like to thank Gwendal Auffret and AAM’s technical team, the staff at CGR Cinémas, as well as the suppliers and installers for their innovation, creativity, skills and efficiency. This teamwork made such a historical agreement possible and now CGR Cinémas will embark on the great adventure of Digital Cinema in every screen in our circuit.”
Patrick Zucchetta, European Business Development Director for Doremi Cinema commented: “We are very proud to have been selected for the CGR Cinémas deployment and to have the opportunity to work again with Arts Alliance Media following the earlier successful roll-out of the UK Film Council’s digital screen 240 screen network, completed earlier this year."
This agreement will see the number of theatres equipped with Doremi Cinema servers reach the 1,000 milestone in the EMEA region alone; and will add to the over 4,500 installations of Doremi Cinema players installed worldwide today.
(DS)