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Ben Affleck, AMC Theatres, Boeing, Miramax Films, Texas Instruments and
The Walt Disney Company are About to Change Going to the Movies Forever
NEW YORK
(BUSINESS WIRE)
Nov. 13, 2000
Satellite & Digital Cinema Technology Make In-Theater News, Sporting
Events, Concerts & Sales Meetings Possible First Major Motion Picture
Ever to Be Delivered by Satellite
Ben Affleck, AMC Theatres, Boeing, EnergyDigital, Miramax Films, QuVIS,
Texas Instruments, The Walt Disney Company and Williams Communications
will gather at 11 a.m. Tuesday on Nov. 14 at the AMC Empire Theatres in
Times Square to introduce "The Theater Of The Future"
-- where satellite, fiber optic, and digital cinema technology make in-theater
news, sporting events, concerts and sales meetings possible.
-- where, for the first time ever, a major motion picture will be delivered
by Satellite and fiber optic Bounce, starring Ben Affleck and Gwyneth
Paltrow.
Participants will include:
Affleck, the Academy Award-winning writer and actor who rose
to prominence with "Good Will Hunting" and has starred in such
box office hits as "Armageddon" and "Shakespeare in Love."
He
is a renowned technology enthusiast.
AMC Theatres: has already outfitted two of its auditoriums in
the Empire 25 Theatres in Times Square with digital
projection, and now has installed a satellite dish and all the
software & hardware to securely receive, store and then
project a motion picture digitally. The company has installed
digital projection in nine of its megaplex screens in the U.S.
and Japan. Frank Rash, vice president, strategic
development/marketing, will be present.
Boeing will provide encryption and satellite transmission of
the movie ("Bounce"), video segments and movie trailers via
a
new content management and transmission system. This open
architecture system draws on Boeing's extensive commercial and
military satellite experience. It will allow secure
transmission of movies to thousands of theaters
simultaneously. Jim Albaugh, president of Boeing Space &
Communications Group and Tig H. Krekel, president of Boeing
Satellite Systems, will be present.
EnergyDigital: designed and orchestrated this event. It
specializes in convergence of the wide range of companies,
content and technologies needed to make digital cinema
possible. Russ Ferstandig, chairman, and Walt Runkis, CEO,
will be present.
Miramax Films: is providing the movie ("Bounce," starring
Ben
Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow). It opens in theaters nationwide
on Nov. 17. The AMC Empire will play the film exclusively in
digital format. Mark Gill, president of Miramax/L.A., will be
present.
QuVIS: designed and manufactures the QuBit, the video server
that provides three essential functions for this project
including in-theater storage, compression and control of
digital motion pictures. George Scheckel, VP of Marketing and
Sales, will be present.
Texas Instruments: is providing the digital projectors that
out-perform film for the first time -- especially after a
movie's first week (when torn film, fading and scratches
significantly reduce viewing quality). Texas Instruments
senior executive Doug Darrow will be present.
The Walt Disney Company: "Tarzan," "Toy Story 2,"
"Fantasia
2000," "Bicentennial Man," "Dinosaur" and the
upcoming "102
Dalmatians" and "The Emperor's New Groove" have been (or
will
be) digitally projected in 31 theaters in 10 countries around
the world via digital data disks shipped to theaters. In the
future, cinema delivery will also be by satellite and by fiber
wireline. At this event, Disney will outline its vision of
where new cinema technology will take the movie business. It
will also show digital footage that showcases the
possibilities of live event programming on the big screen.
Disney's Motion Picture Group will show satellite-delivered
trailers from several upcoming feature films. Disney senior VP
of New Technology Bob Lambert and Disney Motion Picture Group
executive VP Phil Barlow will be present.
Williams Communications Vyvx Services: is providing secure
fiber-optic transmission for the digital motion picture
through its network operations center and satellite uplink
support. The company has been delivering broadband media
solutions for over a decade. Laura Kenny, president of Vyvx
Services, will be present.
RSVP TO ATTEND: JOE QUENQUA/JENNIFER HOLINER, PMK: 212/582-1111
(entertainment media)
GEORGE TORRES, BOEING: 310/364-5777 (all other media attendees)
Satellite Downlink for Nov. 14
-- Telstar 6, Transponder Ku-band No. 4, Transponder bandwidth:
54MHz
-- Downlink center Freq./Polarization: 11,796 MHz/Linear
Horizontal
-- Satellite signal feed will begin at 10:30 a.m. EST
Television Broadcast Media Information
-- Because of limited setup space in the theater, a pool camera
feed will be provided.
-- Additional media access available immediately after the press
conference in adjacent exhibit area.
Doors open for media set-up at 10:00 a.m. Parking is available in
the Central Parking lot on 42nd Street, adjacent to the theater.
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