Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) Announces Collaboration With Fraunhofer Institute to Develop Digital Cinema System Compliance Test Procedures

Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) Announces Collaboration With Fraunhofer Institute to Develop Digital Cinema System Compliance Test Procedures

Comprehensive Test Procedures Will Establish a Certification Benchmark for Digital Cinema Projectors, Servers, and Associated Equipment

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. and ERLANGEN, Germany, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) has signed an agreement with the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen, Germany to collaborate and jointly produce a certification test plan comprised of test procedures and data to validate compliance with the Digital Cinema System Specification published by DCI in July of 2005.

Development of the test procedures and data is expected to take place over a four-month period, followed by a three-month period of testing and validation. Once complete, the procedures and data will enable equipment manufacturers to validate their compliance with the Specification and promote interoperability between key digital cinema theatrical equipment components. DCI hopes to encourage an established process to test Specification compliancy in order to gain certification of digital cinema equipment.

"As the transition from conventional 35mm film to digital projection systems continues, many industry entities and manufacturers have been anticipating a DCI supported methodology to provide certification for DCI compliant components," the DCI member studios jointly declared, "the Fraunhofer IIS is a world-respected entity with demonstrated imaging and technology expertise that will develop these robust and comprehensive test procedures."

"We are proud to be collaborating with DCI on such a fundamental project. The DCI Specification is a milestone in the development of digital movie delivery and projection. The certification test plan shall promote the worldwide interchangeability of movies which was one of the great advantages of film over the last hundred years. The digitization of feature delivery and projection is a chance to enhance the attractiveness of cinemas in the future," said Siegfried Foessel, project manager for digital cinema at the Fraunhofer IIS. "This certification test plan will contribute to the interoperability of playout-systems and secure content handling."

Digital Cinema Initiatives

Digital Cinema Initiatives, LLC (DCI) was created in March 2002 and is a joint venture of Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal and Warner Bros. Studios. DCI's primary purpose is to establish and document voluntary specifications for an open architecture for digital cinema that ensures a uniform and high level of technical performance, reliability and quality control.

Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS

Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen, Germany, ranks first among the Institutes of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (a non-profit organization) concerning headcount and revenues. In close cooperation with our partners and clients we provide our research and development services in the following areas: Microelectronics, information and communication technology, imaging systems, audio and multimedia technology. Fraunhofer IIS is also a leading member of the Fraunhofer Network Digital Cinema. Renowned developments are the ARRI-D20, the standardization work in JPEG2000 and the EU funded project WorldScreen.

Source: Digital Cinema Initiatives

CONTACT: Heidi Trotta, +1-818-560-7280, for Digital Cinema Initiatives
(DCI)

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