Media Salles: Digital cinema to overtake 35mm by 2013
by Reuters
The worldwide diffusion of digital cinema, which last year experienced a sudden upsurge, is proceeding at such a fast pace that industry specialists predict that by 2013 digital projects will replace 35mm film projectors.
The six-year prediction, based on mathematical models, was announced by MEDIA Salles, a project of the EU’s Media Programme and the Italian government, founded to promote the theatrical distribution of European audiovisual product.
The revolution awaiting us is “exquisitely technological, but is destined to have effects, above all, from a commercial point of view on the film exhibition business, transforming it into something different than what we know today", states a report compiled by marketing expert Marco Mancino for Media Salles, which was given in advance to Reuters in light of today’s opening of the course "DigiTraining Plus", held through April 1 at the Barco headquarters in Kuurne, Belgium.
Mancino says that after the 2005 boom of digital diffusion (+81%), experts expected a slowdown in 2006, a period of transition. Instead, according to data published last month by Media Salles, at the end of 2006 there were 2,866 digital screens worldwide, an upswing of 383% over last year; Asia and Europe are increasing at a stable rate (+70% and +168% respectively) while North American forged ahead with over 1,031%.
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