On: Scratch that: Cats film to be 'resupplied' with 'improved visuals'

[yellow_lead]

It's interesting that producers still send physical copies to theaters.

[sigsergv → yellow_lead]

Those are not exactly physical copies, theaters are getting special cases with hard-drives, microcontrollers and encryption. Every presentation is accounted when played.

[mroche → sigsergv]

What the above comment is referring to is a DCP (Digital Cinema Package)[0].

However, not all locations/production houses are using the traditional DCP methodology. The Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition[1] has the goal of changing the distribution method to a satellite based digital download structure.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Cinema_Package

[1] https://www.dcdcdistribution.com/about-us/

[closeparen → mroche]

Why would you use satellites for this?

[mschuster91 → closeparen]

Sheer data size, iirc a DCP runs in the 300-500GB range per movie. Probably a couple hours on a distribution satellite for an entire country's worth of cinema are cheaper than managing the logistics of physical HDDs.

[vasco → mschuster91]

Just share it as a torrent to all movie theatres? They'll all seed each other.

[mschuster91 → vasco]

The problem is the laughable Internet downlink available especially in rural country parts - you're lucky to get 16/1 DSL there.

[reaperducer → closeparen]

Lots of commercial data goes via satellite and not internet. That's why so many gas stations have uplinks on their roofs.

[closeparen → reaperducer]

Sure, but why? Isn’t that insanely expensive compared to cable/DSL and VPN?

[toast0 → closeparen]

Broadcast encrypted data to theaters, send the licenses and decryption keys separately.

[ekianjo → yellow_lead]

Not all, I believe. There are theaters that get movies thru digital transmission as well. How much it is widespread, however, I don't know.

EDIT: https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2017/03/23/75-of... 75% of cinemas in the US get their movies digitally distributed.

[danso → ekianjo]

Incidentally, I tried to see the new Star Wars movie today. But the projector stopped working and the employees blamed it on a computer failure.

[yellow_lead → ekianjo]

That's cool. Thanks for the link and new information.