IndiesHD

The next big wave in Digital Cinema is from India by Real Image Media Technologist and its called QUBE Cinema.

QUBE Cinema provide the ultimate combination of quality, reliability, ease-of-use, security and flexibility. The architecture has been designed based on 15 years of industry expertise and experience in cinema, audio, video and computers based Post-production solutions provided by Real Image and Media Artist, an subsidiary of Real Image.

About Real Image Media Technologist
They were the company who brought Avid editing and DTS Cinema Sound to India. Over 1500 DTS Cinemas theaters installed in India till date and 1000 Indian DTS films licensed by them..

End to end Digital Cinema Solutions from QUBE

QubeXP-D
Standards-based and aimed at the D-cinema market. Manuals can be downloaded here (552 Kb)

QubeXP-E
Aimed at the E-cinema and Pre-show market. Manuals can be downloaded here ( 542 Kb)

QubeMini
Digital Cinema for Alternative Venues. Manuals in PDF here (2151 Kb)

QubeMaster
Encode, encrypt and package content for Digital Cinema. Manuals in PDF here (1063 Kb)

QubeCast
Multicast digital content via satellite, data networks. Multicast of shows from central server to multiple theaters using patented Digital FountainTM technology

QubeCentral
Control, monitor, manage digital cinema networks for back-end operations

QubeShare
Shared storage of digital media over Ethernet networks up to to 32 screens

QubePlex
Control, monitor multiple screens in Multiplex and central unit status view and scheduling

QUBE Cinema Advantages:

⁃ Software-based design and easily upgradeable and flexible.
⁃ Reliability based on next generation database-driven design.
⁃ Redundant hot-swap power supplies and RAID 1,0 based hard drives.
⁃ DCI based model for Picture quality, Sound and Subtitling
⁃ Runs on Windows XP Embedded OS and runs on Microsoft DirectShow and .NET framework, an Microsoft case study
⁃ 128-bit AES standard encryption of Media based on DCI specification
⁃ Control over start date and end date for each media package and keys are 2048-bit RSA encrypted as specified by DCI and tamper proof system time hardware
⁃ Watermarking on media results on identification of Unit ID, Play date and time.
⁃ Its is simple theatre device which has USB Remote Control Panel which has Play, Pause and Stop controls which elminates the projectionist learning curve
⁃ Web-based UI and manged remotely from QUBE headquarters
⁃ File Formats – MXF, AVI and ASF and supports MPEG elementary and transport streams
⁃ Compression – DCI JPEG2000, MPEG-2 4:2:2, 4:2:0 and Windows Media 9 4:2:0 formats and upgradable with software codecs including MPEG-4 & H.264.
⁃ Sound – 1-bit and 24-bit audio at 48KHz and 96KHz sampling rates. Also decodes Windows Media 9, AC3 and MPEG audio.
⁃ Mulitple Picture, Sound & Subtitling where tracks are identified by language in QUBEMaster
⁃ Display Aspect Handling – System adjust based on aspect ratio of display and anamorphic lens and auto-resize images to display correct aspect ratio and pixel accurate pass through of data when no resizing
⁃ Automatic resume playback on power failure
⁃ Automation using IP, Serail Port and GPI. Provides API for interfacing to third party software.
⁃ One server can be used for multiple markets like pre-show, e-cinema and d-cinmea markets and Multi-unit synchronization
⁃ On-line reporting as logs and condition of theatre units
⁃ Media can be transported to QUBE server from physical media deviceslike USB-2 & FireWire Hard Drives or DVD-ROM discs as well as Data lines and through Satellite links

White Paper on QUBE Cinema workflow can be downloaded here (213 Kb)

Entire Manuals and Literature can be downloaded here

Total installed theaters in India, US and Kuwait over 170 and increasing day by day. Over 120 screens till date in Tamil Nadu, India including Sathyam and Abirami complexes. Major theatre network installed so far are E-City (Zee), India – Landmark Group, USA – Redecine, Portugal, Europe – Cinescape, kuwait – Nation Film Board, Canada – Caribbean Cinemas, Puerto Rico

I have the pleasure of watching Digital Cinema in theater near me 1 year before and the quality of Picture and Sound are excellent. We have started Media Traning Institute and plan to run our ADs in QUBE. Seen the first screening and fully satisfied.

I also have the opportunity to talk with people behind Qube Cinema. The 40% of theater structure in Tamil Nadu is going for a revamp to QUBE digital cinema.

For the next time you see a digital cinema theater near you double check whether its QUBE.

There are also other players in this field from India. Will write about them in coming days.