Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Wednesday, Jun 28, 2006
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Wednesday, Jun 28, 2006 |
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Marketing
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New Products & Services Variety - Cinema Industry & Economy - Science & Technology Pyramid Saimira rolls out new film tech Our Bureau
Making it easier The technology will cut ticket cost by over half. Movies can be released simultaneously across several theatres. Satellite distribution will create a bankable structured revenue system for institutionalised funding.
Bangalore , June 27 For all those who abandoned watching cinema in theatres long ago, here is some good news: it will be easier to watch movies at nearly half the cost you pay at multiplexes and at theatres which are closer to you and are cleaner and safer. The Chennai-based Pyramid Saimira Theatre Ltd is setting up an integrated network operating centre which will convert films into digital mode, transmit them using satellite medium to theatres in a secured encrypted mode. By doing away with physical film prints, up to Rs 70,000 per movie per theatre will be saved and for each theatre, the savings will be worth Rs 20 lakh every year. "The technology will bring back the middle-class to the movies,'' says Pyramid Saimira Managing Director, Mr P.S. Saminathan, told Business Line. The company is investing around Rs 350 crore into taking on lease theatres across the country where movies will be screened using this technology. It will take on lease theatres for 15-20 years and the owners will get a monthly rental. On its part, the company will also renovate each of the theatres at a cost of Rs 60 lakh. It has started using the new technology to screen movies in nearly 150 theatres across Tamil Nadu. "Our technology will cut the cost of the ticket by over half and as we don't have to pay high rentals, we will be able to screen movies at lower cost,'' Mr Saminathan said.
No distribution problem
He said this would also allow independent producers to screen their movies at reduced costs. "Some of the best movies get screened only at film festivals because the producers don't have the money to distribute themselves. This will not be a problem anymore,'' he said. Mr Saminathan said the new technology nearly eliminates piracy because movies can be released simultaneously across several theatres. It has several benefits: similar to the hotel industry, there will be separation of ownership of the property from the service provider. The last mile delivery platform will create a level playing filed between content and reach and thereby eliminate intermediaries. Satellite distribution will enable carpet release of films across locations and transparency in collection will create a bankable structured revenue system for institutionalised funding. By 2007, Pyramid Saimira plans to have a chain of 100 theatres and by 2010, around 2,000 screens of its own and 4,000 screens on lease and a turnover of around Rs 4,500 crore.
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