Sony and QuVIS Team to Deliver 4K Digital Cinema Projection System
Oct 28, 2005 4:24 PM
This week at ShowEast, Sony and QuVIS announced the availability of QuVIS’ Cinema Server, which has been developed by QuVIS to work with Sony’s SXRD 4K digital cinema projector. The combination of the Sony SXRD 4K projector and QuVIS’ 4K capable server offers exhibitors the core infrastructure necessary for a new era of cinema technology.
With Sony’s SXRD projector already establishing 4K digital cinema as a technological reality, the 4K-readiness of QuVIS’ Cinema Server now adds one more layer of practical reality for exhibitors, offering them the core infrastructure necessary for displaying digital motion pictures in the highest resolution and quality available.
Sony is bringing its SXRD projector, which is now available and shipping to customers, to ShowEast fresh off a successful demo last week in Hollywood, where the final, market-ready version of the projector was unveiled. The joint development relationship with QuVIS marks the continuing evolution of both companies’ digital cinema technologies.
“When we designed our third-generation digital cinema and mastering servers, we understood what the industry might want in terms of resolution, bandwidth and interfaces,” says Kenbe Goertzen, CEO of QuVIS. “When Sony approached us to pursue development of a 4K DCI-compliant server, it was entirely consistent with our road-map and thus became more a matter of resource allocation than a complete redesign of an existing product. We are very excited to be supporting their 4K projector.”
Designed as a platform for digital cinema playback, the QuVIS Cinema Player offers a range of options today, including 2K, 3D, DCI JPEG2000, MXF and AES encryption and key management. The QuVIS Cinema Player 4K is the logical next step for the QuVIS Cinema Player range of options, and, according to QuVIS, in conjunction with the Sony SXRD technology, eliminates debate about the “possibility” of a future 4K system. Both QuVIS and Sony have the resources and commitment to deliver solutions that meet or exceed the DCI spec.
“Enabling the effective implementation of digital cinema is more than developing a new product,” says John Scarcella, president of Sony Electronics’ Broadcast and Business Solutions Company. “It’s about offering exhibitors a more complete and cost-effective system solution, and that’s what we’ve been able to achieve by working with QuVIS. Their server architecture was clearly the ideal complement for our SXRD projector, in terms of their technology’s scalability and flexibility.”
Sony’s SXRD 4K digital cinema projector features a 4096×2160 pixel resolution to produce nearly four times the pixel count of current high definition TV displays. Complementing the projectors’ outstanding pixel resolution is a high contrast ratio for deep blacks, outstanding picture uniformity and superb signal processing, including 4:2:2 to 4:4:4, which yields better tonal reproduction.
“We’ve continually worked to improve and refine our SXRD technology to ultimately deliver the type of moviegoing experience that theater patrons desire,” says John Kaloukian, general manager of display systems for Sony Electronics. “This relationship with QuVIS is part of our ongoing effort to work with leading companies to develop the highest-quality digital cinema solutions.”
