Cinema tech developer Christie announced that it has been issued a U.S patent by the U.S Patent and Trademark Office for hardware that will enable exhibitors to stream films directly to the homes of consumers in a way that supports their current business model.
In the early months of 2020, governments across the world began imposing strict lockdown measures in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. As a consequence, movie theaters were among the multitude of businesses forced to close their doors until the number of reported cases began to decrease in certain parts of the world, allowing some exhibitors to reopen provided they could adhere to precautionary measures. However, the fall season has seen a rise in the number of reported cases in these areas and more, prompting a second wave of theater closings.
Studios have responded to the pandemic by delaying the release of their tentpole projects or making them available on VOD, meaning even theaters that are able to remain open have few options to draw in audiences. In a statement, Brian Claypool, executive vice president, Cinema, Christie, explained how the patent could provide a solution by handing the capabilities of streaming technology to exhibitors. "This technology enables exhibitors to securely show customers premium cinematic content on their own terms, opening an additional potential revenue stream, in these difficult times," said Claypool. "We are always looking at ways to improve the cinema experience and support our exhibitors with the latest innovations, and this patent is another example of that. Offering premium content direct to consumers is now a reality and Christie’s patented approach places the dynamics of when, how, and for how much that content is made available to consumers directly in the hands of exhibitors to decide."
Operating with Christie's integrated media block, the patented hardware and software package will combine with the capabilities of the tech company's streaming and networking products to allow its partners to deliver content over IP networks directly from cinemas to homes. The system will deliver "high-value content" to streaming devices while adhering to the tech developer's strict security and quality specifications. According to Christie, it will also be able to support a wide range of content delivery options, including compressed H.265 streams at 4Mbps to uncompressed 8K at 120Hz at 100Gbps, with "unprecedented performance and zero latency over affordable Ethernet components." The patent was also issued in Europe and is currently pending in other regions.
Studios may also find the new Christie technology the ideal answer to their struggles amid the pandemic. While Disney opted to release its live-action remake of Mulan on its own streaming service for a premium cost and Warner Bros. decided to gradually release Christopher Nolan's Tenet starting at the end of the summer, the former is believed to have bombed and the latter is struggling to recoup its budget even after nearly two months in theaters.
On other hand, a lack of new releases isn't the only problem exhibitors face in the midst of the global pandemic. The inability to sell popcorn and other food items is proving to be an insurmountable challenge for some theaters, which make most of their money from concession stands.
Source: Christie