EchoStar teams with Deluxe for digital cinema network

Deluxe Digital Cinema and EchoStar Satellite Services have announced plans to launch a joint venture that will develop a digital cinema satellite distribution network targeting delivery to digitally equipped theaters in the United States and Canada.

This Deluxe/EchoStar Network will deliver traditional 2-D and 3-D feature films, live events, special content and other programming developed specifically for digitally-equipped theaters at the highest quality.

The two companies began testing sites around the country about a year ago to determine how best to develop the network, according to Cyril Drabinsky, president and CEO, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group.

“The results confirmed that delivering feature films through our satellite network would provide optimum quality and reliability for our customers and present an open platform for easily accommodating a variety of digital delivery services,” he said.

Deluxe Entertainment Services Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings and offers a broad range of entertainment industry services and technologies to major Hollywood Studios and an international client base. These services include motion picture film processing, printing and distribution; EFILM digital intermediates; post-production and subtitling services; titles design and digital VFX; DVD compression, encoding and authoring; digital cinema services, digital asset management, digital distribution; and marketing fulfillment services.

Laboratory and post-production facilities are located in North America, Europe, and Australia. Deluxe Digital Studios offer home entertainment services in North America, Europe and India.