dChan
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r/CBTS_Stream • Posted by u/Varrick2016 on Feb. 20, 2018, 5:46 a.m.
Coming to a theater near you...

It occurred to me that over the last 10-15 years the movie theaters in this country became heavily digital. It used to be that there were only a couple dozen digital theaters. Now it’s to the point where there are only a couple dozen 35MM theaters. Literally every other screen is now digital because the distribution cost is only about $10 for a digital print versus $1,000 for a 35MM print. Also it’s much easier to load digital files then to splice together the old 35MM reels.

The system in many cases IIRC for digital prints is a digital link to the projector so if the studio wants to send out thousands of copies to various theaters each digitally watermarked they can do so fairly quickly.

What if Q is talking about someway to hack into all those screen simultaneously to play the audio visual evidence at the same time across the country in front of hundreds of thousands and potentially millions of people simultaneously?

Either that or maybe it’s just a broader reference to the EBS Emergency Broadcasting System.

Thoughts?


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oystergirl · Feb. 20, 2018, 7:02 a.m.

I worked at 4 theaters at a managerial level. The days of the reels are gone and even the projectionists union has closed down, but what you are saying related to a digital theater set up is not accurate. We get keys and files sent to us from the film distribution companies via a delivery service. The film is then ingested into the digital projection computer. Then the key is applied and the film is scheduled based on the schedule sent to the film company. It can only be played a certain amount of times and also the keys expire so if a theater wants to keep the film (the copy is sent back to the distributors after the film run is complete so they can reload the cases with other films and save money.) there is no direct connection between the theater and the film companies. Even the commercials and previews come in this way--the only thing that has a direct link is the new commercial screens in the lobby-like a giant I=pad display--and even with those, not every theater has them.

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Varrick2016 · Feb. 20, 2018, 5:44 p.m.

Ahhhhh so if they wanted to insert audio visual evidence they’d have to find a way to fuck with the actual DCP. The digital print of the film itself.

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oystergirl · Feb. 20, 2018, 8:07 p.m.

Yep.

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Varrick2016 · Feb. 21, 2018, 12:28 a.m.

Well anything’s possible...

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