Chennai: Digital cinema technology company Qube Cinema plans to expand its EPIQ screens, its proprietary premium large-format (PLF) brand, to 30 screens in the country.It plans to roll out 30 EPIQ screens equipped with Dolby Vision and Atmos over the next three years. EPIQ currently has about 12 screens and is targeting about 20 by the end of the year, said Senthil Kumar V, co-founder of Qube Cinema.Premium large format (PLF) screen refers to bigger and better screens and projection technologies and an immersive viewing experience. Other PLF brands include IMAX and PVR’s PXL. “Growing demand for premium audiovisual formats and experiences is the reason behind the expansion and we expect the adoption from individual exhibitors initially before the national chains,” he said. “Audiences are increasingly willing to come to theatres when the experience is premium, even for smaller and intimate films, not just for blockbusters. Premium screens show higher occupancy and higher per-screen earnings, partly because ticket prices can be higher and demand is strong,” he said. He added that the demand was year-round, citing a steady pipeline of major titles and surprise theatre pulls.While EPIQ was already introducing Dolby Atmos, it has now added Dolby Vision, which improves picture brightness and contrast. Both Dolby Vision and Atmos are technologies developed by US-based Dolby Laboratories. “The shift to Dolby Vision improves picture quality significantly. Brightness has increased from about 63 nits to 108 nits, while the contrast ratio has improved from around 5,000:1 to virtually infinite,” he said.The first EPIQ screen with both Dolby Vision and Atmos is expected to open in Kerala later this year.EPIQ is currently available only in India but plans to expand internationally once more Hollywood studios support the format. “We will be taking it international. Sony recently came on board for the latest Spider-Man movie, but we need to get all the Hollywood studios on board and have them sign up for their bigger films,” Kumar said.Qube’s other businesses include Wire, a cloud-based movie delivery to theatres globally in 135 countries. It also has cinema advertising business, Cinema servers, mastering and localisation for international versions and accessibility services. Advertising and wire being the major revenue contributors. It also has a theatre management system and acquired UK-based cinema software provider Arts Alliance Media brand earlier this year.The rollout brings together Qube Cinema’s expertise in digital cinema technology and premium large-format solutions with Dolby’s premium offering for exhibitors, enabling audiences across the country to enjoy incredible brightness, deeper darks, and a lifelike sense of depth that renders colours and detail with unmatched precision, Qube said in a release.
