Carlton Screen Advertising, the UK’s leading cinema advertising contractor, has announced plans to introduce digital equipment to many of its screens.
Cinema owners have seized on digital projection as a means of transmitting alternative content to film and experiments have already taken place to ascertain the viability of presenting live pop concerts, football matches and interactive gaming.
After a two-year long evaluation, CSA has now signed global licensing agreements with Unique Digital for their specialist software and Christie Digital Systems for projector equipment.
The project will use satellite to distribute content to an initial selection of 150 CSA screens in the UK and Eire by the end of July. The coverage will include UCI, Odeon, Cine-UK and Independent sites.
The CSA plans to install projectors and digital equipment to about 1,000 screens by the close of 2004. The ultimate aim, achievable in 2006, is to switch the whole cinema advertising programme from 35mm film to digital.
Geraint Davies, Commercial Director of Carlton Screen Advertising commented: “Digital projection in the cinema environment offers the advertiser even greater flexibility, interactivity and accountability, all at a lower entry cost, with the need for bulk 35mm prints becoming obsolete in the very near future. We therefore feel we are leading the market with this investment and long-term planning into digital cinema.”
