For studios, one goal of the migration from film to Digital Cinema is cost reduction. At the NIST meeting, John Fithian of the National Association of Theatre Owners, pointed out the other side. On the surface, it sounds like yet another episode in the long feud between exhibitors and studios, who have never trusted each other on ticket counts or anything else. With digital cinema, real-time performances are possible through elaborate satellite and fiber optic networks. Extensive storage at theaters would allow an even more massive roster of titles to be available at the multiplex.
Experts acknowledge that the digital movie-going experience needs improvement.
For example, today's best digital projectors now deliver barely 1.5 million pixels per frame, compared with about 8 million pixels for film displays. On the other hand, digital presentations don't get the scratches and tears of film. Technical papers presented at the NIST meeting suggest that manufacturers and carriers are rapidly accelerating their ability to match film's quality in digital cinema displays. The technologists are also working on archiving, distribution and security systems that will further justify conversion to the digital technology. The digital cinema transformation may take decades and is likely to encounter unexpected changes in technology and tastes.