Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Satellite Delivery?

This is topic Satellite Delivery? in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Belinda Schull (Member # 7997) on 12-01-2013, 07:15 PM:

Hello guys our teather want to upgrade to satellite delivery system it worth? Does anyone know what satellite use deluxe? Is the same as technicolor? You can get deluxe and technicolor with the same dish and server? We have a bulding beside that blocks some satellites, I hear technicolor use amc 15, is the same for deluxe? How this system works? and the most important question for you guys who already use this system, Is it better than receiving hard disks? Thanks in advance! [Smile]

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 12-02-2013, 12:07 AM:

I had both Technicolor and Deluxe satellite delivery at my previous theatre, and both systems used different dishes and different units to store the transmitted information. At my current theatre, we do not have satellite delivery yet, but will be getting the new Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition units soon, but I do not know yet what system it will be using.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 12-04-2013, 10:18 AM:

we looked into it considering the rural nature of our locationsbut deluxe was clear that they could not provide product after 3 weeks of break

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-04-2013, 11:58 AM:

I thought satellite delivery was, the content all arrived automatically, and the "keys" were sent when a title is booked. ...?

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 12-04-2013, 10:42 PM:

they provide a server that all content is fed to then the theatres confirmed booking sends it and keys to the theatres tms
deluxe purges content from there server 3 weeks approx after break

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 12-05-2013, 12:03 AM:

Mike, you are correct that the content is delivered automatically. However, it's often an issue to get them to publish the content to your LMS if you open off the break or have a late booking on the break. And if it's more than 3-4 weeks after the satellite distribution, the content may be purged to make room for the new content.

As for the original question: My theatre has had satellite for both Deluxe and Technicolor for over a year and it's awesome. We get about 90-95% of our content by satellite and it's often there by the weekend before the movie opens. We do have separate dishes and servers for both Deluxe and Technicolor, but I think they both use the same satellite.

The new DCDC system that is just coming on-line should have every wide release title going through just one provider, and only require one dish.

Unless there are specific reasons why you can't use satellite, I see absolutely zero reason not to get it. Besides the convenience, you'll also save money on content delivery. Even if a title is delivered on hard drive, you should be billed at the satellite price which is about 50% cheaper.

The one downside is that if you open a movie late, but still within the first 3-4 weeks, they almost always want to send a hard drive automatically. When we open a title in this window, I just call Deluxe or Technicolor and ask them to see if the content is still on the satellite server to be pushed out to our LMS. I've had to deal with a few flunky operators who don't understand the content is sitting on a server in my projection room, but almost without exception I've been able to get the satellite content.

Posted by Trenton Thompson (Member # 7103) on 12-06-2013, 06:57 PM:

How do you get Technicolor and Deluxe to respond about satellite? I've called so many times and each time they take my info and then say that the satellite department will call the next day. Never do I get a reply from that department. So I reverted to emailing them and nothing as well. Funny thing is if they just send the equipment I can install it myself minus lining up the satellite which I'm sure I can get a local guy to do. [Roll Eyes]

Any advice getting them to respond? Or possibly how to sign up for this new Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition group?

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-25-2014, 03:13 PM:

Apparently one of the meetings at CinemaCon is going to be about satellite distribution. I'm not there this year but maybe somebody who is can report back on what's happening.

I was talking to our booker yesterday (who IS at CinemaCon) and he was planning to go to the meeting. He already told me that the studios want to move quickly getting satellite to be more widespread. I asked how long it might take before it filters down to small places like mine, and he said "I think you'll be on satellite before the end of the year."

I said, "Before the end of THIS year?" and he said yes, it's probably going to happen that fast.

I have a hard time believing it but he's usually pretty right on about this kind of thing. So, we'll wait and see.

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 04-12-2014, 08:27 PM:

Has anyone presented Frozen or Hunger Games Catching Fire from a satellite delivery? I understand it takes up to 9 hours to transmit.

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 04-12-2014, 09:35 PM:

When the first Muppet movie was released, we had the Technicolor satellite system, and there was a problem with the original transmission where a single packet didn't get delivered right and corrupted the entire file. They deleted the file and reuploaded it (about 130GBs as I recall) in about five minutes.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 04-13-2014, 06:28 AM:

Certainly not 130GByte in 5 minutes. The whole feature may have had 130GByte. Typical aggregated broadcast bandwith for DCP satellite transmission (typically two transponders bundled) is 60-140MBIT/s. Now break that down to GByte and arrive at 2-3 hours for 130GByte. And only if you'd had both transponders available for your retransmission alone (which will never happen).

Lost/retransmitted blocks are a lot smaller typically.

DCPs are usually structured in reels, just like film. The largest single file structure within a DCP would be something like one reel video segment, e.g. around 20GByte.

But the block segmentation for satellite broadcasts is much smaller. It would be a nightmare if corrupt data would need to be retransmitted in 20GB chunks. For transmission, they are broken down in smaller portitions for frequent checks and retransmission and better balancing.

- Carsten

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 04-13-2014, 08:27 AM:

quote: Edward Havens
When the first Muppet movie was released, we had the Technicolor satellite system

You must have had a very early and completely unheard of prototype.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079588/

[Confused]

Posted by Steve Moore (Member # 4753) on 04-13-2014, 11:41 AM:

Ken, I think Edward meant the 2nd 1st Muppet Movie [Wink]

When the 1979 1st one was out, I don't even think we had colour installed - I think we were still using black and white xenons! [Big Grin]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-13-2014, 03:22 PM:

In two or three years internet speeds will be quadrupling at the very least thanks to new hardware developments. This will render Satellite downlink downloads obsolete in terms of speed and network availability. As far back in the dark ages as Utah is we are almost 100% fiber in this State unless you get your internet from Comcrap.

From a Cisco article: " The average fixed broadband speed is expected to increase four-fold, from 7 megabits per second in 2010 to 28 Mbps in 2015. The average broadband speed has already doubled within the past year from 3.5 Mbps to 7 Mbps."

Well, we are about there now.

Mark

Posted by Jeff Kane (Member # 6372) on 04-13-2014, 08:53 PM:

Satellite is still preferable as it's so much more efficient for multicast distribution. Broadcast a DCP once, every theater that needs it can download it at the same time.

Do the same over traditional broadband links and it's much more resource intensive. Say a given DCP is 130GB. That's almost 2 hours to download at 155Mbps to one theater, IF you could find a connection that fast. Broadband speeds are evolving in the US but slowly. Then Technicolor and Deluxe have to have enough bandwidth to be able to send out all that to however many theaters are getting the DCP. Satellite is just more efficient for moving the same data to many places.

Posted by Alexander Tarakin (Member # 7140) on 04-16-2014, 06:54 PM:

Hi
How long it takes to pull the film to library with satellite connection? For example a film 130 GB
And you think that it is the best way to get the movies?, Or have a better way
And if the movie comes with subtitles as soon as I pull it through the satellite connection?
Our cinematic want to move to better way to getting the movies

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 04-16-2014, 08:23 PM:

Well, first of all you have to find out what service is available in your area. Satellite services are regional services.

Do you know any satellite providers for DCI content for your region?

- Carsten

Posted by Alexander Tarakin (Member # 7140) on 04-17-2014, 10:57 AM:

hi
we get the dcp from deluxe and Technicolor
i am sure they can connect us to satellite. or give us company that can provide satellite connection

Posted by Vegard Olsen (Member # 8102) on 04-26-2014, 09:47 AM:

Just chiming in here. Most most content delivery in Norway are done over broadband. That includes features, trailers and adverts. This goes for more or less all cinemas, except a few outcasts without access to big enough tubes.