Silver Trak Digital has partnered with IPSTAR, a leading broadband and satellite support provider and KenCast to provide Cinecastar, a revolutionary new method for providing rapid cinema content distribution in Australia and New Zealand.
The service, currently operational throughout the US, takes the traditional DCP, uploads it to the KenCast secured cloud-based distribution platform and server and automates the forward transmission and download to participant cinemas wherever connected in Australia and New Zealand.
Silver Trak COO, Christian Christiansen explained, “The cost and efficiency advantages of using Cinecastar are significant with the removal of physical HDD delivery and the instant recognition of content delivery.”
Silver Trak Digital’s extensive experience in processing, creating and QC analysis of DCPs plays an integral part in the preparation of the content for satellite transmission and is completely integrated into the delivery service alongside the company’s traditional services including DCP creation, KDM management and HDD delivery.
Christiansen continued, “There are major benefits to distributors and exhibitors including reduced total cost of ownership by providing a secure and efficient end-to-end IP delivery platform. We are also using proven KenCast technology that securely and efficiently delivers content to over 2,700 cinemas in the US and reports on delivery of that content.”
IPSTAR also owns the satellite bandwidth and provides a dedicated one-stop-shop service from the satellite down to the earth station that connects it to the company’s data centre in Sydney where DCPs are ingested. Thus, the service is not reliant on the service performance or limits of exhibitors’ individual internet connections.
Christian Christiansen concluded, “With IPSTAR owning and controlling the satellite bandwidth, Cinecastar can immediately scale bandwidth as required to meet demand which means we can always ensure reliability of service. We can also offer excellent disaster recovery as, in the event of cinema site equipment failure, we have a backup system whereby we send HDDs directly to the affected site at no extra cost to any party. In parallel we arrange a service call for the site at no extra cost to exhibitors. In short our Cinecastar system is cheaper and more efficient than the current method of shipping content around the country via couriers which is good news for the vast majority of cinemas in Australia and New Zealand.”