Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

New Case Study Details Cinemex Implementation of Qube Wire To Streamline Digital Cinema Operations

14/09/2018

New Case Study Details Cinemex Implementation of Qube Wire To Streamline Digital Cinema Operations

Published on Thursday, September 13, 2018

One of the benefits we have here at Celluloid Junkie is that smart people and innovative companies knock on our doors all the time with products and services for some of the industry's most confounding problems. Writing about such issues and their solutions has proven to be a great way to gain an in-depth knowledge of both.

Compiling a case study on a relatively new service that Cinemex, a leading Mexican theatre chain, has deployed at no financial cost to assist them with specific digital cinema operations is a perfect example. During our recent interview with Rajesh Ramachandran, the President and CTO of Qube Cinema, Inc. we learned a great deal more about one of its current flagship products; Qube Wire.

In part, Qube Wire is a free platform designed to solve one of the industry's self inflicted headaches; the trusted device list (TDL) of secure digital cinema equipment in each venue and the facility list message (FLM) meant to communicate the TDL to approved third parties. The need for such a service is predicated on an industry specified security mechanism that requires a key delivery message (KDM) to unlock digital content on a specific playback device during an assigned period of time.

Though other industries have long since overcome such security obstacles, I have always been fascinated how motion picture exhibitors and distributors declined to adopt a federated global TDL. Instead, the industry is filled with service companies that compile, maintain and fiercely guard their own individual TDLs so that they can be used as a competitive differentiator. So when Qube asked whether I could help them write a case study on a successful implementation of Qube Wire I jumped at the chance provided it could be done from an objective viewpoint. (Full disclosure: I was paid for my services).

To be sure, Qube isn't the only company to offer TDL and KDM services via an extensive platform, Arts Alliance Media and Deluxe Technicolor Digital Cinema (DTDC) launched a comparable offering in July. However, as I discovered in writing the case study, Cinemex provides a real world instance of such a service in action on a sizable scale. We were given permission to give CJ readers an advance peak at some of what we learned as the study is prepared for publication shorty.

Cinemex Background

Over the last 23 years Cinemex has grown from a single movie theatre in Mexico City to a chain that now operates 2,861 screens in 332 complexes located throughout Mexico. In 2017, the circuit began operations in the United States. Cinemex plans to continue developing its international footprint by moving into the European Union and continuing to expand in the U.S. through its CMX brand, a chain of upscale, luxury cinemas. A team of more than 14,000 employees oversees the company's daily operations.

An Industry-Wide Challenge

For an exhibitor like Cinemex, or of any size frankly, keeping track of digital cinema equipment throughout a circuit is a never-ending chore. Most often there are two playback devices - a server and a projector - for every screen. In November 2017, Cinemex was keeping track of model numbers, serial numbers, software versions and, most importantly, security certificates, for 5234 playback devices (2,695 servers and 2,539 projectors) across its network.

As is often the case with exhibitors, this information was being maintained manually by multiple Cinemex personnel through text documents, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and similar methods. If a playback device was removed from a theatre or new equipment brought in, records would need to be manually updated and sometimes there was uncertainty about which version of the device list was the most recent. As many theatre operators have discovered in the age of digital cinema, this can become a problem when content service providers request an FLM to make keys for upcoming releases being sent to a specific theatre. Cinemex received such requests on a routine basis and would distribute their device list as a spreadsheet.

Sometimes the wrong key would get delivered to one of the company's multiplexes when equipment had to be moved after the trusted device list had been distributed; a common occurrence in modern day cinemas. Such instances are why content service providers like DTDC and Motion Picture Solutions have begun requesting machine-generated Extended Facility List Messages, as standardized in SMPTE ST 430-16, to be transmitted to them using the FLM-x protocol standardized by SMPZTE ST 430-15. Thus, Cinemex needed to find a way to compile and distribute an accurate FLM for its entire circuit and publish it to multiple service providers through a single FLM-x feed.

In addition, Cinemex required a solution that would centralize the receipt and management of its keys. Originally, content and keys were delivered to a Cinemex theatre, they arrived via hard drive and email respectively. There was no way for a service provider to track or automatically confirm delivery and no way for Cinemex to manage the keys within a complex throughout the playback period. Because keys were being delivered to individual theatre email addresses there was no way for Cinemex personnel to easily recover a key should it go missing and the original email be unavailable without contacting the appropriate service provider to request a replacement key.

These challenges are not unique to Cinemex. Cinema operators around the globe have discovered receiving and managing keys on a theatre-by-theatre basis is rather inefficient and prone to errors.

Implementing A Solution

Cinemex began working with Qube in November of 2017 to implement a pilot of Qube Wire. Cinemex first provided Qube with their multiple facilit
LINK: https://www.qubecinema.com/news/new-case-study-details-cinemex-impleme...
See more stories from qube

More from Qube Cinema

05/01/2024

Qube Cinema appoints Juhi Ravindranath as Chief Business Officer

Qube Cinema appoints Juhi Ravindranath as Chief Business Officer She will be responsible for strengthening revenues across the advertisement sales network...

07/12/2023

The Goldenduck and Qube Wire partnership is to begin operations by the end of the year with over 60 locations electronically enabled

The Goldenduck and Qube Wire partnership is to begin operations by the end of th...

25/09/2023

Qube Wire and Goldenduck are bringing Electronic Delivery to Thailand, Vietnam and The Philippines

Qube Wire and Goldenduck are bringing Electronic Delivery to Thailand, Vietnam a...

06/07/2023

Digital Cinema Pioneers UFO and Qube to Create Joint Ventures for Advertising and Content Services

Digital Cinema Pioneers UFO and Qube to Create Joint Ventures for Advertising an...

06/07/2023

Qube and Broadway Cinemas launch Tamil Nadu's first EPIQ - Premium Large Format Cinema in Coimbatore

Qube and Broadway Cinemas launch Tamil Nadu's first EPIQ - Premium Large For...

20/06/2023

Qube Wire and CutPro rollout digital distribution in Hungary

Qube Wire and CutPro rollout digital distribution in Hungary Qube Cinema and CutPro are delighted to announce the signing of a new partnership agreement P...

06/06/2023

Qube Wire and Auwe Digital surpass 100 Theatre Installs in Brazil

Qube Wire and Auwe Digital surpass 100 Theatre Installs in Brazil Content is delivered directly to theatres via broadband Internet Published on Tuesday, Ju...

23/05/2023

Embracing Discovery: Qube Cinema Kicks Off Research Initiatives with Qube Labs

Embracing Discovery: Qube Cinema Kicks Off Research Initiatives with Qube Labs Qube Veteran Andre Lopes to Lead as Director. Erik Weaver Joins as Advisor, I...

15/05/2023

Annapurna Studios and Qube Cinema Launch State-of-the-Art Virtual Production Stage in Hyderabad

Annapurna Studios and Qube Cinema Launch State-of-the-Art Virtual Production Sta...

08/02/2023

Statement

Statement Published on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 We are happy to announce that Qube Cinema has acquired the domain name and social media handles for Movi...

01/02/2023

Esprance Ngandu joins Qube's team for Digital Distribution across Africa

Esp rance Ngandu joins Qube's team for Digital Distribution across Africa Published on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 February 1, 2023: Qube Cinema is pro...

01/12/2022

PVR Cinemas Selects Qube Wire For Electronic Content Delivery To Over 850 Screens Across India

PVR Cinemas Selects Qube Wire For Electronic Content Delivery To Over 850 Screen...

22/11/2022

Mega Filem Enterprise and Qube Wire partner on electronic content delivery

Mega Filem Enterprise and Qube Wire partner on electronic content delivery Mega & Qube will install and operate an electronic delivery network across movie ...

17/10/2022

Qube Cinema introduces the Virtual WireTAP

Qube Cinema introduces the Virtual WireTAP This software solution connects theatres to Qube Wire without any investment in additional hardware Published on...

29/07/2022

Qube Wire Grows in South East Asia

Qube Wire Grows in South East Asia Ian Riches joins Qube's team for Digital Distribution Published on Friday, July 29, 2022 Qube Cinema is proud to an...

11/04/2022

Annapurna Studios and Qube Cinema announce launch of full-service virtual production stage in Hyderabad

Annapurna Studios and Qube Cinema announce launch of full-service virtual produc...

01/02/2022

Qube Cinema introduces WireTAP Air for content delivery to theatres via 5G and 4G networks

Qube Cinema introduces WireTAP Air for content delivery to theatres via 5G and 4...

18/10/2021

EIKON Group and Qube Wire partner to launch Qube EIKON Distribution Services' in Australia and NZ

EIKON Group and Qube Wire partner to launch Qube EIKON Distribution Services...

11/12/2020

Qube and Scrabble bring electronic movie delivery to the Middle East with WireTAP installations at theatres across 14 countries

Qube and Scrabble bring electronic movie delivery to the Middle East with WireTA...

15/10/2020

Qube announces film distribution package for producers which discounts VPF for new releases by 50%

Qube announces film distribution package for producers which discounts VPF for n...

01/07/2020

Congratulations Senthil Kumar, Co-Founder, Qube Cinema, on being invited to be a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Congratulations Senthil Kumar, Co-Founder, Qube Cinema, on being invited to be a...

06/12/2019

Qube Wire delivers Studiocanal's Knives Out and Bombshell to 48 theatres in Australia and New Zealand via electronic delivery network

Qube Wire delivers Studiocanals Knives Out and Bombshell to 48 theatres in Austr...

08/11/2019

Woman-run Melbourne Company Dominates Australian Independent Film Industry

Woman-run Melbourne Company Dominates Australian Independent Film Industry Her Company, Mind Blowing Films wins the Highest Grossing Foreign Film Award at A...

18/10/2019

Prakash Bakrania joins the Qube Wire Team

Prakash Bakrania joins the Qube Wire Team Handling Qube Wire Operations for Europe Published on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 California, USA, October 15, 201...

24/09/2019

Lewis Thorne joins the Qube Wire Team

Lewis Thorne joins the Qube Wire Team Handling Qube Wire Operations across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji Published on Monday, September 23, 2019 Califor...

19/09/2019

Qube Cinema Launches EPIQ India's First Immersive Cinema Experience

Qube Cinema Launches EPIQ India's First Immersive Cinema Experience A Premium Large Format that offers a larger-than-life viewing experience Published ...

03/04/2019

Qube Wire Streamlines Operations for Theater Chains

Qube Wire Streamlines Operations for Theater Chains Empowers over 42,000 screens across the world Published on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 Las Vegas, April 2, ...

01/02/2019

EIDR Registers 2 Millionth Unique ID

EIDR Registers 2 Millionth Unique ID Paramount, SONY, NBCU contribute to doubling the size of registered content in less than half the time it took to get t...

11/12/2018

Qube Wire Provides Flm-X Data Feed Capabilities to Exhibitors as A Free Service

Qube Wire Provides Flm-X Data Feed Capabilities to Exhibitors as A Free Service Published on Monday, December 10, 2018 Qube Cinema, a leading provider of e...

07/12/2018

Mar del Plata Film Festival Chooses Qube Wire Platform for Content Distribution and Delivery

Mar del Plata Film Festival Chooses Qube Wire Platform for Content Distribution ...

26/11/2018

Ravening,' Eeb Alley Ooo!' Win Awards at India's Film Bazaar

Ravening,' Eeb Alley Ooo!' Win Awards at India's Film Bazaar Published on Saturday, November 24, 2018 Published in Variety on Saturday, Novemb...

24/11/2018

NFDC & Moviebuff announce Moviebuff Appreciation awards for Film Bazaar 2018

NFDC & Moviebuff announce Moviebuff Appreciation awards for Film Bazaar 2018 Awards aimed at recognising new upcoming filmmakers Published on Thursday, Nov...

24/10/2018

Jio MAMI 20th Mumbai Film Festival with Star selects Qube Wire for movie distribution and delivery

Jio MAMI 20th Mumbai Film Festival with Star selects Qube Wire for movie distrib...

14/09/2018

New Case Study Details Cinemex Implementation of Qube Wire To Streamline Digital Cinema Operations

New Case Study Details Cinemex Implementation of Qube Wire To Streamline Digital...

03/09/2018

Qube Cinema Announces Moviebuff First Clap Season 2 Winners

Qube Cinema Announces Moviebuff First Clap Season 2 Winners Aspiring filmmakers deliver social messages via short film format Published on Saturday, Septem...

29/06/2018

200+ Theatres to start screening Moviebuff FirstClap short film contest finalists' content from 29th June 2018

200 Theatres to start screening Moviebuff FirstClap short film contest finalist...

12/06/2018

CJ Interview: Qube Cinema's Rajesh Ramachandran On The Past, Present and Future of Qube Wire

CJ Interview: Qube Cinema's Rajesh Ramachandran On The Past, Present and Fut...

12/06/2018

Qube Cinema Highlights Qube Wire's Movie Distribution Workflow Features at CineEurope 2018

Qube Cinema Highlights Qube Wires Movie Distribution Workflow Features at CineEu...

07/06/2018

Notice for Equity and Preference Shareholders

Notice for Equity and Preference Shareholders Published on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 NOTICE FOR EQUITY SHAREHOLDERS - Notice for the Court Convened Meeting of...

04/06/2018

Spreading the 'Real' Digital Cinema Revolution

Spreading the Real Digital Cinema Revolution Published on Friday, June 1, 2018 If there is one biggest digital cinema technologycompany in India spreading ...

08/05/2018

New York Indian Film Festival selects Qube Cinema's Qube Wire platform for movie content distribution and delivery

New York Indian Film Festival selects Qube Cinema's Qube Wire platform for m...

25/04/2018

Qube Cinema unveils new Qube Wire features at CinemaCon 2018

Qube Cinema unveils new Qube Wire features at CinemaCon 2018 Broadband and satellite delivery to theatres, Universal Inbox, SMPTE FLM-x data feed, Wire Safe...

24/04/2018

Qube Wire service expands worldwide

Qube Wire service expands worldwide World's leading digital key management and global content distribution platform now services 105 countries Publishe...

13/04/2018

Qube Cinema ties up with Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles

Qube Cinema ties up with Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles Qube Wire ensures secure and reliable movie content delivery at the 16th edition of IFFLA Publ...

03/04/2018

Oscar nod for Chennai firm

Oscar nod for Chennai firm Published on Friday, March 30, 2018 In the recently-concluded 90th Academy Awards function, Jonathan Erland was given the Gordon...

22/01/2018

Moviebuff and 2D Entertainment Announce First Clap Season 2

Moviebuff and 2D Entertainment Announce First Clap Season 2 Platform for Aspiring Filmmakers Published on Saturday, January 20, 2018 Chennai, January 20,...

19/12/2017

Showbiz What Marketing Has Done For Movies

Showbiz What Marketing Has Done For Movies Published on Monday, December 18, 2017 Published in Impact Magazine With just 52 Fridays in a year and over a t...

14/12/2017

Qube Delivers Premium Immersive Audio Experience to Cinemas

Qube Delivers Premium Immersive Audio Experience to Cinemas Published on Friday, December 1, 2017 Published in Theatre World Magazine Qube Cinemas Immersi...