The announcement has finally been made and I can at last talk openly about something very exciting that we have been doing for the past four months. As of Christmas last year Adlabs has started its Indian film releases to its US cinemas using the submarine fibre optic cable owned and operated by our sister company Reliance Globalcom. The press release is out:
Reliance Globalcom’s privately owned global fiber-optic network has enabled Adlabs to move its content more efficiently, dramatically reducing delivery times by 50-90 percent while securing the encrypted content during the transport process. Adlabs found the dedicated optical-fiber communication (OFC) network to be a superior transport method, as it exceeds the film industry’s requirements for speed, security and reliability.
“Reliance Globalcom’s global network acts as an international digital artery that allows Adlabs to offer content and media services globally,” said Anil Arjun, CEO, Adlabs Films. “With Reliance Globalcom’s extensive fiber assets, multi-metro connectivity and service assurance, we have the agility to serve the industry by moving film and media assets quickly and securely anywhere in the world. This means more movies and HD content like broadcasts of national sporting events and ceremonies can reach the big screen faster, more efficiently and in more locations around the world.”
Adlabs has successfully distributed many films over Reliance Globalcom’s fiber network, including the latest Indian hits such as Ghajini, Luck by Chance and Delhi 6. The films were all mastered in the DCI-approved 2K format in Mumbai by Adlabs Digital Cinema, sent over OFC to New York and screened in Adlabs’ BIG Cinemas digital cinemas in New Jersey and California. In comparison to the industry’s traditional method for delivering digitized films (i.e., physical shipments via a courier system), Adlabs preferred Reliance Globalcom’s global infrastructure for various key benefits.
What the press release doesn't say is that Ghajini was set to open on 23rd December (never an easy date), and not having done this sort of thing before, we sent a hard drive back up to be on the safe side three days before the film's opening. Despite there being a direct flight Mumbai-New York, the courier company (which shall remian nameless) sent the drive Mumbai-Frankfurt-London-Chicago-Newark, where it arrived December 28th, i.e. five days after the film had opened. After that we never looked back. Optical fibre connectivity (OFC) was the only way ahead.
Variety did a good write up of this announcement:
Anil Arjun, CEO of Adlabs Films, told Daily Variety that costs "are competitive with shipping (hard disks). But shipping has hidden costs, because there are time delay costs, there are delays in customs."
More than one optionAdlabs also plans to bring movies and alternative content from India and other foreign-language territories to niche auds in Reliance's American theaters. Adlabs' Big chain owns 21 theaters with 166 screens in the U.S., targeted at areas with large immigrant communities. The entire chain should be converted to digital production within 18 months.
Adlabs has already used the Reliance Globalcom network to send recent Indian pics "Ghajini," "Luck by Chance" and "Delhi 6" to screens in New Jersey and California.
To date we have done about ten titles and we would have done plenty more, if it had not been for the current dispute betwene Indian distributors and multiplex operators that is blocking any new releases.
Next we are looking to expand this to other parts of the world. Reliance Globalcom covers a ring around the world with its OFC network, so Bollywood will soon be coming to a cinema near you via a secure deep sea cable.
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