The latest version of the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) compliance testing is provisioning direct-view screens, and laser-illuminated projectors as having passed the Compliance Test Plan (CTP) in this current iteration.
DCI is a joint venture of Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal, and Warner Brothers. The primary purpose of DCI is to establish uniform specifications for digital cinema and also includes various procedures to test the security of devices. Testing is carried out by third parties according to the procedures set out in the CTP by DCI. Version 1 of the standard, back in 2005, was a way for the film studios to aid in the transition from 35 mm film to digital cinema, a cost saving to them and a major investment to the theater owners. In many ways, it created a very specific set of standards for digital playback of films that would give theater owners a level playing field when it came to identifying equipment that was acceptable while giving the film companies a consistent digital platform to show their movies.
Version 1.3.3 of the CTP now adds the latest screen technology, displays that are as applicable in home cinema as they are in professional cinemas. It’s both an endorsement of the quality of modern displays and an acknowledgement of the changing dynamics of film viewing.
