In this new series, Kevin Draper explains cinema technology, starting with our IMB-S4
An integrated media block, or IMB, is a vital piece of technology that helps bring movies to the big screen. It’s responsible for receiving, decoding, and processing the digital movie files that are distributed to theatres. Without the IMB, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the latest films in cinemas.
In this new, limited series, product manager Kevin Draper explains cinema technology, starting with our IMB-S4.
What does an IMB do?
Kevin Draper (KD): An IMB is a circuit board that’s installed inside a cinema projector. It allows the playback of a movie by decoding the digital content and displaying it on the screen via the projector.
Kevin explains the IMB-S4.
Most cinema content is encrypted using a key delivery message (KDM). KDMs enable the playback of content over a specific time and date range. For example, you’re a theatre operator and you’d like to show “F1” or “How to Train Your Dragon”. You would request the KDM from the film distributor, and the IMB will ingest those keys, decode the movie, and play it for the length of time requested.
Christie's experience designing IMBs
KD: Christie began manufacturing IMBs in 2012, and they are tightly integrated with our projectors, which include the user interface. This is unlike third-party IMBs, which have a separate interface and usually, a separate laptop or equivalent to access the IMB.
Why did we develop the IMB-S4?
"Christie has manufactured IMBs since 2012, integrating them and the user interface into our projectors—unlike third-party IMBs, which require separate interfaces and devices."
KD: We wanted to provide a single-source solution for cinema projection. And the new IMB takes advantage of the capabilities that are available in our CineLife+ Series 4 processing electronics.
Series 4 processing electronics are quite advanced, and it allowed us to create an IMB that can play content at 4K at 96fps. This enables directors to show their films as intended. For instance, the premium large format release of James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of the Water” was done at 4K at 48fps per eye, in 3D – and that’s what our IMB can do.
We’ve also developed a very robust battery for the IMB that provides a shelf-life of 10-plus years. This allows exhibitors to maintain service spares without worrying about periodically recharging the IMB.
The IMB-S4 comes with 3.6 terabytes of reliable solid-state memory, meaning there’s no hard drives or external NAS (network attached storage) required. However, if you want to expand the IMB-S4’s storage down the road, our NAS-S4 easily interfaces with the IMB with no configuration required and provides additional storage up to 10.9TB.
No IMB is an island anymore, so it's important that your IMB works with a Theatre Management System (TMS). Christie has worked with all the major TMS vendors to ensure maximum compatibility with the TMS in your cinema complex.
The difference between the IMB-S4 and others on the market
KD: Our IMB can achieve 4K at 96fps, straight out of the box without a license, which is unique. Secondly, our battery technology ensures that the IMB will run for decades. We also released the IMB-S4 with a fully integrated and intuitive Web UI and a five-year warranty that is unmatched in the industry.
Why upgrading to an IMB-S4 makes sense now
KD: The IMB-S4 offers industry-leading features at a very reasonable price and is the perfect companion to a CineLife+ series projector, which already comes with a very intuitive user interface, and the IMB-S4 seamlessly integrates with that UI. And if you want to show the “hero” print of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” at 4K 48fps 3D, Christie CineLife+ series projectors are the only way to do this in a single projector.
What’s next in IMB development
KD: We are busy enhancing the IMB-S4 with new features that increase value for our customers. Next on the roadmap is support for dual-projector configurations to facilitate high-brightness 3D. Intermission is an important feature in many key markets, so we will be bringing that out shortly. And customers have expressed their need for streaming support in their cinemas, so we are busy developing that capability as well.
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