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Fresh from the Regal Entertainment Group conference call this evening...

DCIP just got another round of $220 million in financing, which will complete the remaining digital upgrades (not funded under the initial debt raise) for Regal, AMC, and Cinemark.

CEO Amy Miles noted that the target date for 100% digital for the DCIP members was late 2012 to early 2013.

Once the DCIP group is fully upgraded, those circuits along with Carmike (which is already digital) will equate to 46% of the US screen count.

Throw in the ~7,000 or so from Cinedigm (that have been booked thus far or completed), and that makes ~64% of the US screen counts already using (or on their way to being) digital.

All the folks on these boards who deny the need/speed of digital truly need to wake up and understand how fast the industry is changing. I'm not here to debate funding requirements or whatnot, just reporting the facts.

That September 2012 date for VPF qualification is looking more and more absolute the faster the digital upgrades happen.

BWT,

Where the hell have you been?

Thanks for the update.

According to a 4/27/11 news release: Signed 7,991 screens overall at 763 sites.

How much box office gross do you think that 64% equals? 95%?????

Agreed.
As said at CinemaCon.
"If you don't choose to convert to digital, you choose to go out of business."