THX partners with SAPPRFT to improve Chinese cinema standards

CHINA: Cinema technology company, THX Holdings Ltd, has announced a partnership with the Film Technology and Quality Inspection Centre, a unit of the state media regulator, the State Administration for Press Publication Radio Film & Television (SAPPRFT). The partnership will see the two companies co-develop new cinema standards and services for the Chinese market. The agreement was announced at a signing ceremony held recently in Beijing with Gong Bo, deputy director of the SAPPRFT Film Technology and Quality Inspection Centre, and THX executive vice president of international business development and brand strategy, Louis Cacciuttolo.

'This strategic partnership is an ideal combination of both parties' strengths,' enthused Mr Cacciuttolo. 'THX's 30 years of expertise in cinema design, coupled with TIFTQ's technical authority in the market will provide the optimal solution for better quality, better performance and system issue resolution for China's film industry.'

China's cinema industry has experienced tremendous growth over the past few years, with approximately 5,000 new auditoriums opening each year. This has reportedly resulted in construction outpacing the education in cinema design, installation and maintenance. The goals of the partnership are to develop advanced evaluation, testing and calibration methodologies that will be applied by the administration to ensure newly defined standards are met by all operating auditoriums regardless of location, size or playback format.

Plans to jointly open a quality inspection laboratory that will provide testing, evaluation and certification services for audio-visual professional products and relevant cinema equipment have already been announced. The companies also aim to create specialised training courses for cinema technicians, calibrators and projectionists for the technical installation, adjustment, operation and maintenance of Chinese cinemas.

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