Sony announced its long-awaited “agreement in principle” to supply digital cinema systems to 4600 AMC screens. For Sony Electronics, this is a significant breakthrough. Not announced was how the higher priced Sony projectors would be paid for.
Sony Electronics DCSS group (Digital Cinema System Sales) has now signed deployment agreements with fours studios: Sony, Disney, Fox, and Paramount. It’s doubtful that these studios would agree to pay more for 4K than for 2K. So either Sony Electronics has reduced its price for AMC, or secondary funding is being provided, most likely by Sony Electronics itself. Borrowing from the SDDS page, credits could be applied to a Sony loan through advertising, or, as now possible with digital cinema, for Sony-sourced alternative content. This is all speculation, however. Details of the deal have not been released.