Claiming to want to serve people with a uniform and consistent experience, Manoj Kohli, joint managing director and CEO, Bharti Airtel, reasons the firm needs to conquer all of  four screens. As it is, the digital cinema business has been an attractive opportunity to the global players in the telecom scene.

Kohli has also promised the inclusion of a fourth screen, that is digital cinema, in times to come. Technology helps save 20% of  the cost of the film, relating to the need of print, in case of digital cinema where films are stored on servers. According to Kohli, Bharti won't create content or develop its own Airtel broadcasting channel. However, whether Bharti would own a chain of digital cinema theatres or just tie up with theatres was not made clear by Kohli.

The three-screen strategy already owned by Bharti includes Internet Protocol Television(IPTV) and DTH, mobile telephone services and also internet serices through broadband. Where the telcos are looking for various opportunities to expand revenues Bharti's move is a significant one, since, digital cinema also minimises revenue losses by preventing piracy. What is required, is that, the exhibitors are to invest in installing servers to receive and store films and put up digital projectors.From a central server, films can be distributed to cinema halls if connected through a fibre optic link.   X