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Our Bureau

Mumbai, April 10

Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Big Entertainment Ltd (RBEL) on Wednesday said it acquired 100 per cent stake in the digital images business of the US-based DTS Inc, marking its first overseas acquisition in the digital-services space.

DTS Digital Images (DDI), popularly known as Lowry Digital Images, is engaged in independent restoration operation in Hollywood, providing picture quality improvement services to movies, television and video content. It is considered to be a market leader in the field of digital restoration and enhancement of moving pictures, using proprietary tools and algorithms it has developed over the years.

DDI works with Walt Disney, Paramount Pictures, MGM and 20th Century Fox and entertainment leaders like George Lucas and James Cameron. It has restored more than 300 of the world’s most recognised feature films with output to DVD, HiDef, 35mm film, Digital Cinema, and IMAX. Its body of work includes Casablanca, Singing in the Rain, Sunset Boulevard, Indiana Jones trilogy, Star Wars trilogy, James Bond films and numerous Disney classics such as Cinderella, Bambi, 101 Dalmatians and Lady and the Tramp.

Recently, DDI has provided custom image processing services for New Line Cinema and Walden Media’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth 3D, the world’s first digitally-captured stereoscopic live action feature film shot in digital 3D, which is slated for release later this year.

The company’s capabilities will allow RBEL to cater to the rapidly growing 3D content market with technology solutions for correction in original stereoscopic footage as well as re-rendering of 2D footage into 3D.

With this acquisition, RBEL would get access to top Hollywood studios as clients for its content services that can be grown to include a spectrum of post-production services, the company said. There are opportunities in front ending work for country-specific restoration, digitisation and content services — with a large back office in India.

Founded in 1993, DTS is headquartered in Agoura Hills, California and has offices in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan and China.

RBEL plans to have three main lines of businesses — Internet and new media, film entertainment and TV Broadcasting. Under its Internet and new media initiatives, RBEL has already launched a number of new ventures such as gaming portal Zapak, Big Adda, a social network and social media venture, Big Flicks, an online and offline movie rental business and Jump Mobile, a mobile entertainment venture.

The company has plans to launch a bouquet of TV channels in the News, Business and General Entertainment space.

More Stories on : Mergers & Acquisitions | Overseas Investments | Entertainment & Leisure

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