Doremi Labs

Doremi Labs, formally Doremi Laboratories, Inc., was a Burbank, California-based technology company serving digital cinema, broadcast, post-production and professional audiovisual customers. Founded in 1985 by Camille Rizko, the company initially developed specialized audio and video tools for production environments. Its first major product was the Digital Audio Workstation Nucleus, or DAWN, an editing system for dialogue replacement, effects and ADR/Foley work. DAWN used a Macintosh Plus as its interface and distinguished itself through a workflow-oriented design and the ability to play eight high-quality audio tracks from a single hard disk. The company later concentrated on replacing tape-based workflows with disk-based recording and playback. Its V1 digital video recorder/player, publicly introduced in 1996 after development work that began in the early 1990s, was designed to behave like the VCRs familiar to post-production operators while adding rapid, non-linear access to recorded material. Doremi expanded the V1 family to support MPEG-2, uncompressed video, high-definition formats and JPEG2000. The product's success helped the company establish international facilities in France and Japan. Doremi also developed a line of signal-conversion, monitoring and test equipment. Its HD-SDI-to-DVI converter enabled high-definition monitoring through relatively inexpensive computer displays, and the company followed it with a pattern generator. These products helped Doremi establish a position in high-end professional video equipment beyond its recorder business. In 2003, the company introduced Nugget, a high-definition playback system aimed at theme parks, museums and other installations requiring reliable, high-quality looping playback. Major entertainment organizations adopted the system for such applications. The most consequential phase of Doremi's history began with digital cinema. In 2004, the company worked with Texas Instruments to demonstrate cinema-quality digital playback using 2K DLP imaging technology and a V1 recorder. Doremi subsequently developed the DCP-2000 digital cinema player and the DMS-2000 digital mastering station, both based on JPEG2000 workflows. Demonstrations to Disney in 2005 showed material mastered on the DMS-2000 and played from the DCP-2000. Later that year, Doremi and Fotokem completed a digital mastering and playback demonstration of Universal's Serenity, helping demonstrate that feature films could be prepared for digital theatrical exhibition. Doremi's cinema servers were selected for a large Christie-AIX deployment backed by virtual print-fee agreements. The rollout began with approximately 150 screens in 2005 and continued through 2006 and 2007. The company then expanded into integrated media blocks, theatre management, mastering software and accessibility systems. It introduced a 4K integrated media block for Texas Instruments Series 2 projectors in 2009 and launched CaptiView, a seat-mounted closed-caption display, in 2010. Fidelio, a system intended to support audiences with visual impairments, followed in 2011. Doremi also achieved DCI compliance for several server and integrated-media-block products and participated in 4K exhibition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. In 2014, Dolby Laboratories agreed to acquire Doremi for $92.5 million in cash plus up to $20 million in contingent consideration. The transaction closed on October 31, 2014. Doremi's operations and technology were subsequently absorbed into Dolby, and the independent Doremi brand and product portfolio were discontinued. Although corporate registration information was reported as remaining active in California, Doremi no longer operated as an independent commercial brand.

Doremi Labs was established in Los Angeles in 1985 by Camille Rizko. Engineers Emil Rizko and Safar Ghazal joined the company during its early development. Doremi's first product was the Digital Audio Workstation Nucleus, known as DAWN. It targeted dialogue replacement, effects and ADR/Foley production and used a Macintosh Plus as its operating interface. The system was designed around familiar production workflows and could play eight high-quality audio tracks from one hard disk. During the early 1990s, Doremi identified an opportunity to replace the videotape recorders then common in post-production facilities. Instead of requiring operators to adopt an entirely new working method, the company designed a disk recorder that closely resembled the operational behavior of a VCR while providing immediate access to any point in a recorded clip. The V1 digital video recorder/player was introduced publicly in 1996 and became a significant commercial success. Subsequent V1 variants supported MPEG-2, uncompressed video, high-definition formats and JPEG2000. The business expanded outside the United States with facilities in France and Japan. Doremi also built equipment for professional monitoring and video testing. Its HD-SDI-to-DVI converter allowed users to connect professional high-definition signals to computer displays, creating a comparatively economical monitoring arrangement. A pattern generator followed, helping establish a broader converter and test-equipment line. In 2003, the company introduced Nugget, a high-quality high-definition playback device for theme parks, museums and other installations. Its ability to support reliable high-end looping playback led to adoption by entertainment companies. Digital cinema became Doremi's central growth area in the middle of the 2000s. In 2004, Doremi and Texas Instruments demonstrated digital cinema playback using TI's 2K DLP imaging technology and a V1 recorder. Texas Instruments subsequently asked Doremi to develop a server for the emerging digital cinema market. Doremi began parallel JPEG2000 projects: the DCP-2000 digital cinema player and the DMS-2000 digital mastering station. In April 2005, Doremi demonstrated Disney material mastered on the DMS-2000 and played on the DCP-2000. At CinemaExpo in June, it showed playback of a Digital Cinema Package prepared under the Digital Cinema Initiatives framework. Doremi and Fotokem later received authorization from Universal Studios to master Serenity digitally for its opening period. The work was demonstrated in September 2005 and subsequently shown at the Entertainment Technology Center. The demonstrations helped validate a practical path from film distribution to digital theatrical exhibition. A Christie-AIX virtual-print-fee deployment then selected Doremi servers for a planned multi-thousand-screen conversion. Approximately 150 screens were installed in 2005, followed by continued Doremi installations in 2006 and 2007. The company expanded its cinema portfolio with servers, integrated media blocks, mastering tools, theatre-management software and file-management products. In 2009, Doremi introduced a 4K integrated media block for Texas Instruments Series 2 projectors. In 2010, it launched CaptiView, a closed-captioning display fitted into a theatre seat's cup-holder area and connected through the cinema network. Fidelio, a viewing-assistance product, was introduced in 2011. Doremi reported DCI compliance for the IMB/ShowVault, DCP-2000 and DCP-2K4 in 2011, and for the IMS1000 in 2012. The company also held a United States patent relating to 4K decoding technology and supplied servers for digital presentations at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Its software portfolio included CineAsset for creating DCI-compliant packages, CineExport for converting editing and media formats into DCPs, CinePlayer for reviewing DCP content, Theatre Management Software and Asset Manager. Dolby Laboratories announced its agreement to acquire Doremi on February 24, 2014. The announced consideration was $92.5 million in cash plus up to $20 million in contingent consideration. The transaction closed on October 31, 2014, and completion was announced in November. Doremi's activities were absorbed into Dolby, its branded products were discontinued and its independent website was no longer available. The company therefore survives primarily through technology and product capabilities integrated into Dolby's cinema business rather than as an independent operating brand.

• 2014

  Dolby acquires Doremi Labs

  [1]Doremi Labsen.wikipedia.org

  Dolby completes the acquisition and absorbs Doremi's operations into its business.

• 2011

  DCI compliance and 4K deployment milestones

  [1]Doremi Labsen.wikipedia.org

  Several Doremi cinema systems achieve DCI compliance, and Doremi servers support digital screenings at Cannes in 4K.

• 2010

  CaptiView launches

  [1]Doremi Labsen.wikipedia.org

  Doremi introduces a network-connected closed-caption display for cinema seating.

• 2009

  4K integrated media block is introduced

  [1]Doremi Labsen.wikipedia.org

  Doremi introduces an integrated media block for Texas Instruments Series 2 projectors.

• 2005

  Digital cinema demonstrations and rollout begin

  [1]Doremi Labsen.wikipedia.org

  Doremi demonstrates studio material and a digitally mastered Serenity, then supplies servers for the Christie-AIX deployment.

• 2004

  Doremi enters digital cinema development

  [1]Doremi Labsen.wikipedia.org

  A demonstration with Texas Instruments leads to development of the DCP-2000 digital cinema player and DMS-2000 mastering station.

• 2003

  Nugget playback system launches

  [1]Doremi Labsen.wikipedia.org

  The Nugget high-definition player targets museums, theme parks and other demanding installation and looping-playback environments.

• 1996

  V1 digital video recorder/player is introduced

  [1]Doremi Labsen.wikipedia.org

  Doremi launches a disk-based recorder designed to preserve familiar VCR workflows while enabling instant access within recorded clips.

• 1985

  Doremi Labs is founded

  [1]Doremi Labsen.wikipedia.org

  Camille Rizko establishes the company in Los Angeles; Emil Rizko and Safar Ghazal join its early engineering effort.

Doremi positioned itself as an engineering-led supplier of reliable, workflow-compatible digital media infrastructure. Its products were designed to ease the transition from established tape, film and theatre practices to disk-based, file-based and digitally distributed workflows. In cinema, the company competed through standards compliance, support for high-resolution playback and mastering, integrated hardware/software systems, and practical tools for exhibitors and post-production facilities.

• Digital audio workstation · 1985

  DAWN

  The Digital Audio Workstation Nucleus was Doremi's first major product. It supported dialogue replacement, effects and ADR/Foley editing, using a Macintosh Plus as its interface. Its workflow-oriented design and multi-track playback capability helped it attract post-production users.

• Digital video recorder/player · 1996

  V1

  V1 was a disk-based recorder and player designed to resemble the operation of a conventional VCR while adding immediate navigation within recorded material. The product family grew to support MPEG-2, uncompressed video, high-definition formats and JPEG2000.

• High-definition media player · 2003

  Nugget

  Nugget was a high-end HD playback system for museums, theme parks and other fixed installations. It was particularly suited to dependable loop playback and was adopted by entertainment organizations for installation-based media presentation.

• Digital cinema server · 2004

  DCP-2000

  The DCP-2000 was Doremi's early digital cinema player, developed around JPEG2000-based theatrical workflows. It was used in demonstrations of studio content and later selected for large-scale digital cinema deployment.

• Digital cinema mastering station · 2004

  DMS-2000

  The DMS-2000 was a mastering system for preparing digital cinema material. It was used in demonstrations involving Disney content and in the digital mastering of Serenity with Fotokem.

• Integrated cinema media system

  ShowVault and IMB

  ShowVault and integrated media block products formed part of Doremi's cinema-server platform. They combined storage, playback and projector-integration functions and were among the systems for which Doremi reported DCI compliance.

• Cinema accessibility system · 2010

  CaptiView

  CaptiView was a personal closed-caption display intended for cinema audiences with hearing impairments. The display was designed to fit into a theatre seat's cup-holder area and receive encrypted captions over the cinema network.

• Cinema accessibility system · 2011

  Fidelio

  Fidelio was introduced as a viewing-assistance system for audiences with visual impairments. It extended Doremi's cinema product range into accessibility tools intended to be purchased as part of normal exhibition operations.

• Digital cinema mastering software

  CineAsset

  CineAsset was software for creating encrypted and unencrypted packages compliant with digital cinema distribution requirements. It supported mastering workflows for professional content preparation.

• Digital cinema export software

  CineExport

  CineExport was a plug-in for Apple's Compressor that converted Final Cut Pro sequences and other media formats into digital cinema packages.

• Digital cinema review software

  CinePlayer

  CinePlayer enabled users to review digital cinema packages without using a theatrical cinema server, providing a software-based inspection and playback tool.

• 2005Digital cinema studio demonstrations

  United States

  Doremi demonstrated studio clips mastered on the DMS-2000 and played on the DCP-2000, then presented DCI package playback at CinemaExpo. The demonstrations promoted the practical readiness of digital theatrical distribution.

  Outcome. The demonstrations supported studio confidence in digital cinema and helped lead to Doremi's selection for a major screen-conversion program.

  Source
• 2005Serenity digital mastering demonstration

  United States

  Working with Fotokem and with authorization from Universal Studios, Doremi prepared Serenity digitally for theatrical presentation using its mastering and playback systems.

  Outcome. The completed demonstration was shown at Fotokem and later at the Entertainment Technology Center, helping showcase end-to-end digital cinema production and exhibition.

  Source

• 2014

  Accept acquisition by Dolby LaboratoriesM&A

  Background

  Doremi had established a substantial position in digital cinema servers, media blocks and related software.

  Action taken

  Dolby agreed to acquire Doremi for $92.5 million in cash plus up to $20 million in contingent consideration; the deal closed on October 31.

  Aftermath

  Doremi's operations were integrated into Dolby and the independent Doremi brand and products were discontinued.

  Acquisition consideration. $92.5 million in cash plus up to $20 million in contingent consideration (Announced February 24, 2014; transaction closed October 31, 2014)

  Source

• 2008

  Expand into cinema accessibility technologyStrategy

  Background

  Doremi identified a need for practical hearing- and viewing-assistance products that exhibitors would adopt as audience-service tools.

  Action taken

  The company developed CaptiView and Fidelio for audiences with hearing or visual impairments.

  Aftermath

  CaptiView launched in 2010 and Fidelio followed in 2011, broadening Doremi's cinema portfolio.

  Source

• 2004

  Enter the emerging digital cinema server marketStrategy

  Background

  A demonstration with Texas Instruments showed that Doremi's technologies could support cinema-quality playback using digital projection.

  Action taken

  Doremi began simultaneous development of the DCP-2000 player and DMS-2000 mastering station using JPEG2000 workflows.

  Aftermath

  The products became central to Doremi's cinema business and were used in studio demonstrations and theatre deployments.

  Source

• 1994

  Develop a tapeless recorder around established VCR workflowsStrategy

  Background

  Post-production studios heavily relied on VCRs, but Doremi anticipated demand for disk-based recording and playback.

  Action taken

  The company designed a disk recorder that retained familiar VCR-style operation while adding instant access to material.

  Aftermath

  The resulting V1 product became a commercial success and helped drive Doremi's international expansion.

  Source

1. 1Doremi Labsen.wikipedia.org