Twenty-four digital cinemas meant to entertain local residents at low cost, the first batch of such cinemas in China, have gone into operation in Shanghai.

"A film ticket costs only 3 yuan (about 0.375 U.S. cents) at the cinemas and, at present every cinema will put on one film daily," said Xie Baoxin, vice-chairman of Shanghai Allied Cinema Circuit.

Shanghai aims to have 50 such cinemas by 2006 and 300 by 2010, which means everyone in the city may have easy access to digital cinemas in future, Xie added.

"It is the first time I saw a film at the cinema over recent years. There was no cinema in my town and I cannot afford to see films at downtown cinemas," said a middle-aged woman surnamed Gu in Tangzhen Town of new Putong district in Shanghai.

Digital films are distributed via the Internet or satellite, so the cost reduces by big margin, said Bao Linyue, an official with the China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

New films will be shown at the digital cinemas three months or half a year after being shown in main commercial cinemas.

(Xinhua News Agency March 30, 2006)