One of the leading names in display technology, Samsung has reconceptualised the cinema experience with its ONYX Cinema LED screen. Debuted in July last year, the first commercial Cinema LED screen was installed at Lotte Cinema World Tower in South Korea. Last month at the CinemaCon 2018, Samsung announced the next-generation Samsung Onyx Cinema LED, a comprehensive cinema screen and sound solution for movie theatres, which will be coming to India soon. Samsung’s Onyx Cinema screen is DCI(Digital Cinema Initiatives)-certified, which will be available in various sizes.
Aimed at replacing cinema projectors in theatres, Samsung is in talks with partners for the installation of the screen in Indian theatres and aims to put up to 10 Onyx Cinema LED screens in India by the end of 2018. This bezel less screen setup involves an investment of close to $600,000 to $800,000 (depending upon the installation area) and takes close to 16 weeks from receiving purchase order to installation.
“There is an installed base of close to 160,000 screens in cinema across the world. Of the 10,000 cinema screens in India, we wish to change at least 20 per cent of that to Onyx Cinema Screen by 2020,” says Puneet Sethi, Vice President, Consumer Electronics Enterprise Business, Samsung India. He further explains, “Witnessing the growing demand for advanced theatre technology from movie experts and consumer alike, Samsung planned to make a radical shift from the theatre projection systems to the LED screen in India. We are introducing a game-changing technology which would showcase the work of our directors as intended and at optimal quality. In addition, it will also offer our movie-goers a new level of viewing environment, immersive in every aspect.”
Samsung claims that the screen maintains its advanced presentation capabilities in ambient lighting conditions regardless of the featured on-screen content and accommodates users who wish to utilise their theatres for corporate events, concert, sports event viewing and gaming competitions. It also offers Onyx surround sound from JBL by Harman International and Samsung’s Audio Lab, and this integration eliminates rearward bias by expanding the audio “sweet spot” within Onyx theatres and ensures that all attendees can enjoy the same presentation throughout, regardless of the seat location.
Although this solution comes with Onyx View, Onyx 3D and Onyx Sound, this Cinema LED screen is compatible with the recently installed Dolby Atmos too. The Onyx Cinema LED will have a lifespan of close to 17 years with 1 lakh hours of screen life, unlike the four-five years of replacement cycle of the projector lamp used in theatres. It even promises to offer deep blacks, brighter and rich content with improved uniformity and free of optical distortion and interference. In comparison to the projection technology used to date, the implementation of this cinema screen will eliminate the requirement of having a projection.
Till date, close to seven Cinema LED screens have been installed across South Korea, China, Thailand, Switzerland to name few. Samsung has also collaborated with cinema content developers and cinema technology solution services provider to ensure that the display can optimise upcoming films as the theatres upgrade their screen to the Onyx screen.
