Screen Daily
Twelve years on from the big transition from 35mm to digital cinema,
projection is undergoing another overhaul — this time to replace high-pressure
mercury and xenon lamps with laser light illumination. Not only does the newer
technology deliver superior picture quality (colour reproduction, higher
contrast ratios, consistent illumination), but significant energy savings for
cinema owners.
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“Laser is a natural transition in projection technology as it offers
serial benefits to cinema owners, including potentially huge cost savings,”
says Phil Lord, manager at cinema technology company Christie Digital Systems.
Laser projection was first introduced in 2014 with systems costing
around $327,000 (€300,000). Sales were sluggish with exhibitors content to wait
for the end of life of their current systems before making the upgrade. Now
soaring electricity costs and industry-wide attention on sustainability have
refocused buyers’ minds. Around 13% of the 200,000 cinema screens worldwide are
installed with laser, but with lamp-based product contributing less than 20% of
new projectors sold, and with the costs of laser projectors falling to $38,000
(€35,000), the number is expected to tick upward at pace.
“Laser is a key enabling technology contributing to the wider
sustainability of the whole industry,” says Carl Rijsbrack, chief marketing
officer and head of innovation at projector manufacturer Cinionic.
One environmental and financial gain is that lamps no longer need to be
replaced. Xenon bulbs typically last 500-1,000 hours before burning out. Lasers
can power light for 50,000 hours before eventually fading below
industry-benchmark specifications, provided the system is properly operated and
maintained. “This means no lamp delivery and no lamp disposal,” says Lord. “It
also means an engineer doesn’t have to visit the cinema to change lamps.”
Laser is more energy efficient compared to traditional lamp-based
technology. It generates less heat and does not require external cooling or
ventilation systems, reducing energy consumption further. At this year’s UK
Cinema Association conference, Mark Williams, director of WTW-Scott Cinemas,
which operates in southwest England, demonstrated that in illuminating
similar-sized screens, laser used 70% less power than lamps. That is the same
figure Cinionic claims theatres powered by its laser projectors can save over a
product lifetime.
Investment return
Further data from supplier Sharp NEC suggests that based on current
market costs for energy, it would take 30 months to return investment in a
laser projector installed in a standard small screen. The period is less than
five years for larger screens.
Manufacturers offer online ‘ready reckoners’ for exhibitors to input
screen number, screen dimensions and current electricity costs and calculate
approximate operating costs between legacy projectors and rival laser products.
“The arguments are compelling but a main issue for exhibitors is finding the
upfront finance,” says Mark Kendall, business development manager at Sharp NEC.
A xenon kit is cheaper to purchase. While NEC, Cinionic and fellow
supplier Barco have all discontinued production, Christie continues to
manufacture three xenon models and has even reinvested in the technology.
“There is demand in certain territories for xenon,” says Lord. “Some
post-production facilities have been using xenon for years and want to carry
on, others where capex is a big issue.”
Since the guts of the digital light processing (DLP) chip set in any
projector are fundamentally the same whether a xenon lamp or laser pushes light
through the lens, theatre owners can upgrade their current projectors with a
new laser source. This can double the working life of machinery, says
Rijsbrack. Cinionic also enables cinema owners to lease its laser equipment.
Costs for the purchase of the laser are subsidised by governments in
some territories including Italy, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, as part
of wider green and energy-saving initiatives. There is no such scheme in the
UK.
Christie has developed a laser optical system that, according to the
company, further enhances system efficiency. “New laser diodes are much more
efficient and more field replaceable,” explains Lord. “An engineer can easily
swap out a laser module on site as opposed to having to ship the projector back
to a lab.”
Panels of direct-view LEDs are an alternative technology that eliminates
projectors and projection screens altogether but, according to Kendall, this is
far more power-hungry.
“All the major circuits like Odeon and Cineworld are looking at how much
everything costs, from projection to sound systems to the Slush Puppie machine
in the foyer,” says Lord.
All contend that, among the technologies in the building, a move to
laser projection will bring the greatest environmental and financial saving.
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