The resurgence in Premium Large Format (PLF) screens underlines many cinema operators’ welcome discovery that bigger really means better. Audiences are flocking to enjoy jaw-dropping visuals and sound, enhanced by luxurious seating and other extras like an attended at your seat food and beverage service. It all adds up to a compelling entertainment experience, and one that patrons are very happy to pay for.
The sudden popularity of bigger screens is gratifying for theatre owners, but it’s no accident. Technological progress is steadily serving up better image quality in all walks of life. Many consumers’ smartphones and tablets are capable of shooting video in Full HD or even higher resolution. 4K Ultra HD is commanding an increasing slice of television sales. And while we’re waiting for broadcasters to launch their own UHD services in earnest, online video giants like Netflix and Amazon are seizing the opportunity to shoot and stream their flagship shows in 4K.
We’re already living in a post-HD world. And suddenly anything less than 4K seems like a losing bet for cinema operators. Of course today’s larger theatres only magnify the limitations of inferior projection quality. And with movie studios distributing more of new releases (and re-issues) to theatres as a 4K DCP, operators have quickly realised that blocky, pixilated 2K simply isn’t up to the job for PLF and smaller screen alike.
Best of all, our PLF solution comes with a fraction of the price-tag of first-generation laser illuminated systems. Why risk your audience’s enjoyment of the big picture – and your bottom line – on a far more costly alternative projection technology that’s still far from mature?