There are major technological revolutions about which we understand little. So is the advent of laser projectors in movie theaters, which are preparing to dethrone xenon lamp projectors, which will soon be at the end of their lives. This will be one of the main themes of 78e Congress of the National Federation of Cinemas of France (FNCF), which takes place in Deauville (Calvados), from September 18 to 21. Although it costs more – between 50,000 and 100,000 euros, depending on the size of the room – the laser projector offers more beautiful, more stable, more accurate, ultra-bright and high-contrast images without degrading over time.
The light source lasts for 20,000 hours, or almost ten years, while xenon lamps must be replaced every three years. Another advantage is the low operating cost of the device, which consumes much less energy than a traditional lamp video projector. Plus, it doesn’t get as hot as a light bulb, so it requires very little air conditioning or ventilation.
“We would save 40,000 megawatt hours a year if all cinemas in France switched to laser projectors, which is the annual consumption of a city of 20,000 inhabitants.” Ervan Escoubet, Director of Regulatory and Institutional Affairs at FNCF, explains. A boon for the three historic manufacturers in the market, Barco, Christie and NEC. They should eventually replace 2,028 cinema and multiplex projectors in France (ie 6,200 screens) and 100,000 cinemas on the planet. Changing everything will cost about 400 million euros in France alone. This is precisely the investment made in the 2010s transition from film to all-digital.
“Substantial Investments”
The first in this conversion, the Pathé group – the leading circuit in France – has already installed since 2016 about 350 laser projectors on the 1,278 screens it owns in France and abroad, says Aurelien Bosque, president of Pathé Cinémas. in his eyes “This is a reliable and quality technology”Ჯanmo “Consumes 50% less than a xenon projector and eliminates the need for a heat sink”. Pathé has chosen new laser projectors for all its very large screen rooms, over 12 meters wide. “This technology is ideal for films transmitted in 3D. But the whole chain must follow if we improve the quality of the projector, and it is necessary that the screen and the sound are also optimized., he explains. Pathe still has more than 900 rooms to equip. For Aurelien Bosque, it is “Investments necessary for the profession, but which may conflict with other priorities.”
Source: Le Monde
Ben Stock is a writer at Run Down Bulletin. With a finger on the pulse of the latest entertainment news, Ben provides in-depth coverage of the movies, music, and television shows that are capturing the world’s attention.
