With today’s introduction of the world’s first 3D Cinema LED screen at Arena Cinemas’ Sihlcity theater in Switzerland, Samsung Electronics continues its efforts to make traditional, projection-based cinema technology a thing of the past.

Designed and installed with the help of Imaculix AG, the 3D-ready variation of Samsung’s Cinema LED screen maintains consistent brightness for immaculate delivery of subtitle text, images and minor visual details for viewers wearing 3D glasses. Unlike standard 3D cinemas, the Samsung Cinema LED screen provides consistent picture quality across an entire theater, ensuring a uniform, immersive viewing experience for viewers in every seat.

“Samsung is thrilled to be able to debut the world’s first 3D Cinema LED screen in Switzerland,” said Seog-gi Kim, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We hope that more movie-goers can experience the Cinema LED screen firsthand as we look to partner with more theaters around the world.”

As the industry’s first Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI)-certified High Dynamic Range theater display, the Samsung Cinema LED screen invites Swiss consumers into a next-generation viewing experience. Stretching nearly 10.3m (33.8ft) wide and 5.4m (17.7ft) in height, and featuring nearly 9 million pixels, Samsung’s Cinema LED screen delivers exceptional visual quality, technical performance and reliability.

The Samsung Cinema LED display amplifies on-screen content through HDR picture quality. All visuals shine through ultra-sharp 4K resolution (4,096 x 2,160) and peak brightness levels nearly 10 times greater (146fL) than the common cinema standard (14fL). The resulting high contrast showcases bright colors, pristine whites and deep blacks, making it perfect for both 2D and 3D movies. Paired with state-of-the-art audio technologies from HARMAN International’s JBL Professional brand, it is a truly immersive experience.

“Zurich is one of Europe’s burgeoning hubs for the film industry, and an optimal location to introduce a pioneering technology like the Cinema LED screen to the region,” said Eduard Stöckli, owner of Arena Cinemas. “The display’s streamlined design also allows our Sihlcity theater to remove its projector closet, making room for additional seats and allowing us to deliver a more complete, comfortable and innovative setting for our guests.”

First introduced in July 2017, Samsung’s Cinema LED screen has been successfully installed in theaters in Seoul and Busan, Korea and Shanghai, China. The Arena Cinemas partnership marks the first implementation of Samsung’s Cinema LED display in Europe and is the world’s first 3D Cinema LED screen.

On October 5 in Bangkok, Samsung Electronics held a signing ceremony for new partnership with Major Cineplex Group, the largest cinema company in Thailand with more than 110 theaters and 668 movie screens, to convert a 200-seat cinema at the Paragon Cineplex in Siam Paragon into its Cinema LED venue. Several additional premium theater renovations are also expected throughout the region during the coming year.

“The continued growth of the local entertainment industry and the openness to embracing new technologies made Thailand the perfect location for Southeast Asia’s first Cinema LED Screen,” said Yong Chul Jo, President of Samsung Electronics Thailand. “By delivering the most immersive theater environment possible, the Cinema LED Screen creates an unparalleled viewing experience guaranteed to make the Cinema LED theater a destination for movie enthusiasts.”

An upgrade on the screen-and-projector operation the industry has relied on for more than a century, the Samsung Cinema LED Screen reinvigorates cinema presentation through superior visual quality, technical performance and reliability. Although it extends nearly 10.3m (33.8ft) wide, the Cinema LED Screen is easy to install and configure within nearly any existing theater dimensions. The display also amplifies on-screen content through HDR picture quality, powered by ultra-sharp 4K resolution (4,096 x 2,160) and peak brightness levels (146fL/500nit) nearly 10 times greater than that offered by traditional projectors. As a result, movie-goers can enjoy content free of distortion and brought to life through lifelike colors, pristine whites and deep blacks.

Samsung Cinema LED Screen at Lotte Cinema in Busan, Korea

Beyond its visual enhancements, the Cinema LED Screen also offers theater managers the reliability of long-term performance. The display’s shelf life of more than 100,000 service hours far exceeds that of traditional projectors and minimizes the need for costly maintenance. Additionally, the Cinema LED Screen employs a strict anti-copy encryption protocol to prevent unlawful streaming or content redistribution.

As the demands for cinema space evolve, Samsung’s Cinema LED Screen will offer theater managers in Thailand and across the world added flexibility to expand service offerings and generate new revenue. The display maintains a consistent presentation across a range of dark and ambient lighting conditions regardless of the featured content. This versatility will empower cinemas to use theater spaces for concert and sports event viewing, gaming competitions, corporate events and other non-traditional content sources.

“We are excited to partner with Samsung to shift the paradigm of entertainment content screening, and we look forward to inviting our customers and partners into a cinema more capable of bringing stories to life,” said Vicha Poolvaraluck, Chairman of Major Cineplex Group Plc.

In May 2017, the Cinema LED Screen became the first product of its kind to achieve full compliance with the esteemed Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) theater technology standard. Based on next-generation picture quality to foster a more captivating and vibrant viewing arena, the Samsung Cinema LED Screen is expected to expand to movie theaters around the world including the USA and Europe in coming years.