Display developers such as Samsung are eyeing movie theaters to install LED walls as a screen replacement to projection systems, but the installments can be pricey and use a ton of power.
“As with any new technology, there are a lot of very positive and some very scary things,” says director and cinematographer Jay Holben, who worked with this tech — categorized in the industry as “direct view” displays — as part of an American Society of Cinematographers-led project to create standardized test material for all types of displays.
Dominic Glynn, senior scientist at Pixar Animation Studios, adds: “We are, generally speaking, very strong supporters of the new creative opportunities that these technologies bring.” Glynn calls such direct view screens “very ambitious and very capable” in areas such as high dynamic range and brightness.
But there’s still a lot of work to be done, and for Holben and others, a “detrimental” concern is how sound is handled. This is because in traditional cinema, there are speakers directly behind the screen, which is not doable with LED panels. But the biggest issue might be how costs will factor into theater owners’ decisions about whether to adopt this technology.
Holben notes that pricey LEDs also involve “significantly” more power draw and heat output compared with projection systems, adding: “They also require a rigging metal structure that isn’t normally present to hold the weight of the screens, which can vibrate with sound. They are all pretty big expenses for theater owners.”
Tech developer Barco, meanwhile, is in the process of introducing its HDR-capable “light steering” laser projection systems to Hollywood, while, at least for now, keeping its LED displays focused on markets such as digital signage. “There are some fundamental properties of LEDs that don’t make them a good match with the cinema market … the price point is the most critical,” says Barco’s Tom Bert, a senior member of the product management team in its Entertainment division.
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