Continuing its long tradition of technology leadership, Barco is revolutionizing the giant screen film industry with the introduction of its new, premium-quality turnkey projection system which offers exhibitors a more affordable, higher quality solution for large-format movie presentation. The new system combines Barco’s industry-leading 4K projectors with Barco’s exclusive audio system. This audio solution enhances a typical 5.1 installation to 11.1 and creates a one-of-a-kind immersive cinema experience.
Barco, the worldwide leader in digital cinema technology and innovator of the first full-panel triple flash 3D technology, the first projector to surpass 43,000 lumens light output, and the first – and still only – DCI-compliant Enhanced 4K DLP Cinema® projector, is marking another pioneering achievement with the unveiling of its Enhanced 4K projector coupled with a ground-breaking immersive audio platform designed exclusively for cinema.
As holder of a Guinness World Record for the brightest digital cinema projector and the only manufacturer offering Auro-3D multi-channel audio technology, Barco marks another step forward for giant screens and brings together the core elements needed to differentiate the Large Format Theater experience.
To date, Barco has installed its immersive sound system in China and Russia, with additional installations in progress around the world. This audio solution elevates the sound experience to an amazing level of auditory acuity, enabling patrons to hear sounds from their relative origination point within the space and does so in a simple and cost effective way. To understand the concept, one need only imagine a flock of birds flying overhead, and then circling around the audience. To achieve this truly enveloping experience, the system deploys a small number of additional speakers in the upper portions of the auditorium to add another dimension of sound. The solution is 100% backwards and forward compatible with existing sound systems, requiring minimal hardware investment and installation time. When combined with Barco’s Enhanced 4K projectors, the system represents the most intensely immersive, multi-sensory movie exhibition system on the market and does so at an affordable price.
“Barco’s next-generation sound solution couldn’t come at a better time…it’s the perfect match for giant screen and 3D movie presentation, extending immersive cinema from solely a ‘seeing’ to now a ‘hearing’ cinema experience that completely envelops the audience with a realistic visual and sound experience that is natural in every dimension,” commented Don Kempf, President of D3D Cinema.
Barco’s large-format projection system is based on a dual-stack configuration of two Enhanced 4K DLP Cinema projectors. Barco’s enhanced 4K technology, was demonstrated at the Digital Cinema Symposium held at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas earlier this year, where a movie shown by its DP4K-32B digital projection system was favored over a side-by-side comparison with a traditional 15/70 mm film presentation on an 80-foot screen. Since then, Barco, in partnership with D3D Cinema, has marked the first commercial installation of its dual 4K Projection System in the DynaTheater at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“We’re excited to offer our customers an attractive alternative to traditional large-format cinema, now with the added advantage of the Auro 3D audio. We can offer this groundbreaking opportunity to exhibitors while keeping our promise to deliver the best digital cinema technology at the lowest total cost of ownership,” said Wim Buyens, Senior VP Entertainment for Barco.
“Before our large-format solution was introduced, exhibitors were limited to only a single option for large-format movie presentation,” commented Todd Hoddick, VP Entertainment for Barco North America. “I’m pleased to offer our customers a compelling alternative, one that leverages our Guinness World Record-winning technology and the latest innovation in cinema audio. It’s truly a winning combination for our customers, based not only on a solid technology foundation, but on a sound business model that will enable exhibitors to operate more profitably for many years to come.”
For further information on Barco’s upcoming Technology Showcase and to be informed about upcoming public demonstrations, please email:
[email protected].
