FEATURE LASER CINEMA
Christie plans to start mass-production of its laser projectors in 2015. Christie’s 4K DLP Cinema laser projector uses six primary colour laser modules (in multiples of 5,000 lumens) which are rack-mounted, and a fibre optic cable that delivers white light to the projector. By using six specific primary colours, it eliminates the need for inefficient filtering or polarising of the light as it leaves the projector. Dolby 3D glasses, specifically engineered to match the six primary laser light wavelengths, yield nearly 90 per cent light efficiency. Furthermore, Imax has announced that as part of its partnership with China’s Wanda Cinema Line it will be installing 3D systems in 80 of Wanda’s cinemas, half of which will use the new laser projection technology. The installations will begin in 2016, which will propel Imax’s plans to launch laser projection systems and illuminate its large screens. ‘Exercising the 80-theatre option is a strong endorsement of the prospects for our laser system,’ said Imax CEO Richard Gelfond. However, for laser projection systems to be used as standard in cinemas, one challenge that exists is safety legislation. Last year, Christie received the first US FDA approval
for a manufacturer of DCI-compliant cinema projectors. But, international legislation for the use of lasers within a public environment is restricting the launch of laser cinema projection systems. This month, NEC is planning to start selling its NC1040L 4K and NC1100L laser projectors to cinemas, but the legislation is slowing down the company’s entry to market. ‘There is some legislation that needs to change to allow the use of lasers within cinema before we can actively supply them,’ said Mark Kendall, business development, Digital Cinema, NEC. ‘The expectation is that the legislation will change in the next couple of months and then we will be able to sell the entry- level lasers. ‘But, there is still expected to be certain
restrictions regarding high-end lasers that are used for larger screens – so 15, 20 or 30m screens,’ Kendall continued. ‘That legislation is not expected to change for, it could be one year, it could be two or three years – we don’t actually know.’
The Laser Illuminated Projector Association
(LIPA), an organisation with companies including Christie, Sony, Dolby and Barco on its board, is actively working on the adoption of laser
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projection in cinemas, from both a technical and regulatory standpoint. Outdated government regulations can often hinder cinemas wanting to adopt laser technology, and LIPA members are trying to lessen the stigma associated with the word ‘laser’. ‘When you push a laser through a lens for laser illumination, it is no more dangerous than a lamp,’ said Mackenzie of Necsel. ‘There is a difference between pointing a laser, which can be dangerous, and actually putting a laser as a light source through the lens. [LIPA] have been pushing the concept which is starting to be more understood.’
Once companies overcome this challenge, however, it is anticipated that laser technology will be used as standard in cinemas in the coming years. ‘It will very likely be four to five years before laser projectors are used as standard in cinemas,’ said Richard Nye, cinema sales director, EMEA, Christie. NEC’s Mark Kendall agreed that laser projectors will start to be installed in all cinemas in the near future: ‘The [cinema] exhibitors will start to develop some screens with lasers as an early adoption introduction, and that will eventually spread to all cinemas offering laser over the next three, four or five years.’ l
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APRIL 2014 l ELECTRO OPTICS 13
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