Barco

             Kortrijk, Belgium, 21 June 2016 – Cinema technology leader Barco is spearheading the conversion from traditional lamp-based cinema projectors to laser-illuminated cinema projectors around the world.

Barco is fueling the switch to laser projection in the cinema industry:

• Over 40 top exhibitors have already selected Barco’s flagship laser projectors. Of the over 125 installations with Barco flagship laser projectors worldwide, 50 installations are in the EMEA region. 
• With more than 15 all-laser complexes committed, leading exhibitors are also switching to Barco’s full range of flagship laser and laser phosphor solutions to turn their cinemas into all-laser multiplexes that offer the perfect match between premium experiences and cost-effective operations. 

Flagship laser: the ultimate visual experience
Barco’s integrated flagship laser series enable exhibitors to create a differentiating premium movie experience that generates a very strong return on investment, while reducing complexity. That’s why over 40 exhibitors have already selected Barco’s flagship laser projectors, for more than 125 installations across the globe – including 50 in the EMEA region and excluding the laser technology Barco supplies for customized programs. Recent EMEA installations include Forum Cinemas’ Coca-Cola Plaza in Tallinn (Estonia), Apollo Kino in Tallinn (Estonia), and CinemaCity in Beirut (Lebanon).

Maya Kfouri, Marketing Manager at CinemaCity: “Everything about our cinemas is designed for the enjoyment of our guests. By fitting the flagship laser projector into our PLUS+ Theater we’re again raising the bar for entertainment here in Lebanon.”

Reel Cinemas The Dubai Mall is taking the ultimate visual experience one step further by turning their 22-screen multiplex into an all-flagship laser cinema, making it the largest cinema complex in the world powered exclusively by Barco’s flagship laser projectors:

Maitha Al Dossari, Chief Executive Officer of Emaar Entertainment LLC, the owners of Reel Cinemas, states: “Over the past years, Reel Cinemas has grown steadily, underpinned by our mission to provide exceptional moviegoing experiences that delight, ‘inspire joy’, and surpass expectations. We strive to continually enhance our customers’ experience at Reel Cinemas and our vision is to seek out advanced technologies that help us to do that. Our partnership with Barco, the technology leader in its field, is testament to this commitment. Barco’s flagship laser projectors are leading in the market; the image quality is truly amazing, bringing the action on the big screen to life like never before. We are very proud that all our theaters in Reel Cinemas, The Dubai Mall will feature these projectors, making the cineplex the world’s largest cinema to provide moviegoers with the ultimate picture quality within every single one of its screens.”

Acknowledged by audiences
“The moviegoer sees the difference,” comments Wim Buyens, Senior VP of Barco’s Entertainment division. Recent surveys have confirmed that moviegoers are also acknowledging the premium image quality Barco’s flagship laser projectors bring. When asked to rate the image quality, more than half of the respondents gave the top score of 5/5. This premium experience also has a positive effect on their cinema visit frequency: 2 out of 3 moviegoers state that laser projection would make them go to the movies more often. On top of that, they are willing to pay a higher ticket price for a laser-projected movie, boosting revenues for exhibitors. These top-line indicators – combined with the operational efficiencies and cost-savings – make a very solid business case for Barco’s flagship laser projectors.

Laser phosphor: supreme economy and superior image quality
Barco’s laser phosphor series offers considerable cost-savings versus traditional lamp-based projectors, while providing superior image quality. These projectors are available as both new and retrofit kits, making existing Barco lamp-based projectors upgradable to laser phosphor on-site. Barco is currently rolling out its first laser phosphor projectors: the DP2K-15CLP and the DP2K-20CLP. The DP2K-20CLP is the industry’s first 20,000-lumen laser phosphor projector for cinema, featuring three times the brightness of any other laser phosphor offering on the market. The DP2K-15CLP and DP2K-20CLP are the first of a much broader portfolio of Barco laser phosphor projectors that will be expanded with more 2K and 4K models in the near future: B-series laser phosphor will follow later this year, while the S-series laser phosphor is expected in 2017.

All-laser multiplexes powered by Barco
With over 15 all-laser multiplexes secured, a growing number of exhibitors are transforming their multiplex into an all-laser multiplex powered by Barco’s flagship laser and laser phosphor projection. All-laser multiplexes will become the standard for new-built theaters by 2018. The first all-laser projector-powered multiplexes include all Santikos Entertainment multiplexes – such as the recently opened Casa Blanca Theater in Texas (US) – JinYi Cinemas in Guangzhou (China), and Regal L.A. LIVE: A Barco Innovation Center in Los Angeles (US).

Leading EMEA exhibitors Kinepolis Breda (The Netherlands) and GRINN FILM in Kursk (Russia) are also switching to Barco’s full range of laser solutions, to turn their theaters into all-Barco-laser multiplexes:

“Just like Barco, Kinepolis Group is on a constant quest to introduce new, innovative technologies that help bring back the magic of the movies. We knew that our investment in Barco’s laser-illuminated projectors would help us bring the moviegoing experience to new levels. We’ve been proven right,” says Eddy Duquenne, CEO of Kinepolis Group.

“We had great past experience with Barco’s xenon cinema projectors,” explains Pavel Greshilov, GRINN’s Deputy Director-General. “After visiting seminars and viewing Barco’s flagship laser projectors at work, we concluded that, once again, Barco technology really stands out from the others.”