www.pro.sony.eu/dcinema
Sony and
laser cinema
projection
A world leader in digital cinema
Sony and laser cinema projection
Sony is an acknowledged world leader in digital cinema,
with almost 18,000 4K projectors installed in screens
worldwide (June2014). We’ve been consistently at the
forefront of technological innovation in digital cinema,
ever since we launched the world’s first commercially
available 4K projector in 2007.
Today, Sony offers cinema owners an unparalleled choice of 4K projection
systems in 2D and 3D. These range from our industry-leading R320 and its
‘double stack’ configuration for the largest screens to the compact, affordable
R500 series that’s suited to smaller theatres.
It’s no surprise that Sony’s been at the forefront of developments in laser right
from the get-go. As long ago as 2005, we demonstrated laser projector on a
50m screen at the Aichi Expo in Japan. Then in 2012, we showed the viability
of High Frame Rate 3D projection with a laser light source, using advanced despeckling technology for high-quality images on a silver screen.
And by the way – outside the cinema industry, in 2013 we also launched a
business projector (VPL-FH55) that uses a laser light source. But it’s important not
to confuse this product with a “proper” cinema projector that adopts a slightly
different technological approach and operates at far higher light levels.
Sony already has a market-leading portfolio of (nonlaser) 4K products in the marketplace right now
So why is the cinema industry excited about migrating from wellproven “conventional” projection systems to laser? Compared
with the traditional xenon lamp source found in today’s cinema
projectors, laser offers several potential benefits.
Alongside high brightness with little deterioration and a wide
colour gamut, laser-based systems promise reduced running
costs and reduced environmental impact. In particular, the
laser light source typically offers a far longer operating life than
conventional lamps – potentially as long as 10 years or more
in normal commercial operation, compared with around 5002,000 hours for xenon. Requiring less frequent replacement for
effectively maintenance-free operation, this reduces the risk of
catastrophic lamp failure causing ‘dark screen’ outages and
consequent lost revenues.
Technology, costs and the law:
a matter of timing
So laser looks very exciting on the face of it, and Sony is actively
refining the technology for cinema applications. But laser does
present some significant challenges before it is commercially
viable as a serious alternative for mainstream theatrical
projection systems.
One of the biggest challenges lies in efficiently delivering very
high on-screen light levels from a laser source. There are a
couple of ways to achieve this. The so-called ‘fibre coupled’
system literally squirts laser light from an external light source via
a fibre optic cable into the projector itself. Right now it’s not a
terribly efficient system, with light being wasted as it’s transmitted
through the fibre optic cable. It’s also bulky and expensive,
requiring a separate cabinet for the laser source and lots of
costly chilling to keep the laser cool.
The other ‘direct coupled’ solution is a little more like
conventional projection, using a semiconductor light source
inside the projector itself. The bottleneck here is commercial
availability of a green semiconductor laser diode (three are
required in total: green, red and blue). Right now, industry
analysts suggest a timeframe of 2016 before this becomes
commercially viable for the cinema market.
These aren’t the only solutions, and Sony is working on some
exciting refinements of both these broad technological
approaches.
SRX-R320
SRX-R500
Taking a costly view of 3D
For 3D presentation – one of the biggest industry justifications for laser in the first place – both Barco and Christie
are pushing ‘6P’ projection in conjunction with a matt white screen. This inevitably means that reusable Dolbytype colour separation glasses must be used. Priced at around $25 per pair, they’re hugely more expensive
than the (cheap) disposable polarising glasses currently used by the vast majority of operators. The exhibitor
community well understands the economics of providing 3D glasses to cinema audiences numbering
hundreds or thousands of patrons. How realistic are other manufacturers in expecting operators to switch to a
completely different model when it comes to 3D with laser?
However technology isn’t the only challenge to overcome.
Under current legislation, strict regulations define the conditions
under which laser devices can be used in public display
applications. These largely historical conditions were drawn up
long before laser projection was even conceived.
The revision of regulations relating to laser safety standards is
under discussion in the many world regions. However, strict
safety laws still govern the use of laser projection in public
cinemas. Under current legislation, therefore, this places the
onus on exhibitors to seek and obtain governmental approval
before operating any laser projection system.
Alongside high brightness
with little deterioration
and a wide colour gamut,
laser-based systems
promise reduced running
costs and reduced
environmental impact
No business case to
answer?
Illuminating the laser
landscape
Above all else, the biggest obstacle facing laser right
now is quite simply its commercial viability. The last five
years have seen widespread industry migration from
35mm film projection to digital. Inevitably, this has meant
big investments by cinema operators in replacing their
analogue fleets – a process made considerably easier
by Sony with its innovative VPF (Virtual Print Fee) scheme
that dramatically lowered up-front costs for operators in
switching to 4K digital.
At Sony we’re actively involved in the future of laser
projection that promises to offer an exciting future option
for cinema operators. Nonetheless, there are some big
engineering, and political challenges remaining for this
as-yet unproven technology. These must be successfully
overcome before laser represent a commercially viable
option for the vast majority of cinema customers – whether
they’re going digital for the first time, or thinking about
replacing their previous-generation digital projector.
Any big capital investment is predicated on lengthy
payback cycles, often a decade or more. With other
manufacturers suggesting a price point for laser as high as
half a million Euros, it’s hard to see its short-term appeal to
thousands of exhibitors who are still amortising their relatively
recent digital switch over costs.
And let’s not forget in the meantime. Sony already has a
market-leading portfolio of (non-laser) 4K products in the
marketplace right now, with a clear roadmap for years
to come. If you want a best-in-class 4K projector today,
buy Sony. What do you have to gain by taking a risk with
unproven first-generation laser product? We outperform
it on any parameters you care to mention: brightness,
efficiency, running costs, picture quality and support.
At this point in cinemas’
investment cycles, where’s the
incentive for another significant
round of capital outlay?
Particularly if the pictures you’re
promising audiences with laser
will struggle to beat what currentgeneration 4K already delivers?
So there is no question about Sony winding down its
commitment to D-Cinema. Far from it. We are fully
committed to support our existing projector line-up for
years to come, and indeed you’ll continue to see further
refinements to our current generation of products during
2014 and beyond.
We’ve been around longer than anyone else. We know
how to do it properly. We ARE doing it properly. And when
we bring D-Cinema products to market – when the time
is right – we won’t disappoint our customers. And that’s
something every cinema should bear in mind while they’re
planning their capital expenditure over the next few years.
Sony is a principal member of the Laser Illuminated Projector Association (lipainfo.org).
Alongside other manufacturers and interested cinema industry parties, we’re actively working
on the adoption of laser projection in the cinema industry, from both a technical and
regulatory point of view.
For further information visit www.pro.sony.eu/dcinema
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