At last year’s CinemaCon, Display Solutions of America, Inc. was showing a prototype of their new laser phosphor projector that also featured a red laser, which augments the blue lasers which provide blue light and the pump for the green phosphor. The 4K resolution, 35,000 lumen NC3541L model is now shipping, NEC reported at this year’s CinemaCon. The MSRP for the projector is reported to be $82K and with a lens, closer to $90K. (NEC LP Projector Solves a Colour Challenge)
Content was being shown with this projector that looked quite good – a little too good, it seems. Apparently, the screen was a bit smaller than NEC was planning for and at the lowest power setting of 30% of peak, the projector was still creating peak whites on the screen at 36fL – over twice the recommended light level (14 fL) for SDR content. This made the SDR content look quite good due to the increased brightness and the perception of more highly saturated colors.
Other models in the NEC cinema line up include the NC3540LS – NEC’s flagship 2D and 3D-capable RGB Laser digital cinema projector, which delivers a 4K image using a fiber coupled laser system, designed for premium large-format screens. The NC1700L is a 2K RB Laser digital cinema projector with 14,000 lumens that is 2D or 3D capable for small to medium screen sizes while the NC1000C is a compact and silent 2K, DCI-certified digital projector designed for theaters with small screens, booth-less cinema or mobile theaters.
NEC was also partnered with a company called 3D Live that was showing a small 3D LED screen. The prototype was based on 2.5mm pitch LED with polarizers arranged in a checkerboard pattern, so polarized 3D glasses were needed to see the stereo image. Stereo contrast was reported to be a very high 1000:1. A second prototype with sub 2mm pixel pitch is in the works too.
The images shown were quite nice with a modest depth volume and good crisp images, although pixels were visible. 3D Live uses 3D LED screens mostly in the rental and staging and theme park markets, but was at CinemaCon with NEC to explore bringing the technology to theaters and to gather feedback on the technology to help guide further development efforts.
Los Angeles-based 3D Live serves the live events, theme park and cinema markets by developing spectacular audience experiences, such as the award-winning Mass Effect: New Earth attraction at California’s Great America and The Music of Light stage show for Disney Pixar’s “Inside/Out” at the world famous El Capitan theater in Hollywood, CA. – CC
