Samsung has announced that it has completed work on upgrading the historic Pathé Palace Theatre in Paris, France with a suite of new LED cinema screens. It has outfitted the venue with six of its Onyx LED screens, alongside an 8K MicroLED from its The Wall series.
This move will reportedly "raise the bar for the entire moviegoing experience" for patrons of the cinema which has undergone a five-year renovation. Out of the six new Onyx displays, four of them are 4K and measure over 10 metres wide, while the remaining two feature a 2K resolution and measure 5 metres wide. These are the world's first Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI)-certified cinema LED display for theatrical exhibition too.
Samsung claims that they can deliver "exceptionally vivid colours" with sharp details, deep black levels and excellent contrast. They're also reportedly capable of reaching 300 nits, which might not sound that impressive in the world of super bright TVs and home cinema projectors, but that's actually about three times brighter than what a conventional film projector used in many cinemas is capable of. Traditional projectors tend to hit around 48 nits, while IMAX screens reach around 75 nits, and Dolby Cinemas can reach up to 108 nits.
This should have a positive impact on HDR performance too, making this an enticing cinema for AV enthusiasts who are sick of middling picture performance in their local multiplex.
These displays are also 3D-capable, are reportedly clearer when using active 3D glasses, and benefit from improved brightness and enhanced colour amplification for a more realistic and immersive experience. They also supposedly address issues surrounding conventional 3D cinema screens including shadowing and dizziness which some viewers can suffer with.
Outside of the auditoriums, Samsung has also fitted one of its most advanced MicroLED screens in the lobby of the theatre. An 8K model from Samsung's The Wall range will be seen by punters entering the cinema, and while we're still waiting for MicroLED to take over the world of TVs, it will be an impressive sight to see in the foyer of the Pathé Palace.
The Pathé Palace Theatre joins the Pathé Beaugrenelle in Paris and Pathé Bellecour in Lyon which have also recently been outfitted with Onyx LED displays. Samsung and Pathé have a long-term partnership in France, with an aim to outfit more cinemas in the region soon. Unfortunately, there are no Samsung Onyx theatres in the UK, meaning you'll have to travel to mainland Europe if you want to test Samsung's projector rivalling screens out, or there are screens further afield in the US and Asia too.
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