New technology is never accepted easily. There are many positives and negatives that one has to consider before jumping on the bandwagon to adopt new tech. For now, looks like companies like Samsung and LG are contemplating getting Hollywood to ditch the age-old projection format for large LED screens.
In short, one will have giant LED TV screens replacing the projection rooms which have been around since the birth of cinema. Well, in fact, Pixar did toy with the idea by releasing Lightyear on one such screen at Houston’s Star Cinema Grill for paying audiences in 2022.
While Hollywood is open to new technology, there are some concerns about how the sound would be handled which is a rather critical part of the movie-watching experience. In traditional cinema, the speakers are directly behind the screen and this is not doable with LED panels. However, the biggest issue is the costs and how the theatre owners will adopt them.
The LED screens mean more power draw and heat output requiring more air conditioning compared to projection systems. They also require a rigging metal structure that isn’t normally present to hold the weight of the screen, which vibrates with sound. And all these mean huge expenses for theatre owners. So for now, LED is still an option that is under ‘consideration’.
