IMAX has signed an agreement to potentially invest in a laser light company developing technology that would allow IMAX to finally convert all its large format theaters from 70mm film to digital projection and significantly increase the brightness of all 3D movies.
The memo of understanding with Laser Light Engines (it’s not a final agreement yet), which develops and manufactures ultra-high brightness, laser-driven light sources, says that IMAX plans to make an equity investment in Laser Light Engines in exchange for Laser Light developing a custom version of its laser light technology for exclusive use in IMAX digital projection systems, as well as providing outsourced research and development for new features for IMAX.
One of the most daunting challenges of any 3D program in any theater is the reduction of brightness caused by the polarizing switch at the projector so that each eye only sees half of the two combined images, which is then reduced another 50% by the glasses that only allow each eye to see an image half the time. Further reducing the brightness is the dark lenses of the glasses.
Bill Beck, co-founder and executive vp of business development of the Salem, N.H.-based LLE, says that depending on the 3D system — RealD, Xpand, Dolby, or MasterImage — brightness is reduced from 60% – 85%.
That problem is exacerbated in the large format IMAX theaters (the original biggest of the IMAX screens), where the screens are so massive that no traditional lamp-based digital projector can provide sufficient light for a 3D movie.
“You need a light source that is 3x – 5x brighter than the biggest lamp,” Beck said.
As a result, those venues continue to project 3D movies in 70mm film with two separate projectors and two lamps. Even the smaller IMAX theaters use two projectors with the brightest lamp possible, according to Beck.
Beck says LLE technology, beaming the light with a laser that does not even have to be in the projector itself, will allow the option for those venues and future large format venues to use a single projector and achieve even greater brightness.
In addition to saving on the cost of two 3D film prints that can each cost tens of thousands of dollars, there are additional benefits of the technology for any digital large screen system and even advertising and other applications, such as concerts and digital signage, according to Beck.
For example, lasers have a far greater lifespan, eliminating the need for replacement of lamps that can cost up to $1,000 each. The brightness of a projector lamp also declines over time to about 50% of its original strength before it burns out, meaning patrons watching a movie towards the tail end of a projector lamp’s lifespan are seeing an image that is significantly dimmer.
By eliminating Xenon arc lamps, there is less cost for cooling projection booths and overall electricity usage is reduced.
In anticipation of the contemplated partnership, LLE agrees to offer custom technology exclusively to IMAX for a period of two years and not offer it to any other large format theatre systems for three years.
“Laser Light Engines looks forward to designing and developing systems and products that will best harness our high brightness, solid-state illumination laser engines including but not limited to d-cinema, large venue and others,” said Doug Darrow, Laser Light CEO, referring to IMAX as “the most demanding application of digital cinema and large format film presentations.”
— By Scott Hettrick