With 2016 just around the corner, it’s time to look back. 2015 has been a truly exciting year for the film industry! A record number of blockbusters created special moments for millions of moviegoers and the holiday period will be no exception. At Barco, we’re wrapping up the year by looking back on an extraordinary edition of the CineAsia tradeshow in Hong Kong.
A new era in cinema entertainment
Today, we see two major trends at work in the exhibitor market:
- There’s a strong push towards offering a truly differentiating audience experience to attract more moviegoers and to increase the perceived value of the cinema experience – ultimately leading to higher exhibitor revenue. The critical success factor here is to meaningfully improve the visual experience for moviegoers in a scalable and profitable way.
- A second trend is the increased focus on profitability. In a globalized, lower-interest rate, post-VPF world, we see increased cross-border consolidation activity and an increased focus on costs, especially in more mature economies
For us, it’s pretty simple: our customers’ success is our success. We want to help our customers realize the opportunities these two trends bring. That’s why we are so excited about our latest cinema innovations.
The year of the laser
2015 was marked by the roll-out of Barco’s first laser projector portfolios. At CinemaCon, we introduced our full flagship laser projector series which offers moviegoers a game-changing visual experience while providing exhibitors with a positive business case.
So far, Barco is the clear market leader with over 80 flagship laser cinema projectors in more than 15 countries installed or committed (excluding the laser technology Barco provides to IMAX). In 2015, we also announced the first all-laser multiplexes: Santikos Casa Blanca Theatre and JinYi’s Guangzhou multiplex.
With the launch of our laser phosphor series at CineAsia, we’re bringing laser technology benefits to all cinema screens. Starting with the DP2K-15CLP and DP2K-20CLP, our laser phosphor projectors offer reduced costs, more simplicity, and superior image quality for medium-sized screens.
Intelligent projectors
Barco’s Integrated Cinema Media Processor (ICMP) is the next-generation media server for digital cinema. Integrating the strengths and functionality of projector processing and content management, it’s the single interface an exhibitor needs to run his screens. Currently, the majority of the Barco cinema projectors have the Barco Alchemy ICMP on board.
This year, we’ve released new features every quarter. This means that users have invested in a future-proof platform that is constantly expanding. In 2016 the functionality will keep growing, without compromising on reliability.
Go for Escape
In 2015, Barco Escape evolved from its early experimental phase to a fully DCI-compliant immersive experience, based on a multi-screen setup. Our footprint expanded to more than 20 theaters worldwide for the September debut of ‘Maze Runner: The Scorch Trails’. We also announced a five-year, multi-title per year deal with 20th Century Fox and we’re working with top producer Jerry Bruckheimer on upcoming projects, along with several leading Hollywood film production companies that will produce for the format.
Barco Escape is a bold step forward in storytelling and the future of the cinema.
AuroMax®: the most realistic immersive experience
Auro 11.1 by Barco has also witnessed substantial growth with over 550 screens committed or installed around the globe, including more than 35 leading post production facilities. Until now, over 140 films have been mixed and released in Auro 11.1.Taking over the lobby
What’s next?
In the end, we all love compelling experiences and special moments that enrich our lives. At Barco, we create those moments and make them accessible for anyone, anywhere. In 2016, we’ll be introducing more cinema innovations that enable this. Stay tuned to discover what we have in store for you!