A trial of Sony’s new SXRD 4k ultra high resolution projectors has recently got underway as part of Norway’s Digital Interoperability in Cinemas (NORDIC) project. The SRX-R110CE is the latest addition to the Sony CineAlta range of digital cinema equipment and is the only projector designed to meet DCI specifications for 4k resolution. Sony Media Block servers will also be installed with each projector as part of an overall digital cinema system.
Headed by Unique, the goal of NORDIC is to pave the way for digital migration in Norway’s cinemas and involves leading players in the industry, including the Trondheim-based Norwegian University of Science and Technology. It will look at the impact of moving from 35mm film to file-based distribution and will consider everything from audience response through to operational issues in a multiscreen environment.
Developed in accordance with DCI-guidelines, each of the SRX-R110CE projectors to be installed in cinemas in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger incorporates silicon reflective display (SXRD) imaging devices to provide 4k resolution. The high contrast ratio of greater than 1800:1 and brightness of 10,000 lumens ensures crisp, clear images, and twin xenon lamps and a gamma curve of 2.6 provide high-quality colour tonal reproduction. The projectors will be supplied with digital content by a dedicated Sony Media Block server as part of a complete digital cinema presentation system.
The NORDIC trial will last for 12 months and involves multiple technology partners. “We are working closely with Sony as we establish a clear path for the rollout of digital cinema across Norway,” commented Dave Spilde, director of technology at Unique. “We look forward to offering cinema audiences the ultimate viewing experience with unsurpassed picture quality.”
“Digital cinema promises an exciting future of improved choice and quality for cinema audiences everywhere,” concluded Kevin Wakeford, head of digital cinema business at Sony. “We will continue working with the cinema industry to develop solutions that deliver on that promise.”