New LG Miraclass LEDs Offer Cinemas Projection Alternative

LG is bringing to market a line of LED screens designed for small movie theaters, the LG Miraclass line. The four initial models range in size from 16- to 46-feet wide, offering 24-bit color and resolution from 2K to 4K. The screens are comprised of smaller panels featuring self-emissive LED pixels that run edge-to-edge (eliminating visible seams). Brightness adjusts across five stages — from 48 to 300 nits  — making the displays suitable for a range of use-cases, from the brightness required for 2D/3D movies to less light-intensive corporate presentations.

The four Miraclass models include two 16-foot-wide (5.1 meter) models, offering either 4K or 2K resolution; a 33-foot (10.2 meter) screen in 4K; and a  46-foot (14.1 meter) 4K display that is comparable to the average screen in a medium-sized theater.

LG says in an announcement that the two 16-foot models —  LDAA025-1 and LDAA012 — are “good options for small-capacity theaters, which have become increasingly popular with audiences in recent years.”

All Miraclass displays “support Dolby’s Integrated Media Server, ensuring a premium image and sound,” writes Pocket-lint, detailing the 24-bit color is “capable of delivering 68.7 million different color combinations.”

Even the largest of Miraclass models aren’t “ready to replace massive, 79 foot wide IMAX-sized projection screens just yet,” Gizmodo reports. LG says that an advantage of Miraclass screens is elimination of the need for a projector room. Gizmodo agrees, reporting that even tiny projection rooms are considered a waste of space “with many cinemas trying to lure audiences back to the movies with smaller, more intimate theaters featuring lush seating and even food service.”

The LED screens are also more eco-friendly, sidestepping the tremendous energy resources needed to run projectors, which also generate a lot of heat and use noisy cooling systems.

The LG Miraclass screens come with what LG calls “intuitive software,” for easy operator management. The screens “are already available in several theaters in Europe, but are soon to be installed in additional theaters around the world, including in Asia and North America,” Gizmodo says.

LG has yet to make pricing publicly available, but “one has to assume they’ll be priced competitively against projector-based systems,” per Gizmodo, rationalizing even a slight premium over projectors with longer-term savings on power and maintenance.

LG Information Display SVP Paik Ki-mun says the company will continue to add models and features to the LG Miraclass offerings “to accommodate rising demand and the diverse requirements of movie theater companies” in the future. The name, the company explains, is a combination of “miracle” and “class.

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