National Amusements has become the most recent chain to announce a partnership with cinema projection pioneer Cinionic. Under the five-year preferred partnership agreement, the multinational chain will replace much of its xenon-powered projection equipment with Cinionic’s Barco laser projectors and Barco Alchemy ICMP media servers. The partnership extends to marketing, with joint messaging about the benefits of Laser Projection by Cinionic being delivered to moviegoers in more than 500 National Amusements auditoriums.
The agreement between National Amusements and Cinionic applies to the chain’s operations in the U.S. and the U.K. (where it operates as Showcase Cinemas), as well as Latin America, where Cinionic has already installed laser projectors in several key locations. Cinionic and National Amusements also previously partnered on the Boston area’s Showcase Cinema de Lux at Legacy Place, which in 2019 upgraded its screens with Barco Series 4 laser projection, introducing the XPlus premium screen powered by CGS to the Northeast for the first time.
Duncan Short, SVP Operations at National Amusements, cited projection quality and sustainability concerns as two of the reasons for the chain’s conversion to laser, saying: “Cinionic has proven to be a valuable and trusted resource over the past few years, enabling us to bring the best moviegoing experiences to our guests. We look forward to expanding our work together and are proud to be part of a better, more sustainable future for cinema.”
Since introducing laser projection into its lineup in 2014, Cinionic has been a major player in the exhibition world’s conversion to the technology, with over 30,000 units currently deployed. AMC and Cinemark, the first and third largest chains in North America, respectively, have partnered with Cinionic for a large-scale conversion to laser projection.
“Since the launch of digital cinema, we have worked hand-in-hand with partners like National Amusements to co-create and develop comprehensive cinema solutions that capture the imagination of moviegoers and improve efficiency for exhibition,” said Wim Buyens, CEO of Cinionic. “By focusing on the needs of theaters and audiences, coupled with a global perspective, we are proud to bring the laser difference to more screens than ever before.”
Share this post