LED cinema screens have emerged as one of the most cutting-edge premium technology solutions for movie theaters, offering direct-view technology with brightness levels that rival or exceed those of even the top-rated flagship projectors. In this interview with HeyLED’s Kenny Chow, we explore the latest developments and innovations the technology offers to cinemas and their clients.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
There have been numerous advancements in the field of LED technology. Let’s start with the number of HeyLED’s DCI-certified models and what they mean for your product line-up.
To date, we have four models certified by DCI. The largest are the 20-meter and the 16-meter, which are 4K. Then we have a mid-size, which is either 10 meters or 8 meters, and in 2K. With these sizes, we cater to various screen sizes used in cinemas. Cinemas have auditoriums of varying sizes, so they require different products to suit their spaces. We think that we have a full range of products that can serve different customers.
There have also been several product upgrades from HeyLED this year alone. What should we look out for when we see this technology on the trade show floor in CineEurope?
We are extending a new series of products to the VIP size. We start with a six-meter size, and then it gradually decreases to five and four meters. With this new technology, on the one hand, it serves smaller auditoriums and also provides a Premium Format. For the final screens, we utilize SMD LED packaging technology. With this small size, we utilize the COB and MIP packaging technologies. It provides a very high-density and high-resolution image to the audience.
Another feature that HeyLED offers is the ability to create a 3D effect, featuring a floating image on the LED screen. How is that different from a traditional 3D projection?
The projection screen is always white. This special feature of the LED screen in the cinema is that it uses a black screen. Replacing the white screen can often result in a darker image when the scene requires the camera to reveal more of the darker details. The LED is much more capable in that sense. So, naturally, the LED can offer a much higher contrast ratio, almost 50 to 100 times higher, because it reflects much less light compared to the projection white screen.
Regarding that contrast ratio, another new technology we’ve heard a lot about is High Dynamic Range (HDR). Can you talk about how HeyLED handles High Dynamic Range in its LED screens?
I think everybody knows that LED is capable of delivering very high brightness, because people see a lot of outdoor LEDs for advertising, screens used in sports stadiums, and those are outdoor screens. They can deliver up to 5,000-6,000 nits of brightness. They can compete with the sunlight, and LEDs naturally can deliver high brightness. When we installed the LED screen in the cinema, we had to redesign the entire system compared to traditional outdoor LED screens. We had to provide it with much more grayscale detail and accurate color, so that it can reproduce movie images according to what Hollywood directors want the audience to see. On the one hand, it can naturally deliver a darker tone; at the same time, it can also deliver very high brightness. However, you can’t just compromise on high brightness. The entire system is coupled with very precise grayscale control circuits and software, enabling it to deliver a new movie format called HDR, or High Dynamic Range film. We see Hollywood pushing this new HDR format very proactively. They released the HDR formal specification in 2023, so the display can now be formally certified as HDR-capable. On the other hand, it also defines a very good standard for movie mastering. When films are mastered in the HDR format, the LED cinema screen is capable of reproducing them exactly in the cinema.
That’s one of those advantages that this technology can bring. Another aspect that we’ve seen really help this technology is stability and consistency, something that’s crucial for every cinema screen. What has HeyLED done to make sure that your screens meet those standards?
HeyLED was designed to have a significantly higher quality level compared to commercial LED screens, as we recognize the importance of the product’s capabilities for cinema operators. Our audience is paying for a ticket to watch the movie for two hours, so we must ensure the screen delivers a stable and high-quality image throughout the entire movie. We start from material selection through to the production process, encompassing all the structure and circuit designs that ensure the best quality. Cinema operators are usually aligned with the landlord of, let’s say a shopping mall, that the operation of the cinema will be up to 10 years, for example. We also commit to the technical support throughout the lifetime of that cinema.
HeyLED is also working on other innovations, including perforated and curved LED screens. What do they offer exhibitors and moviegoers?
For the very large screen, similar to the Imax screen of more than 60 meters, we can deliver screens up to 20-24 meters wide. On large screens, the positioning of the sound source is crucial. When people watch the movie, they can have a natural sense of the conversation unfolding. This prompted us to develop new technology that allows the sound to emanate from the center of the screen. When you curve the screen, images look more natural in the cinema. We found that if we curved the LED screen, which is in fact more reflective of all the sounds in the auditorium, it actually creates problems by fuzzing some of the sounds for some of the audience members. People didn’t feel comfortable hearing the overall sound. This new structure allows the screen to be perforated, which means it doesn’t create this sound reflection problem. Combined with a perforated surface, we can actually make the screen curve as well, so that it looks more natural to the audience.
The perforated screen, as you mentioned, can conduct audio from the center of the screen, which was one of the original design challenges when this technology emerged, and that is now being addressed, including those sideline concerns with the curved screens. Another part of how HeyLED is working to make sure that the technology is accessible for a number of cinema operators is by supporting both Dolby and GDC servers.
We find that different cinema operators have varying preferences for movie servers, such as Adobe or GDC. When their whole chain, for example, is using the Dolby Adobe server and we’re installing one or two screens into some of their locations, then they find that the the overall technical management is much easier if the server that we can provide is in line with what they are already using, so that it works well with the overall Theater Management System (TMS). Vice versa, if another cinema chain uses GDC servers, we can also bundle it with the GDC server to ensure they work better with their software management.
A new, smaller-sized product is set to debut at CineEurope this year. What makes this new, smaller type of LED experience special?
We are now delivering a new, smaller-sized product, also available in 4K, to our customers. This product is designed with certain regions of the world in mind, which have smaller auditoriums and require a smaller screen size. We’re developing this six-meter-wide screen for those regions that require smaller space. This will be the first formally HDR-certified screen by DCI, following the HDR definition released in 2023. The certification test was actually not ready until the end of last year. This is actually the first year that the DCI laboratory is capable of conducting certification tests using the new standard for HDR on a direct-view display, which is essentially an LED. The product we are delivering and showcasing at CineEurope is one of the first screens to be formally certified with full direct HDR capability.
Well, I’m sure it’ll be great to have this sort of technology available to more exhibitors and auditoriums. You’re coming in with innovations and products to send to Europe. What is going to be your main focus at the event this year?
Our focus will be on promoting this full line of products. Now we not only have the large screen, which is 20 meters in size, but we also have the small size, which can be scaled down to around six, five, and four meters. We’re focusing on promoting the entire line of products to meet the diverse needs of different users. We will also be showcasing the perforated technology. Although this time we cannot display the entire screen due to the size limit, we will have a suitable form that we can present to the customer.
Now looking ahead, what do you see as HeyLED’s biggest challenges in the global marketplace? You also want to make sure that your innovations stay ahead of everything else that’s coming.
In addition to the hardware, we have invested considerable effort in the system management software. Currently, we are also upgrading our software to a new version that will enable exhibitors to manage the system and make system maintenance much easier. For example, monitoring features on the power supplies or the critical parts of this system. We have been working closely with server software, including Dolby and the GDC server, as well as various TMS source software. This will be one of the areas where we believe we can continue to deliver better value to the exhibitors.
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