I don’t know about you, but I love watching movies at the cinemas. There’s nothing like a massive screen with great visuals, immersive sound and popcorn to complete the picture. Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) and Samsung today unveiled the new future for cinema with the introduction of Malaysia’s first Onyx Cinema LED screen at Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur. Onyx, the latest innovation by Samsung, is set to bring the cinema-going experience to a whole new level with super high-resolution visuals and superior sound.
The first-ever Onyx Cinema LED screen is located at Hall 11 at GSC’s flagship Mid Valley Megamall cinema.
The LED screen measures 10.3m (33.8ft) x 5.4m (17.7ft) with a 4K UHD (5096×2160) resolution. It’s also available in a 5.1m (16.7ft) x 2.7m (8.9ft) 2K (2048×1080) configuration. An even larger 14m (46ft) x 7.2m (23.6ft) 4K UHD (4096×2160) configuration is expected to be available from Q4 2018 onwards.
Samsung says the Onyx is the world’s first Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI)-compliant High Dynamic Range (HDR) LED theatre display, which can achieve peak brightness levels of 146fL (foot-lambert). This enables it to deliver the most pristine whites and the deepest blacks, with an almost infinite contrast ratio.
Onyx screens have already sprouted in cities all over the world including Zurich, Bangkok, Seoul, Busan, Austria and Los Angeles, with more to come.
A new cinema experience
There are several key advantages of the Onyx Cinema LED screen compared to a conventional cinema projector solution.
Minus a projector, cinemas can remove the projector booth, hence more seats can be added to the theatre. The Onyx theatre has no line of sight issues, and hence seats can go closer to the ceiling. More seats means more revenue.
The Onyx solution also offers distortion-free, distraction-free visuals so audiences can stay focused on featured content on screen.
HDR is something you hear and see a lot of on TVs and displays. With the support for HDR, visual quality on the Onyx screen is simply superior compared to conventional projectors, offering sharper and more detail-rich imagery. Additionally, the Onyx screen displays true black colours and almost infinite contrast.
However, Onyx isn’t just all screen. The cinema experience is also about great sound. Supplementing the fantastic visuals is world-class audio tech from Samsung’s Audio Lab an JBL by HARMAN Professional Solutions.
The Onyx cinema integrates powerful speakers on the edge of the screen, establishing an expanded audio “sweet spot” throughout the theatre’s seating area. This delivers a more impactful and immersive aural experience.
Let’s also not forget that comfortable seats (as well as good popcorn) are essential in the total cinema experience. The Onyx hall at GSC offers plus eco-leather seats, so you’ll have a comfortable experience throughout the movie.
Speaking at the launch, Koh Mei Lee, chief executive officer of GSC said the arrival of Onyx in Malaysia is a momentous milestone in the cinema industry and is poised to reshape the way we look at cinema in the future. She added that as a leading cinema exhibitor, the company is constantly seeking new ways to provide greater value to its customers through value promotions, F&B offerings and the latest cinema tech.
She also mentioned that the Onyx hall is suitable for alternative content like e-sports, live musical performances and more.
GSC currently offers THX-certified halls and Dolby Atmos audio surround technology across Malaysia. GSC Mid Valley Megamall offers 21 screens, which coincidently is the largest multiplex in Southeast Asia.
How much does an Onyx movie experience cost? Not too much, actually. You can enjoy GSC’s Onyx hall at only an additional MYR1.50 on top of the regular ticket price. You can catch Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom at the Onyx Cinema LED screen now.
For information on GSC, visit www.gsc.com.my. For more information about Onyx, visit displaysolutions.samsung.com/led-signage/onyx.
