Why Xenon lamp projectors are the preferred choice for many cinema exhibitors
It’s been over a decade since the installation of the first laser digital cinema projector, and in many markets, laser has become the preferred light source for exhibitors due to its longer lifetime, better brightness, lower power consumption, and higher contrast and color saturation.
However, since the 1970s when Xenon lamps became the most widely used light source in film projectors, they have been one of the core illumination technologies used by exhibitors. In fact, more than 120,000 screens worldwide use Xenon lamp projectors today. Even in new cinema configurations, Xenon lamp projectors still hold a significant position.
Let’s look at the advantages of Xenon
Why do some exhibitors prefer Xenon lamp projection? For two main reasons:
- It displays natural-looking colors: Like Xenon lamps, both RGB pure laser and laser phosphor illumination technologies can achieve the DCI-P3 color space and meet DCI standards for red, green, blue, and white color coordinates. Xenon lamp’s broad spectrum of colors creates a more natural-looking image. With over half a century of innovation and market validation, Xenon lamps remain the benchmark for image quality in the film industry.
- Lower initial investment: Xenon lamp projectors have a significant advantage compared to laser projectors – a lower initial cost. And the total cost of operation has come down with the notable reduction in Xenon lamp prices. For projectors under 22,000 lumens, a Xenon lamp can last an average of 2,000 hours. For a projector used for more than five and a half hours daily, only one to two Xenon lamps are needed per year. Moreover, the smaller the projector, the lower the consumption and price of Xenon lamps.
Xenon lamp projectors are a great choice for applications where budget is limited and a tried-and-true technology is preferred, such as private cinemas and small theatres. Many post-production and color grading studios favor Xenon lamp projection owing to the natural-looking colors that these projectors display.
Our fourth generation of Xenon projectors
Christie has decades of experience manufacturing Xenon lamp projectors for the global cinema market, and we’re consistently innovating to deliver technology that meets the needs of exhibitors of every size. We’ve integrated Xenon lamps into our well-loved CineLife+ Series, including the CP2415-Xe, CP2420-Xe, and CP4420-Xe – our fourth generation of Xenon-illuminated projectors.
And with features like dual HDMI 2.0 and quad 12G-SDI interfaces (to accommodate direct input and playback of non-DCI content), support for 4K 120fps, ECC (Electronic Color Convergence), LiteLOC™ color management, and Mystique™ Cinema, our latest generation of Xenon lamp projectors are designed to meet the needs of today’s exhibitors.
Xenon lamps continue to play an important role for exhibitors worldwide, and we firmly believe that different light source technologies will continue to coexist in the global film market, providing differentiated services and solutions for users with different needs.