Studio Weekend Estimates: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Explodes with Record-Breaking $250M, Topping ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’

Avengers: Infinity War has started the summer movie season with a huge bang. The latest chapter in the MCU canon more than delivered on its immense promise this weekend with a colossal, record-breaking opening of $250 million, surpassing Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ opening weekend gross of $247.9 million back in December 2015. If estimates hold, that gives the Disney-Marvel blockbuster the biggest opening weekend of all time. Infinity War‘s astronomical opening wasn’t much of a surprise when considering the film’s grosses early in the weekend, where it took in $39 million in Thursday night previews (fourth best of all time) and a gargantuan $105.9 million on Friday (making it the second best opening day all-time and the first non-Star Wars film to gross over $100 million in its first full day of release). It didn’t hurt that the team-up sequel, which features the...

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‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Earns Best Global Opening Ever w/ $630M

The number were almost “infinite” as Disney’s Avengers: Infinity War opened with the best global opening and second-best overseas opening of all time. Starting with $380 million overseas, that’s the second-highest overseas opening ever, behind only last summer’s The Fate of the Furious with $443.1 million. Most impressively, Infinity War racked up that overseas total without China, where it won’t be released until May. The highly-anticipated superhero film had opened in dozens of markets on Wednesday or Thursday, prior to the film’s Friday domestic release. It’s also the best global opening ever with an estimated $650 million total, beating the previous record holder which was also The Fate of the Furious with $541.9 million. Top grossing markets in Infinity War‘s opening include the United Kingdom with $42.2 million, South Korea...

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Fandango Sells More Than 36% of “Avengers: Infinity War” Opening Night Box Office Dollars

Their official press release: Fandango, the ultimate digital network for all things movies, announced it sold more than a third of “Avengers: Infinity War” domestic box office dollars on Thursday night, representing the company’s highest share of a superhero movie’s opening.  Approximately 1 out of every 3 “Infinity War” tickets for Thursday night were purchased on Fandango, with more than 2,500 showtimes selling out on Fandango before the film opened. Theater owners are continuing to add new showtimes on Fandango throughout the weekend to meet the fan demand. According to a Fandango moviegoer survey of more than 1,000...

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Long Range Tracking: ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ & ‘Deadpool 2’ Updates

This week’s report focuses on Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom — the fifth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise, which will be in the midst of celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer. The return of stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard will please fans of 2015’s Jurassic World, while older fans are eagerly anticipating the return of Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm character, whom hasn’t been seen in the franchise since 1997’s The Lost World. Fallen Kingdom‘s early teaser reactions weren’t as positively received as those of its predecessor initially, but the most recent payoff trailer has generated more positive reactions online. While comparing social media trends for this sequel to the 2015 film could be hit and miss due to severe under-tracking three years ago, Kingdom‘s same-point metrics are comparable to those of fellow...

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Disney: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Projected for $95M-$100M Domestic Opening Day, On Pace for Second Biggest Weekend Ever

Friday Update: Disney sent along an official projection this afternoon, calling for a Friday total between $95 million and $100 million. If it holds, that would line with our pre-release forecasts and mark the third biggest single day gross in history behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. That very early estimate includes Thursday night’s $39 million bow, which stands as the fourth best in history and the biggest ever for a Marvel film, besting Age of  Ultron ($27.6 million), Black Panther ($25.2 million), and Captain America: Civil War ($25.0 million). Based on Friday’s early estimate, the studio officially projects a weekend pace of $225 million (“give or take”), although that could still be a slightly conservative projection based on our models. Internationally, the film debuted to $95 million...

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‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Takes $39M in Domestic Previews, Hits $95M Overseas

Avengers: Infinity War posted the fourth highest preview gross of all time, earning $39 million from Thursday evening previews. It is the highest preview tally of any Marvel title, ahead of Avengers: Age of Ultron ($27.6M), Black Panther ($25.2M), and Captain America: Civil War ($25M). IMAX previews contributed an estimated $4.1 million of that figure, the third highest on record behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The title has grossed $95 million over its first two days overseas, where it is already playing in 43 markets. IMAX screenings have generated an additional $5.1 million overseas through Thursday. Disney reports Infinity War has recorded the highest opening day in industry history in South Korea, Brazil, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Central America, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and UAE. The film opens...

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‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Posts $39M in Thursday Night Previews; $95M Total Overseas

Disney’s Avengers: Infinity War posted $39.0 million in Thursday preview grosses domestically. That’s the fourth-highest Thursday preview gross ever, behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens with $57.0 million, Star Wars: The Last Jedi with $45.0 million, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 with $43.5 million. In terms of what this might indicate for the opening weekend, those other three films have the highest, second-highest, and 10th-highest opening weekends of all time, respectively. This indicates that Infinity War is likely to place in the top five and perhaps even top three for opening weekends. It’s also the biggest Thursday preview number ever for a Marvel Cinematic Universe installment, beating the previous record of Avengers: Age of Ultron with $27.6 million. On the overseas front, Infinity War has $95 million through its first two days of release, after...

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Interactive ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ Movie Using Kino Technology in Development at Fox

PRESS RELEASE __________________________________ Los Angeles, CA – April 26, 2018 – Twentieth Century Fox Film (TCFF) today announced that they are licensing Kino Industries’ CtrlMovie technology for the Studio’s upcoming film, CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE. The patented technology will allow in-theater audiences to control the characters’ action throughout the film using the app developed and created by Kino. This is the first film in a potential multi-film partnership utilizing this innovative technology. The announcement was made today during the CinemaCon presentation for TCFF in Las Vegas. The film, based on the iconic 1980s book series that sold over 265 million copies worldwide, is currently in development at TCFF with John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment, Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter of Berlanti Productions, and Shannon Gilligan of Chooseco,...

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‘Aquaman,’ ‘Shazam!’ and More Warner Bros. Titles to Screen in ScreenX Panoramic Format

PRESS RELEASE ___________________________________ Hollywood, CA (April 26, 2018) – CJ 4DPLEX announced today that Warner Bros. Pictures intends to release up to five titles within the next 12 months, including The Nun in September, Aquaman in December, and Shazam! in April 2019, with additional titles to be confirmed later this year. This will build on the success of Rampage, which was released earlier this month in the panoramic, 270-degree, premium cinema format.  “Warner Bros. continues to be our strong partner, and we are thrilled to release five new titles from their upcoming film lineup. We look to expand the reach of this new technology that we feel will change the moviegoing experience for the better in the years to come,” said Byung-Hwan Choi, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX. “As we look toward the future, we are excited...

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Eclair Announces Successful Live-Event Screening at Vitrolles Theater with EclairLive

PRESS RELEASE __________________________________ Paris-Vanves (France), 26 April 2018 / Eclair, a leader in content services for the motion picture and television industries in Europe (Ymagis Group – FR0011471291, MAGIS, PEA-PME, TECH 40), announces its successful first screening of a live event via streaming at the CGR cinema in Vitrolles, near Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône) April 22. This first-ever event of its kind featured the NBA Playoffs match of the Golden State Warriors versus the San Antonio Spurs (CGR Events/beIN SPORTS). “We would like to thank CGR Events, specialized in the distribution of live event screenings for cinemas, for the trust they put in our EclairLive solution, which made this operation through broadband Internet possible,” explains Bruno d’Isidoro, Business Director for EclairLive at Eclair. “So far, the distribution of event cinema – concerts,...

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Weekend Forecast: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

Summer 2018 officially begins for the film industry this weekend as Disney and Marvel unleash their long and much anticipated Avengers: Infinity War. As we’ve discussed in previous weeks, the film has consistently been tracking for a massive debut thanks to the promise of serving as a semi-finale to the first ten years of MCU titles and uniting every significant character that has been introduced (and is still alive) over the course of the previous eighteen films. You can check out our original, in-depth analysis of the film’s potential here. The last piece of the puzzle to determining the film’s box office potential arrived in largely positive fashion this week as the mega-sequel boasts an 87 percent Rotten Tomatoes score as of this publishing. There’s no mistaking that as yet another encouraging sign for a crowd-pleasing Marvel tentpole. In fairness, though, many...

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GDC Selected by One of India’s Leading Circuits to Supply Ushio Lamps for Three Years

PRESS RELEASE LAS VEGAS, April 26, 2018 — GDC Technology Limited, a leading global provider of digital cinema solutions, today announced it has signed a three-year agreement with INOX Leisure Ltd (INOX Cinemas), one of India’s leading multiplex chain to supply Ushio lamps. The agreement, which became effective in January 2018, covers supplying Ushio lamps for all INOX screens through 2020. INOX selected Ushio, one of the largest suppliers of specialty and general illumination lamps in the world for the company’s continued technology innovations and wide range of reliable products. GDC, an authorized dealer for Ushio in India, will work closely with INOX to help select the best lamps to ensure bright and precise images are projected onto the cinema screen. INOX cinemas have redefined movie experiences. They are best known for their state-of-the-art facilities...

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GDC Introduces GoGoCinema at CinemaCon 2018

PRESS RELEASE LAS VEGAS, April 26, 2018 — GDC Technology Limited, a leading global provider of digital cinema solutions, announced today at CinemaCon 2018 the formation of GoGoCinemaTM, the company’s first-ever venture into the consumer marketplace. GoGoCinema is the brainchild of Dr. Man-Nang Chong, founder and CEO of GDC Technology Limited. Dr. Chong, an avid moviegoer, first envisioned GoGoCinema in 2012.  The concept looked like a great idea on paper, but the technology did not exist to address the supply and demand challenges facing the theatrical distribution and exhibition industry. Utilizing its nearly 20 years of experience, GDC finally was able to bring the concept to life when they developed and launched Cinema Automation CA2.0 (CA2.0), a game-changing, disruptive technology in 2017. Given CA2.0 helped solve the technical issues by providing comprehensive...

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GDC Technology Installs the First Fully Automated Cinema in China

PRESS RELEASE LAS VEGAS, April 26, 2018 — GDC Technology Limited, a leading global provider of digital cinema solutions, announced today China Film Cinema Da Guang Road in Nanjing, has become the first cinema in China to operate the projection booth with no human intervention by using its Cinema Automation 2.0 (CA2.0), which is designed to fully automated workflow.  The multiplex has been running for three months with zero incident reported, providing significant increase in operation efficiency.  The daily operation of the 7-plex is taking full advantage of the key features of CA2.0, including a centralized server to live-stream selected...

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OVERSEAS: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Takes $39M Wednesday Debut

Avengers: Infinity War opened in 21 overseas markets on Wednesday, grossing a cumulative $39 million in its first day of release. Disney reports the film is pacing ahead of all other Marvel Cinematic Universe titles in most markets, with comprehensive results and comps to come on Sunday’s box office briefing. The film will expand to additional top overseas markets today–including Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom–with 72% of the global market scheduled throughout the weekend. Highlights from Wednesday’s global roll-out, provided by Disney, are included below: Australia: Opening day is the 2nd highest opening day in industry history, behind only Star Wars: A Force Awakens, with a strong 77% market share. $6.7 Million South Korea: Opening day is the highest opening day in industry history in admissions with an outstanding 95% market share. $6.5 Million France:...

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CJ 4DPLEX Announces New Deal with Silverbird Cinemas to Bring First 4DX Theatre to Nigeria

PRESS RELEASE Seoul, South Korea – April 25, 2018 – CJ 4DPLEX Announced today at CinemaCon 2018, as the convention wraps up, a new partnership with Silverbird Cinemas, which will bring the first 4DX site to Nigeria. The 4DX theatre will be located at the exhibitor’s Ikeja location – the highest-grossing cinema in West Africa. The second 4DX site will be opened in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria. The leader in the Nigerian leisure and entertainment industry, Silverbird has 10 locations across Nigeria, Liberia and Ghana, and is known for bringing innovation to the region.  It currently holds 60 percent market share in Nigeria.  “We are extremely pleased to announce our new partnership with Silverbird Cinemas as a very successful CinemaCon closes. Silverbird is known for its innovation and we are grateful to be recognized by them, and excited to bring 4DX to...

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CinemaCon 2018: NAC Bert Nathan Memorial Award

The Bert Nathan Memorial Award is given to an individual each year by the National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) to recognize leadership and significant accomplishment in cinema concessions. Brian Biehn, this year’s recipient, has been a member of NAC since 2004 and has served as the chair of the Regional Vice President and Education committees. In 2014 Biehn began his tenure as an at-large member to the NAC board of directors. Biehn began working with exhibitors in the concessions space in 1994, selling Vogel Popcorn and introducing the Orville Redenbacher brand to cinemas for Conagra Brands. In 2004, Biehn joined FUNacho—an endeavor that led to the introduction of the PretzelHaus Bakery concept. Boxoffice spoke with Biehn about his career so far and what the future holds for the concessions business at the cinema.  When did you first begin working with exhibition...

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4DX is Coming to Saudi Arabia Through Partnership with Cinemacity

PRESS RELEASE _________________________________ Seoul, South Korea – April 25, 2018 – CJ 4DPLEX (www.cj4dx.com) has signed a new partnership with Cinemacity, the leading cinema exhibitor in Saudi Arabia, further extending the reach of 4DX in Middle East. Through this deal, three 4DX locations will open in the country’s capital city, Riyadh, and other major Saudi cities by the end of this year. Al Qasr Mall will be our first Multiplex in Riyadh, featuring 19 screens. It is expected to mark an average of 750,000 admissions during our first year of operation catering to individuals from all walks of life that enjoy luxurious and quality entertainment. Cinemacity’s parent company, Xclusive Cinemas SAL Holding, will operate 116 screens by the end of 2018 in five countries including Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the UAE, and soon, in the Kingdom of Saudi...

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Cinionic Demonstrating VR Gaming Domes for Cinema Lobbies

PRESS RELEASE ____________________________________ CinemaCon, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 25, 2018 – At this year’s CinemaCon, Cinionic, the Barco cinema joint venture, will demonstrate an innovative all-in-one solution for virtual reality (VR) gaming for cinema lobbies and location-based entertainment venues. What’s new and different? It doesn’t require the use of a head-mounted display (HMD), which many users feel can be “isolating.” Reducing “isolation” factor to make VR a truly social experience With its patent-pending solution for multi-player interactive VR Domes that don’t rely on HMD equipment, Cinionic empowers exhibitors, and gaming and movie studios to provide a highly inclusive and social one-of-a-kind experience that can attract new audiences to Virtual Reality, in particular groups and families. Leveraging the huge portfolio of existing VR Games The Family...

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National CineMedia Welcomes Pecan Pie Productions to its National Theater Network

PRESS RELEASE ___________________________________ CENTENNIAL, Colo. – (April 25, 2018) – National CineMedia (NCM), America’s Movie Network, has signed an affiliate partnership agreement for national advertising with Pecan Pie Productions, welcoming nearly 300 theaters nationwide with approximately 8 million attendees to its national theater network. Pecan Pie Productions is the latest affiliate partner to become a part of the largest cinema advertising network in the U.S. In the past year, NCM has also welcomed 76 theaters with 540 screens and approximately 18 million attendees from top regional and local exhibitors including Bow Tie Cinemas; Cinergy Entertainment Group, Inc.; Evergreen Desi Enterprises, Inc.; Golden Ticket Cinemas; Infinity Theatres; Legacy Theatres; Main Street Theatres; Megaplex Theatres; MJR Digital Cinemas; Venue...

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CinemaNext to Install Samsung 3D Onyx Screen at Cineplexx Vienna

PRESS RELEASE ___________________________________ Vienna (Austria) and Seoul (South Korea) – 25 April 2018 / CinemaNext, the European specialist in cinema exhibitor services (Ymagis Group, ISIN: FR0011471291, TICKER: MAGIS, PME-PEA, TECH 40), today announced the signing of an agreement with Austrian cinema circuit Cineplexx (Constantin Film-Holding GmbH) for the installation of a Samsung 3D Onyx CinemaLED at the Cineplexx Wienerberg in Vienna. It will be the first Samsung Onyx CinemaLED deployed by CinemaNext. “After the successful deployment of the next-generation sound systems at select Cineplexx cinemas and the opening of our 50th cinema site in Parndorf this past March, we are thrilled to once again partner with CinemaNext on our first Samsung CinemaLED Screen. With an emphasis on our pioneering work in terms of new technologies, we are able to set another milestone...

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Vox Cinemas’ First Saudi Arabian Theater to Use Harkness’ Clarus XC Screens

PRESS RELEASE ___________________________________ CINEMACON, LAS VEGAS, , USA, APRIL 25TH 2018 —Harkness Screens, the world’s leading screen technology company and thought-leaders in on-screen brightness, has partnered with Vox Cinemas to provide its premium 3D and 2D Clarus XC screen technology to support the opening of the new 4-screen Riyadh Park, Vox Cinemas first site in Saudi Arabia. Clarus XC technology has been specially selected by Vox Cinemas for its ability to provide breath-taking presentations in 3D and 2D with outstanding uniformity, contrast and 3D depth. “We’ve worked with Vox Cinemas for many years supplying our entire range of screen surfaces to support their growth,” explains Tony Dilley, VP Sales, EMEA at Harkness Screens. “Vox Cinemas have always invested in the very best equipment available to provide movie-goers with an unforgettable experience...

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Texas’ Star Cinema Grill To Install 30 Sony 4K Laser Projectors

PRESS RELEASE _____________________________________ “We wanted to be first to market in Houston with laser projectors,” said Jason Ostrow, Vice President of Star Cinema Grill.  With the installation of 30 Sony 4K laser digital cinema projectors over three locations, starting with College Station, Texas, Star Cinema Grill is accomplishing their goal. “Houston is becoming a very competitive market, not only with traditional theaters but also dine-in theaters now,” he said. “We need to make sure that with any dine-in theater we open going forward, we’re doing whatever we can to differentiate ourselves. This gives us a true competitive advantage.” A Sony 4K customer since 2012, Star Cinema Grill are familiar with the benefits a projection upgrade can bring. “When we first went from film to digital many years ago, we immediately saw we were delivering a much more consistent...

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GDC Completes Integration of TMS-2000 Management System with Screenvision Pre-Show

PRESS RELEASE _______________________________________ LAS VEGAS, April 25, 2018 — GDC Technology Limited, a leading global provider of digital cinema solutions, announced today the completed integration of its TMS-2000 Theatre Management System (TMS-2000) with the Screenvision Media preshow. The integration enables automated ingestion and programming of ad content directly from Screenvision Media’s server to GDC’s new Cinema Automation CA2.0 and its TMS-2000, the second most deployed theatre management system solution globally. The integration provides Screenvision Media’s network of exhibitors with preshow trimming functionality to maximize time available for preshow advertising between every show. “This is a major milestone for Screenvision Media as many of our customers have deployed GDC’s robust theatre management system. The integration of GDC with our preshow delivery...

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First ScreenX System Installed at New B&B Flagship Theater Location in Liberty, Missouri to Become Largest in the World

PRESS RELEASE Seoul, South Korea and Los Angeles, CA (April XX, 2018) – CJ 4DPLEX, the world’s leading 4D cinema company, and B&B Theatres, the seventh largest exhibitor in the United States, have partnered to bring four ScreenX screens to the cinema operator’s locations. B&B Theatres operates approximately 400 screens at 50 locations across Kansas, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. Before the opening of these theatres with B&B, ScreenX has three locations in operation in the U.S. in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and more than 135 total screens globally.B&B Theatres will install the largest ScreenX system in the world in one of the two Premium Large Format (PLF) GRAND SCREENS in Liberty, a screen that will be over four stories tall and seven stories wide. The screens with B&B Theatres are set to be the first...

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CJ CGV CEO Lays Out Cultureplex Concept as the Key to Growth of Cinema Business

PRESS RELEASE Las Vegas, NV – April 24, 2018 – On stage at CinemaCon 2018, the CEO of CJ CGV, Jung Seo, delivered a clear outline to how the fifth largest exhibitor in the world is being proactive to counter industry wide challenges – through the company’s concept of “Cultureplex.” Delving into more detail, Mr. Seo said, “Several years ago we decided to re-define ourselves from being a multiplex to being a ‘Cultureplex.’ For us, being a ’Cultureplex’ means to be a cultural playground, where people can gather to experience all different types of culture from film, music, performances, games, food, drinks and so on.” To satisfy moviegoers’ desire for a variety of options, CGV is striving to provide a platform for its customers that goes beyond just watching a movie. Elaborating on how CGV is not just a place to watch movies, Mr. Seo said, “If that’s how we define ourselves,...

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GDC Wins Global Tender Proposal to Provide Digital Cinema Servers to CJ CGV

PRESS RELEASE LAS VEGAS, 24 April 2018 — GDC Technology Limited, a leading global provider of digital cinema solutions, announced today it has won a solicited tender proposal to be CJ CGV’s exclusive provider of digital cinema servers for the next two years. CJ CGV, an affiliates under the CJ Group, operates the largest number of screens and cinemas in Korea. The agreement involves the deployment of GDC digital cinema servers in all CJ CGV cinemas in Korea, China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia and the United States. CJ CGV introduced the first multiplex in Korea and is known for introducing new innovations to provide the best possible moviegoing experience at all its cinemas. CJ CGV has always strived to offer moviegoers outstanding customer services, value and enjoyment based on its continuous evolution. This agreement provides CJ CGV with powerful GDC digital cinema...

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Cinionic Fuels Major Global Expansion of CJ CGV Cinemas with Barco projection

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NEC Display Solutions Announces Prototype with 3D Live

PRESS RELEASE CHICAGO, April 24, 2018 – NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc., a leading provider of commercial display and projector solutions, today announced a collaboration effort with 3D technology innovator 3D Live that combines the company’s expertise in 3D technology with NEC Display’s industry expertise. Together they are evaluating next-generation 3D display solutions that incorporate direct view LED (dvLED) and passive 3D technology. This technology could be another option for the entertainment industry and cinemas who want to deliver the ultimate immersive experience through alternative technologies.   “As a leader and innovator in digital projection technology for cinemas, we look forward to working closely with 3D Live on new technology for our markets,” said Todd Bouman, President and CEO of NEC Display Solutions.  “While we believe digital...

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