Three More DCI-Certified, China Film Group’s LED Acoustic Screen Progress Revealed

Recently, a remarkable plan jointly released by six ministries including the National Development and Reform Commission has caught the industry’s attention: a large-scale implementation of the cinema LED display screening system update plan. This move is undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the popularization of LED cinema screens, signaling a significant leap in cinema projection technology.

However, behind this bright prospect, the sound reproduction issue of LED cinema screens remains a formidable obstacle, limiting their penetration rate in cinemas. Sound quality, an indispensable part of the movie-going experience, is of paramount importance. However, a heartening news has recently emerged: China Film Group’s three LED cinema screens for 2024 have successfully passed the DCI certification, with one featuring a groundbreaking acoustic screen design.

Three China Film Group LED Cinemas Receive DCI Certification, Acoustic Screen Passed in January

According to the DCI website, China Film Group’s three LED cinema screens passed the DCI certification in 2024, with model numbers CFL-20, CFL-14, and CFL-7, and certification dates of January 4, April 11, and April 22, 2024, respectively.

It is understood that the CFL-20 is a 20-meter LED cinema screen with acoustic capabilities.

In today’s rapidly developing cinema projection technology, LED cinema screens are gradually becoming a new choice for cinema upgrades due to their high brightness, high contrast, and color saturation. However, the non-acoustic nature of LED cinema screens poses challenges for the installation of traditional sound systems. Several solutions have emerged in the market, such as LED-specific surround sound coaxial adjustable sound systems, miniaturized, high SPL, wideband, high dynamic range speaker systems, smart IoT control systems, and acoustic LED cinema screens.

Among them, the acoustic LED cinema screen technology, based on the active cooperation of display manufacturers, according to the “2023 Small Pitch and Micro Pitch LED Display White Paper,” since 2023, driven by the recovery of the film market and the diversification of cinemas, the LED cinema screen market has accelerated, with over 10 companies’ 20 products currently passing the DCI certification, but those that have clearly solved the acoustic issue are still few.

However, facing this challenge, the industry’s leading companies have not stopped exploring. The current development of acoustic screen technology is the result of these companies’ continuous exploration and advancement. They are dedicated to developing new screens that can maintain the visual advantages of LED screens while achieving high-quality sound transmission through in-depth research in acoustics and materials science.

Reviewing the Progress of LED Cinema Acoustic Screens

According to public information and the National Patent Office, in addition to China Film Group, companies like Nanjing Lopu, AOTO Electronics, and Unilumin Technology have also conducted in-depth research and layout on acoustic screen technology.

As seen in the table above, the current acoustic technology for LED screens mainly involves utility model patents, with AOTO Electronics obtaining an invention patent in 2018.

Analysis of LED acoustic screen patent applications reveals three main solutions:

Achieving acoustic effects by surrounding LED modules or lamp boards with perforated designs, adjusting the shape, number, and layout of perforations based on the pixel shape, arrangement, and distance on the display panel;

Integrating broadcasting structures or components within the LED acoustic screen;

A variation of the first method, where the edges of individual LED module units are designed in a special shape, allowing multiple modules to be joined together to form an LED display with acoustic perforations.

In addition, analyzing several acoustic screen patents from AOTO Electronics reveals that their perforation design, in addition to following mainstream designs, also includes perforations on the mask, allowing sound to pass through the lamp board and diffuse through the mask perforations, providing excellent acoustic effects for cinema LED displays.

In addition to patent progress, this year, China Film Group and Unilumin Technology have announced that their LED cinema acoustic screens have passed the DCI certification.

Summary

In the deployment of domestic digital cinema LED screens, the issue of sound quality has been a difficult problem to overcome. The innovative acoustic technology is expected to further solve the sound reproduction issue of LED cinema screens, paving the way for the promotion of the cinema market.

The application of acoustic screen technology will enable LED cinema screens to achieve a qualitative leap in sound quality. It will not only provide clear and pure sound effects but also achieve perfect synchronization of sound and picture, bringing a more immersive and thrilling viewing experience to the audience.

With the continuous maturity and improvement of acoustic screen technology, we have reason to believe that LED cinema screens will become the mainstream choice for cinema projection. They will bring an unprecedented viewing experience to the audience with their excellent picture and sound quality, leading cinema projection technology into a new era.

In conclusion, the breakthroughs in acoustic screen technology by companies like China Film Group are a shot in the arm for domestic digital cinema LED screens entering the cinema market. It not only solves the sound reproduction issue but will also bring about a visual and auditory revolution in the cinema market. Let us look forward to how LED cinema screens will shine in the cinema market and open a new chapter in cinema projection.