Samsung brings 4K 120Hz HFR to theaters with new LED screen

At CinemaCon 2025, Samsung launched its new "Onyx" cinema LED screen, which is up to 20 meters wide and enables theaters to screen movies at 120fps HFR.

In 2017, Samsung installed the first cinema LED screens in South Korea and Europe to replace cinema projectors.

These are real LED screens, without an LCD panel, made up of smaller LED modules. They are DCI certified for cinema use and support SDR and HDR content (unlike projectors).

4K 120Hz refresh rate

According to Samsung, due to theirManufactured with modular LED panels so installation is flexible. The latest generation of onyx is available in the following sizes for cinema use:

5 meters (16 ft) - ideal for boutique and smaller cinemas (pixel pitch: 1.25 mm)

10 meters (33 ft) --The industry standard for premium cinemas (pixel pitch: 2.5 mm)

14 meters (46 feet) -- Versatile format for an immersive large-scale cinema experience (pixel pitch: 3.3 mm)

20 meters (66 feet) ——Large format solution for high-end auditoriums (pixel pitch: 5.0 mm)

One of Samsung's new onyx LED screens, source: Samsung

In addition to deep blacks, high contrast and vivid and accurate colors, the new LED screen also supports frame rates up to 4K 120Hz, provided the IMB (the system responsible for video decoding and processing) installed in the theater also supports this frame rate.

Attempts at high frame rates in movies have been limited, with most implementations maxing out at 48 frames per second, such as the 3D version of Avatar: Path of Water, which was shot at 48 frames per second, while most movies are still shot and screened at 24 frames per second.

Hoon Chung, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics' Visual Display Division, said:

The film industry is shifting its focus to providing more immersive and visually engaging experiences. BorrowWith Onyx, Samsung not only delivers the highest quality visuals, but also provides the flexibility to enable theaters to redefine the moviegoing experience and meet ever-changing audience expectations.

Pixar agrees

Samsung says the new generation will have a peak brightness of 300 nits and support 2.39:1 and 1.85:1 aspect ratios.

Pixar has released several films in HDR format in theaters, including "The Elemental" and most recently "Inside Out 2," and Pixar's upcoming summer release "Earth" will also be shown in HDR format on Samsung's LED screens.

Dominic Glynn, senior scientist at Pixar Animation Studios said:

At Pixar, we believe movies can be epic, shared experiences—where stories are larger than life and memories are created with friends. That's why we're committed to bringing something truly new to the big screen with our groundbreaking HDR-1 theatrical release, and to make that happen, onYX The screen technology delivers stunning brightness, clarity and color - images so crisp and even that they enhance every moment of the story. It's designed to create that unforgettable "Wow!" ” feeling, the experience reminds us why movies are and always should be special.

Pixar has yet to release any high frame rate titles.

First next-gen screens this year

Samsung said the first batch of its latest generation LED screens will be installed in the fall of 2025.

Looking ahead, Cannon Beach, a 37-acre lifestyle and excitement mixed-use development in Mesa, Arizona, will be the first in the United States to launch the latest generation of Samsung onyx in its seven-screen movie theater, LVL 11 Entertainment.

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Samsung brings 4K 120Hz HFR to theaters with new LED screen

4K 120Hz refresh rate

Pixar agrees

First next-gen screens this year

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