Giant dome cinema system makes European debut
The ESX projection system from Evans & Sutherland, incorporating five Christie RGB laser projectors, has been installed at the Omniversum dome cinema in the Netherlands.
A 300-seat giant dome cinema in the Netherlands has become the site of the first European installation of the ESX projection system from digital planetarium and full-dome theatre specialist Evans & Sutherland.
The system uses a blended array of five Christie D4K40 RGB laser projectors, plus E&S’s own auto-alignment and auto-blending technology, on the 23-metre diameter dome at the Omniversum cinema in The Hague.
Omniversum, which opened to the public in 1984, previously used a 15/70 film projector, complemented by a 36-speaker array for immersive audio.
The new system will enable Omniversum to create original programming using E&S’s ESXLive simulation engine. This built-in real-time capability makes it possible to put on live events such as concerts, lectures, and data simulation on a variety of scientific topics.
“We are excited about the E&S system – especially its quality and flexibility,” said Berend Reijnhoudt, executive director of Omniversum’s giant screen cinema. “We explored other digital projection options, but this system is clearly the best for us. We will continue to be a giant screen theatre, primarily showing giant screen films, but we dream to be open 24/7 with vast amounts of new programming possibilities which will increase value to our fans and our bottom line.”
Kirk Johnson, executive vice president and general manager of Evans & Sutherland, said: “We are proud to be part of Omniversum’s legacy, Europe’s very first fulldome digital theatre and now the flagship ESX dome in Europe. We are constantly working to improve the audience experience in immersive dome theatres, so it is an honour to be part of Omniversum’s transformation to a next-generation giant dome cinema.”
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Posted: 12th October 2020