Finnkino is moving increasingly to active 3D via an XpanD solution, so the requirement for high output became paramount.
“You really need high brightness to satisfy the 3D experience, no matter which 3D system you use it will either eat or lose most of your light, and so you need all the available output,” said technical manager Jaska Saarinen. “The CP2000-XB enables 3D content to be projected in full 2K resolution which no one else in the 2K market can do.”
The fact that Finnkino only needed to modify the windows in two projection rooms to accommodate the compact, split body design was another attraction. This ensured that the rig could be installed by their own technical crew in a short time.
“We’ve been able to convert two of the biggest flagship screens in Finland to digital only and have moved 35mm out of those entirely,” Saarinen said. This includes the 14-screen, 3,000-seat multiplex in Tennispalatsi.
Finnkino runs 16 cinemas in Finland, including four in Helsinki. The auditoriums vary in size from 92 to 703 seats, with the biggest housing a screen measuring 184.8sqm – making it the largest screen in Northern Europe (and now converted for 3D use). It was also the world’s first movie theatre to implement THX triamplified sound system and SDDS in all 14 digital auditoriums.
With 170 screens covering Finland and three Baltic countries Finnkino, is planning a _30 million expansion over the next three years. It is also running a pilot project using digital projection for alternative content.
