Limelight Cinema projects digitally with NEC

The ACT’s newest and most technologically advanced cinema complex and one of only three completely digital cinema complexes in Australia, Limelight Cinema is committed to providing customers with the best possible audiovisual experience at a competitive price point.

With the purchase of a legacy cinema complex 12 months ago, Limelight faced the challenge of transforming a stripped back empty concrete framework that supported eight cinemas, a candy bar and foyer into a state-of-the-art digital cinema complex.

Limelight had a quick decision to make: whether to implement traditional film-based technology or digital cinema technology that supported the 2D and 3D film formats that are increasingly pervasive. After extensive evaluation of the solutions on the market, Limelight Cinema decided to rollout an end-to-end digital cinema solution.

A key requirement was rapid turnaround time. Hence it was critical that Limelight Cinema chose a vendor that could manage a swift installation and meet the tight timeframe deadline - an installation period of between eight and nine weeks.

After researching digital cinema solutions from all the major cinema technology vendors, Limelight chose NEC’s new range of DLP Digital Cinema projector technology, featuring the some of the world’s brightest digital projectors.

According to Ross Entwistle, Cinema Manager, Limelight Cinema Tuggeranong, NEC was at the top of the list.

“NEC is a well-respected company that we believe is here for the long haul. It’s important for us to deal with a digital technology vendor who we trust and know will be around in the coming years.

“NEC’s experience in the television broadcast arena gave us confidence that they knew the technology and the industry.”

NEC’s local ACT-based support service was also a key factor in Limelight Cinema’s decision to partner with NEC. Entwistle stated that “NEC’s preparedness, willingness to assist and rapid response times were encouraging and were all driving factors in our overall decision.

“It is critical for us to be able to resolve product issues quickly and keep the projectors rolling. NEC’s digital projectors are of superior quality, cost effective and are backed by a local support team. They tick all the boxes.”

Limelight Cinema deployed two NC2500S series digital projectors for its two 3D cinemas, six NC1600C series projectors for the six high-definition cinemas, as well as 26 LCD4020 LCDs in its foyer and candy bar area.

Since opening on Boxing Day in December 2009 with 3D screenings of Avatar, Limelight Cinema has attracted 50% more people into the cinema than the average attendance at the legacy cinema.

Entwistle said, “The cinema industry was traditionally a labour-intensive business. Transporting 6000 feet of film via a forklift between cinemas was a weekly and sometimes daily task.

“With digital cinema technology, the labour is minimal and can be completed within a 30-minute period.

“NEC’s cinema technology has proven to be extremely easy to operate and manage. It has assisted the business from a programming point of view, providing more flexibility when it comes to show times.”