For a better viewing experience, we have installed 4K projectors in the cinemas for the masses

With 15 years of rich experience in the cinemas business, Yogesh Raizada, corporate and technology head, Wave Cinemas, is the man behind the technology overhaul happening at the multiplex across India.

He joined Wave Cinemas in the year 2005 and since then architected success stories. Being abreast with the key trends in the industry, he is putting all his efforts to bring about technological innovation at the Cinemas.

In a conversation with Dataquest, he talks about the latest technologies.

Could you please share something specific about the technologies that you're bringing in...

Wave Cinemas is a pioneer in adoption of international standards of equipment which has changed the way the nation watches movies. To offer modern and cutting-edge viewing experience to its patrons, we are installing 4K projectors in our cinemas.

Most cinemas today using digital projection technology, use 2K digital projectors that provide an image with a resolution of 2048 x 1080 or 2.2 mn pixels.

4K digital projection doubles those dimensions to 4096 x 2160. This equals 8.8 mn pixels, exactly four times the count of 2K projection.
From an audience perspective, 4K offers improved quality: unprecedented levels of resolution and contrast and, ultimately, a much more dynamic, engaging entertainment experience in a movie theater.

What are your expansion plans? And how much investment you're putting in?

We have plans to expand our operations in north India by increasing the multiplex seats by 36% to 12,411 seats from existing 9,111 seats in the next six months.

With 8 operational cinemas consisting of 32 screens with seating capacity of 9,111 seats, we will be opening multiplexes in Jammu, Meerut, Ghaziabad, and Rudrapur in the next three to six months time.

Jammu and Merut will have three screens each, while Ghaziabad and Rudrapur will have four screens each consisting of overall addition of 3,300 seats in the next six months. We have installed 4K projectors in the cinemas for the masses, to ensure better viewing experience.

How will the new technology help in paving your growth strategy?

It's not just about clarity but also impeccable picture and sound quality that drives one towards such a theater. The new Barco technology will definitely attract more consumers to watch movies in better quality. Bringing 4K and HFR projection technology at our multiplexes will offer the best visual quality available, a much more dynamic, engaging, and immersive entertainment experience.

The multiplex house is bringing in Barco's 4K projection to India, a world-class brand to ensure international quality audio and visual. Could you please share some more details on this and what would be the USP of this technology?

Barco is a known Belgian technology brand. Barco 4K projectors have been used in the multiplex. There is 1.38-inch DLP cinema chip from Texas instruments which can project over 35 trillion academy accurate colors and delivers a greater than 2500:1 contrast ratio. The Barco DP4K-23B is an ultra-bright enhanced 4K cinema projector for screens up to 23m (75ft) and a brightness of 24,500 lumens.

The Barco DP4K-32B is an ultra-bright enhanced 4K cinema projector for screens up to 32m (105ft) and a brightness of 33,000 lumens. These top-of-the-line projectors guarantee razor-sharp images combined with consistent uniformity, rich contrast, vibrant and accurate colors thus making movie watching an enriched experience.

How is the 4k projectors different?

4K offers improved quality, unprecedented levels of resolution, contrast and, ultimately, a much more dynamic, engaging, and immersive entertainment experience in a movie theater.

Movie viewed at such theaters ensure that the image is much sharper and clearer than what you would see on the normal screens with 2K projectors.