- Published 2026.11.04 20:24
11.5m-wide 4K screen installed at Lurdy Cinema in Budapest
Bright picture maximizes use of space for sports broadcasts, e-sports
Samsung Electronics has built its first cinema LED screen 'Onyx' auditorium in Hungary. Leveraging self-emissive technology that requires no projector, the company is stepping up its push into the European premium cinema market where operators want multipurpose spaces.
According to overseas display industry media including Invidis on Nov. 4, Samsung Electronics completed the installation of an Onyx screen at Lurdy Cinema in Budapest, Hungary in September 2026. The installation was part of a full renovation project for Lurdy Cinema's Hall 10. Hungarian cinema operator Pannonia Movie, shopping mall Lurdy Ház, and Digital Cinema International (DCI) joined Samsung Electronics in renovating the auditorium.
The newly installed Onyx screen measures 11.5 meters wide and 5.4 meters high and supports 4K resolution. Unlike the projector-based systems standard in existing cinemas, the display itself consists of pixels that emit light directly. It can express pure blacks without screen distortion or light leakage, enhancing immersion when watching films.
In particular, it delivers superior performance over conventional projectors in brightness, which determines picture clarity. While a typical cinema projector has a screen brightness of about 48 nits, Samsung's Onyx screen achieves up to 300 nits. That is about six times brighter on paper, so even 3D films suffer no loss of picture quality.
Along with replacing the display, Lurdy Cinema also overhauled the auditorium's interior. Hall 10, with 229 seats, now features a Dolby 7.1 surround sound system optimized for the Onyx screen. In addition to standard seats, recliners with adjustable backrests and VIP-only seats were added to meet premium auditorium standards.
Samsung Electronics said the Onyx screen's high brightness allows cinemas to diversify how they use the space. Unlike projectors, which require a completely dark environment, Onyx auditoriums can maintain picture clarity even with some indoor lighting on.
This technical characteristic leads to attracting alternative content to the auditorium. Beyond regular film screenings, venues can comfortably host live sports broadcasts, large-scale e-sports tournaments, corporate presentations and other events that need ambient lighting. For cinema operators, it creates a structure for generating additional revenue beyond movie ticket sales.
LED screens still account for a relatively small share of the global cinema market compared with projector systems. But commercialization is spreading globally, with recent installations in Pennsylvania and Texas in the United States and São Paulo, Brazil, followed by Hungary. Actual deployments of projector-free screens are steadily increasing, driven by demand from theater operators seeking differentiated viewing experiences and a shift toward multipurpose cultural spaces.
※ This article is an AI translation of the Korean original published by Korea Credit News; it was checked by automated quality guards and published by the English edition desk.
