I’ve spent many weekends watching new movies as they come out over the years. I particularly enjoy those that keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the session. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably wondered what movie theater projectors cost.
In this post, we’ll cover just that and answer other questions related to movie theaters.
How Much Does a Movie Theater Projector Cost?
Movie theater projectors cost anywhere between $40,000 and $200,000, depending on build quality and features they have. And that figure is even higher when you include the operating costs, which can run you up to $10 per hour.
A typical auditorium movie theater projector is brighter, larger, and runs for many hours per day. You’ll often find more than one in a single theater.
Which projector is used in theaters?
Movie theaters currently use laser or digital projectors. These are an improvement from the earlier film models that had been a norm for many years. They vary in terms of brightness, size, and the features packed into them. The most popular brands include NEC, Barco, InFocus, and Christie.
See Also: Best Home Cinema Projectors Under $500
What projector do IMax Theaters use?
IMax theaters use IMax projectors that are specifically made for them. These projectors produce gigantic images with impressive quality. And because they are much superior to your regular home theater projector, their cost is higher.
Buying an iMax projector will set you back up to $400,000. For the common folk, that price is way out of their budget range. But for entrepreneurs who invest in them, it’s quite reasonable and they will recoup their investment in due time.
The beauty of custom-made projectors is that they’re continuously reinvented to make them even better or cutting edge. Each modern iMax projector, for instance, has dual lenses, which significantly reduces operational and maintenance costs.
What’s the resolution of iMax projectors?
The resolution of iMax projectors is 8K. They achieve this by using two 4K projectors that superimpose their images by use of pixel offset technology. This results in clear and detailed pictures in iMax theaters.
iMax projectors also have a high refresh rate of around 60Hz. This means that the projected images refresh every 60 seconds, which ensures that scene sequences in a movie are blur-free or smooth.
What’s the brightness of a movie theater?
The brightness of typical movie theater projectors is in the tens of thousands of lumens range. This is due to the size of the theaters and the distance traveled by the light from the projector to the screen. Lower lumens would mean pale images that aren’t pretty to look at.
Don’t get me wrong. For smaller theaters, you might find projectors with a brightness level slightly below 10,000 lumens. And that may be enough for sharp and vibrant images because there’s not so much distance the light must travel.
What’s the contrast ratio of movie theater projectors?
The static contrast ratio for a movie theater projector is generally between 2000:1 and 5000:1. In contrast, the dynamic contrast ratio is typically much higher. These ensure that the images displayed have deeper blacks and brighter whites which are critical for dark and bright scenes in movies.
See Also: The Best 4K Projectors Under $1000
What’s the weight of movie theater projectors?
The average weight of a movie theater is about 100 pounds. Some weigh just 50 pounds while others are as heavy as 200 pounds. Unlike home theater projectors that you can carry with your hands, you’ll need special equipment to handle a movie theater projector.
How much do movie theater screens cost?
Movie theater screens cost anywhere between $5000 and $10,000 depending on size and build quality. Big theaters have more space to fill and require larger screens that fall on the higher end of the price range. The opposite is true for small theaters.
Final Words
Movie theater projectors produce superior pictures when compared to their home theater counterparts. That can be attributed to more advanced technology which sadly means a higher cost. In this post, we’ve looked at what a movie theater costs and answered related questions.