CinemaCon 2012: Texas Instruments Introduces Digital Cinema Technology For Small Theaters

LAS VEGAS—Texas Instruments—the developer of the DLP Cinema technology used in Barco, Christie and NEC digital cinema projectors—introduced its “S2K” chipset for theater screens up to 20 feet wide for 2D presentations, during theater owners confab CinemaCon.

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“With select VPF (Virtual Print Fee) models expiring soon the S2K chip will offer an affordable solution for small screens to resourcefully switch to digital cinema in every corner of the world,” said Dave Duncan, manager of DLP Cinema for TI. The anticipated pricing of the projectors however was not revealed.

TI reported that all three of DLP Cinema licensees – Barco, Christie and NEC – have agreed to develop projector models using the S2K chip, which will join each manufacturer’s DLP Cinema 4K and 2K product lines. Preproduction versions of the S2K chipset have already been delivered to each licensee for product research and development. TI said production-ready chipsets are scheduled for delivery later this year, and S2K-based projectors can be expected to become available to exhibitors for ordering and installation soon after.

S2K features the same core DLP Cinema technology as is used in TI’s 2K and 4K chipsets, is being developed to meet DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) specifications, and allows for 3D and high frame rate capabilities, according to TI.