Movie theater chain Cineworld reveals plan to roll out immersive setups that surround viewers with THREE screens in bid to compete against Netflix
- The system known as ScreenX uses three screens – one in front, two on sides
- Cineworld plans to add over 100 new screens to the worldwide count of 151
- Cineworld says the idea is ‘it makes you feel like you’re sitting in the action’
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Sit at the back of the movie theater, and it’s possible to see the appeal of ScreenX, the latest attempt to drag film lovers off the sofa and away from Netflix.
Instead of one screen, there are three – one at the front, and two on the sides – to add to the immersive experience you can’t get from the home TV.
First adopted in South Korea in 2012, the system is being launched in the U.K. and theater chain Cineworld plans to add over 100 new screens to the worldwide count of 151.
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Sit at the back of the movie theater, and it’s possible to see the appeal of ScreenX, the latest attempt to drag film lovers off the sofa and away from Netflix. A demonstration for ScreenX at Cineworld in London is shown above
The technology is the latest attempt by cinema operators to attract film viewers amid the growing popularity of online subscription services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
They’ve ranged from 3D screens launched almost a decade ago to ultra-high resolution IMAX projectors and 4DX – which features moving chairs and real-life special effects like snow falling on the audience.
The focus on innovation has helped in the past. Since 3D was popularized at big cinema theaters in 2009 with the release of films like James Cameron’s ‘Avatar,’ revenue has grown.
Global box office revenue has increased by $14.4 billion in the past decade to $40.6 billion, according Motion Picture Association of America.
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But that growth seems to be fading and movie theaters are being overtaken by internet video.
Revenue from internet video like Netflix is forecast to be the fastest growing part of the entertainment and media industry through 2021, according to consultancy PwC.
Its estimated annual growth of 6 percent compares with a projected annual drop in cinema of 1.2 percent.
It’s unclear whether this latest innovation will help or stand out.
Cineworld says the idea is ‘it makes you feel like you’re sitting in the action.’
Instead of one screen, there are three – one at the front, and two on the sides – to add to the immersive experience you can’t get from the home TV. Theater chain Cineworld plans to add over 100 new screens to the worldwide count of 151
HOW DO YOU REQUEST TO SEE SHOWS OR FILMS ON NETFLIX?
Netflix has a requests page that lets you order shows and movies that are not in your library.
The feature is hidden within Netflix’s help section. It can also be accessed here.
Users can ask for any three movies or TV shows of their choice by filling in the online form – although the company says there’s no guarantee it will be able to get them.
Netflix has guidelines that point out that some of these requests simply can’t be granted due to licensing issues.
Robert Mitchell, a film journalist for Variety magazine, notes that was the point of 3D in the first place.
‘In 2009, when films like ‘Ice Age’ and ‘Avatar’ were coming out, it was the great new thing,’ he says.
‘That lasted for a couple of years until people started to realize that some films were being made that didn’t really use the enhancements well. And it started to put people off going.’
Love it or hate it, the number of cinemas that offer these new types of experiences grows globally every year.
‘We’re really confident that by offering customers as much choice as possible that it’s going to bring people into the cinemas,’ says Kelly Drew, an operations director at Cineworld.
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