Commercial Applications

Case study: Cinemark

Cinemark has combined the luxurious look of Hollywood's golden era with today's state-of-the-art technology to meet the demands of discerning movie patrons. The Lutron GRAFIK Eye 4000 control units and A/V interfaces are important factors in making Cinemark "the best seat in town."

Walking into the softly lit theater, a seat is easy to find. As you sink into the plush comfort of the rocking seat, the lights dim, and the previews start. A few moments later when the previews have ended, your anticipation grows as the lights drop even lower, the sound intensifies and the movie begins.

With more than 258 theaters with 2,787 screens in the United States, Canada and South America, Cinemark has become a master at creating a memorable movie-going experience. A number of elements need to work in tandem to present a seamless front to the movie patron.

Light control is one of the major elements in the operation of Cinemark theaters, and Cinemark selected Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. to provide light controls. In a typical 16-auditorium theater, Cinemark uses 16 GRAFIK Eye 4100 Series 3-zone master control stations capable of setting 16 preset scenes of light, four of which are selectable on the face of the unit. They also installed 16 GP4 Dimming Panels, which can control incandescent, magnetic and electronic low voltage, Hi-lume and Eco-10 fluorescent ballasts, neon/cold cathode, and non-dim loads. The final component is 16 audio/visual interfaces that allow integration between the auditorium projector and the Lutron light controls.

Lutron light controls allow Cinemark to combine projection and dimming so that the movie patron has a great experience every time. Seamless integration was only one of the reasons that Cinemark chose Lutron.

Lutron dimmers are easy to install, and have a longer life because of the commercial grade components that are used in manufacturing. Cinemark technicians are able to install GRAFIK Eye 4000 lighting controls and GP Dimming Panels without the assistance of contractors or electricians.
Cinemark Theaters Lobby

Programming is also accomplished by Cinemark technicians in a matter of hours, and time-consuming calibration is not necessary.

Poor quality power supply and “cross talk” between the projector and lighting control are major issues for any theater. Lutron resolves the poor power quality problem by offering RTISS, Real Time Illumination Stability System. RTISS is Lutron’s patented filter circuit technology that allows Lutron Panels to compensate for incoming line-voltage variations, such as frequency shifts, harmonics and line noise. “Crosstalk” is eliminated by placing the lighting control outside the projector and connecting the projector and lighting control with a Lutron A/V interface.

As movie patrons become more discerning, there is a significant increase in demand for high-quality, luxurious theaters with all the amenities. Cinemark has implemented an aggressive building schedule to fulfill the market’s demands. Lutron has taken the lead in project management for lighting controls for new construction with Cinemark's construction schedule. Cinemark deadlines and target dates are factored into Lutron production schedules so that Lutron is never the reason for a construction delay. As Cinemark continues to grow, Lutron will continue to accommodate their lighting control needs.

Lutron has provided an important element that helps Cinemark delight their patrons. As Cinemark expands into Europe, lighting control will continue to be an important factor in making Cinemark “The best seat in town.”

GRAFIK Eye 4000 A fully customizable light control system for electric lights and shades. Save energy while preserving the aesthetic – at the touch of a button.
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Products used in this project GRAFIK Eye 4000 Eco-10 ballasts Hi-lume ballasts

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