Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., today announced that Pixar Animation Studios has mastered its new animated film “Elemental” — released globally on June 16 — as 4K theatrical High Dynamic Range (HDR) content available exclusively on Samsung Onyx, the world’s first Cinema LED screen. Those who view the film at an Onyx theater will enjoy a more captivating and vibrant viewing experience through next-generation picture quality with 4K theatrical HDR[1].

Samsung Onyx, the world’s first Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI)-certified cinema display for theatrical exhibition, is an LED screen that provides exceptionally vivid color and the most detail-rich content. It transcends the traditional projector-based systems that have been the industry standard for more than 100 years by overcoming limited contrast ratio and brightness, delivering millions of additional colors that traditional projection does not.

Pixar, an Academy Award® winning animation studio, mastered the film in 4K theatrical HDR to exemplify its bright, sharp, rich and detailed imagery, extending beyond the capabilities of Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) theater-based projectors. Additionally, Pixar pairing its reach with Samsung’s visual technology expertise has resulted in the largest cinema LED presence of any brand in the theatrical space. Moviegoers can enjoy 4K HDR mastered “Elemental” exclusively on Onyx screens.

“Pixar is known for pushing the boundaries of both technology and art, continuing that legacy with our latest film, Elemental,” said Dominic Glynn, Senior Scientist at Pixar. “With Onyx, Samsung has taken a bold leap forward, deploying extraordinary technology at a scale that enables a compelling step-change in cinema image quality. For the first time, audiences will be able to experience our highest brightness, rich, detailed HDR imagery on large, sharp cinema screens that showcase Pixar’s most ambitious work to date. HDR cinema delivers a genuinely fresh visual experience to our global audiences, and the filmmaking teams at Pixar are excited to share this unique version of Elemental with the world.”

Starting with “Elemental,” Pixar plans to continue mastering 4K HDR content for Samsung Onyx to ensure the film is viewed the way creators intended for the best possible viewer experience.

“With Pixar’s new movie, we present 4K HDR content exclusively on cinema LEDs for the first time in the industry,” said Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to actively expand partnerships in the movie industry based on our leading LED technology innovation that expresses accurate image quality and vivid colors not available anywhere else.”

Samsung Onyx can accommodate virtually any venue configuration while delivering unparalleled picture quality, technical performance and reliability beyond that of traditional projector-based operations. The extraordinary display combines 4K resolution, HDR picture quality and 300 nit peak brightness — nearly six times greater than standard projector technologies.

Starting with the world’s first cinema LED screen at Lotte Cinema World Tower, Seoul in July 2017, Samsung has now supplied Onyx screens to 120 movie theaters around the world.

[1] The availability of ‘Elemental Mastered for Onyx’ may vary by region and theater.