- Philips LightVibes® – breakthrough technology for true immersive cinema –transforms the theater experience by syncing subtle lighting effects with wide-ranging on-screen content
- ODEON & UCI Cinemas Group operates the largest cinema chain in Europe
- Trial taking place at UCI KINOWELT Ruhr Park in Bochum, Germany
- Testing will gauge popularity among general audiences, building on widespread positive feedback from the cinema industry
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), the global leader in lighting, has announced that ODEON & UCI Cinemas Group, the largest cinema operator in Europe, has installed a commercial trial of Philips LightVibes at its UCI KINOWELT Ruhr Park cinema in Bochum, Germany.
LightVibes creates true immersive cinema by delivering compelling, subtle ambient LED lighting to every viewer’s peripheral field of vision, enhancing musical performances and events as well as feature films, pre-show programming and advertising. With LightVibes, theater owners can expand their offerings to include event cinema content and attract new audiences. LightVibes also brings intriguing new capabilities to cinematographers and others in the creative community.
“We are very excited to bring the LightVibes trial to our cinema in Bochum,” said Jens Heinze, UCI ́s Managing Director Germany & Austria. “The technology has the potential to radically enhance the cinema experience for both audiences and operators alike. We look forward to listening to what our customers think.”
ODEON & UCI Cinemas Group is the first cinema chain in the world to test Philips LightVibes with live audiences. It’s one of the world’s leading cinema operators and largest in Europe with 2,227 screens in 244 cinemas across seven markets including UK, Spain and Italy – in addition to Germany.
Philips launched LightVibes in 2014 to widespread acclaim from the entertainment industry. Exit polls from demos at CineEurope in 2014 proved that LightVibes enhances the cinema experience:
- 90% of demo visitors said that LightVibes improves the cinema experience
- 83% agreed that LightVibes improves the pre-show experience
- Of particular importance to marketers, 72% said that LightVibes improves the advertising experience
“The trial with ODEON & UCI marks an important milestone for LightVibes,” said Niels Van Duinen, Philips LightVibes General Manager. “We look forward to a long working relationship.”
Philips is also announcing an important collaboration with Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company, to make unique concert films available to cinemas that install LightVibes. “These two exciting announcements show major progress in two critical areas – connecting with the largest chain of theaters and collaborating with a major content provider,” said Van Duinen.
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2014 sales of EUR 21.4 billion and employs approximately 105,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.
About ODEON & UCI Cinemas Group
With over 75 years of cinema experience, ODEON & UCI Cinemas is the largest cinema chain in Europe and the biggest exhibitor in Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company has also strong market positions in Germany, Austria and Portugal. Under the ODEON brand, it operates 950 screens at 124 sites across the UK & Ireland and operating also as UCI and Cinesa Cinemas, the group operates 2,227 screens at 244 sites across Europe as a whole.
