Introduction

WE Cinemas, a Singaporean cinema operator opened in 2015. It is managed by Eng Wah Global Pte Ltd which business interest includes entertainment, properties, hospitality, and lifestyle in Singapore and Malaysia. WE Cinemas is conveniently located in Clementi, minutes away from Clementi MRT station and serves seven residential neighborhoods within the city.

WE Cinemas has a total of 10 screens, with 728 seats. It offers guests different experiences including a First Class Hall, two 3D Digital Hall and one Dolby Atmos Hall, which feature the latest audio-visual technologies. WE Cinemas is one of the pioneers of cinema technology. It was the first cinema in Singapore to implement an on-line loyalty program; one of the first cinemas in the world to commercially screen a full 2K-enabled digital movie; and the first cinema in Singapore to offer mobile ticketing service. In September 2020, they enhanced the movie-going experience by replacing their four standard halls with the Espedeo Supra-5000 laser projectors to deliver ultra-sharp high definition contents on the big screen.

Challenges

WE Cinemas is known by the local residents as the best independent cinema. They differentiate themselves by offering a different premium cinema experience. With comfortable seats and other amenities, they focus on delivering an unmatched immersive visual experience.

“Since we opened, we had used xenon projectors that require regular lamp replacements to maintain the image brightness. We were looking to upgrade several of our xenon projectors to laser for better quality images and easier maintenance. The biggest challenge faced was the small sizes of our auditoriums," Gladys Chan, Director of Finance & IT said. "We needed a compact solution that is suitable for the screen sizes but still maintained the high image quality. Most of the laser projectors in the market were excessively large in size, costly and noisy. Then, we heard about the Espedeo Supra-5000 that offers a small form factor and extremely quiet. It was the ideal solution and finally, we were delighted by its powerful features for the cost.”

Solutions

Although designed to be installed inside the auditorium with its Espedeo VESA ceiling mount, WE Cinemas installed the compact Espedeo Supra-5000 laser projector inside the projection booth. This provided the booth with more space, making it much easier to operate and maintain. In addition, operators can efficiently control the Supra-5000 projector from outside of the booth with a tablet by connecting the mobile device to Supra-5000’s built-in Wi-Fi. “I am so impressed by Supra-5000. The imagery from Supra-5000 delivers a wider color palette, sharper contrast, and spectacular brightness, bringing optimum clarity and an overall powerful visual treat," Gladys Chan said. "What’s more, Supra-5000 allows us to offer the cinema-on-demand ticketing system. We can transform our auditoriums for private screenings in the future.”

Since the projector has a built-in 2TB CineCache™ memory as a backup for playback, external storage devices were not required for the four Espedeo Supra-5000 laser projectors. “I am also pleasantly surprised that such a small projector has everything built-in, including the GDC’s reliable IMB. I am looking forward to its built-in audio processor. I could not be happier we decided to upgrade. The Supra-5000 projection solution is a cost-effective solution and a perfect fit for our needs,” Gladys Chan said.

Equipment List

WE Cinemas has a total of 10 halls, out of which four have been upgraded with Supra-5000 laser cinema projectors. The rest of the six halls are currently equipped with DLP Cinema® xenon lamp projectors installed with GDC SR-1000 standalone integrated media blocks.

Results

“The Supra-5000 projectors have been in operation for six months and constantly deliver reliable and vivid images. The image quality is up to our high expectations. Best of all, it gives us the opportunity to provide the best possible experience to our patrons. Also, our operators are happy not only because Supra-5000 is easy to operate but also it is easy to maintain. They have more confidence the screening quality will maintain its consistency over time,” Gladys Chan said.