Onyx, the world’s first DCI-certified cinema LED display launches in Europe, with support from leading cinema chains like Pathé Cinémas and creative pioneers like Pixar, drive new standards for HDR cinema content.

Samsung used the CineEurope 2025 event in Barcelona to announce the European launch of its latest Onyx (ICD model) cinema LED screen, which brings Samsung’s acclaimed legacy of visual excellence and industry-leading performance to European cinemas, empowering exhibitors and creative partners with new possibilities for HDR content and immersive storytelling.

“Europe is a vital market for cinema innovation, and the launch of Onyx marks a new chapter in our commitment to premium movie experiences,” said Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics. “By partnering with leading cinema chains like Pathé Cinémas and creative pioneers like Pixar, we are empowering the industry to deliver a truly immersive and visually stunning cinematic journey for audiences everywhere.”

The announcement confirms what was already a trend. Back in 2024 Samsung announced that six Samsung Onyx cinema LED displays had been successfully installed at the Pathé Palace theater in Paris, France. The company says, then, that “together with The Wall, an 8K screen installed in the lobby, and Smart Signage around the cinema, Samsung displays will raise the bar on the entire moviegoing experience.”

Brighter than typical film projectors

Completely renovated over five years, the Pathé Palace is a one-of-a-kind venue known as much for its architecture by Renzo Piano as it is for the quality of its unique services. To deliver a premium cinema experience, Pathé Palace is using six Samsung Onyx screens: four 4K Onyx screens that measure over 10m wide and two 2K Onyx screens that measure 5m wide — all of which provide a new level of image quality to the audience.

“These six cutting-edge Samsung Onyx LED screens juxtapose brilliantly against the historic cinema, blending the classic with the modern to give moviegoers a truly unique experience,” said in 2024 Menno van den Berg, President, Samsung Electronics France. “The stunning visual quality that these displays provide will engage the audience on another level and do full justice to each filmmakers’ vision.”

Samsung Onyx is the world’s first Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI)-certified cinema LED display for theatrical exhibition. The LED display provides exceptionally vivid color and detail-rich content, with a wide, vibrant color gamut providing consistent representation across the entire screen. Thanks to the self-lit LED Onyx screens, the HDR images they produce have clear blacks and contrasts. With luminance up to 300 nits, Onyx screens are more than six times brighter than typical film projectors.

“Films are most powerful when they fully immerse us in their worlds, and technology plays a crucial role in that magic. Samsung Onyx screens elevate the theatrical experience with pristine blacks and exceptional clarity, making every frame feel startlingly real.” said Jacques Durand, Chief Information Officer, Pathé Group.

Onyx sets a new standard in cinema display

Pathé Palace can also deliver exceptional 3D film experiences thanks to the 3D capabilities of the Onyx LED screens, which bring improved brightness and consistent color amplification for enhanced realism. When wearing active 3D glasses, a film’s subtitle text, images and even minor visual details gain unprecedented clarity, without shadowing and with less of the dizziness that can occur in traditional 3D movie theaters.

The new Onyx offers four standard screen sizes — 5, 10, 14 and 20 meters — along with additional flexible scaling options.4 This remarkable adaptability allows theaters to maximize their available spaces and present films in the largest possible format without compromising image quality.

Designed for long-term performance, Onyx sets a new standard in cinema display technology with the industry’s first and longest 10-year warranty for cinema LED screens. This extended warranty helps lower the total cost of ownership and ensures that theater owners make a future-proof investment.

Pixar’s new animated film, Elio, in HDR

Samsung’s longstanding relationship with Pixar Animation Studios continues to drive new standards for HDR cinema content. Pixar has continuously mastered its films to offer unparalleled visual quality to viewers and has done so again for its new animated film “Elio” — set to premiere globally starting from June 18 — making it available in 4K theatrical HDR format compatible with Samsung Onyx.

In line with ongoing efforts to expand the theatrical exhibition of HDR films, Pixar will continue mastering future films in DCI HDR that is supported on Onyx screens, ensuring audiences experience the films in the highest brightness and fidelity currently achievable.

In its pursuit of excellence in HDR-mastered films, Pixar aims to install the new Onyx display at its Emeryville, California campus. This screen will be used during production to evaluate HDR color and brightness, conduct content quality tests and host demonstration screenings for filmmakers. By providing a dedicated space for these activities, the Onyx screen will further support creative collaboration and innovation in HDR filmmaking — ensuring that audiences can enjoy the full impact of Pixar’s high-quality HDR films showcased in theaters equipped with Onyx technology.

“Samsung’s Onyx screens allow our Pixar artists to present their stories exactly as they envisioned them — vivid, dynamic and true to life,” said Jessie Schroeder, VP Post Production, Pixar Animation Studios. “By mastering our films in HDR with Onyx , we continue to unlock a new level of visual storytelling for filmmakers and deliver the next generation of cinematic experiences for our audiences.”

CineEurope attendees are invited to experience the new Onyx in person at Samsung’s booth, where the company will highlight its latest innovations in cinema display technology. Taking place June 16–19 in Barcelona, CineEurope is the premier convention for the European cinema industry, uniting theater operators, film studios and industry leaders from across the region and beyond.