Samsung brings 4K 120Hz HFR to theaters with new LED screen

At CinemaCon 2025, Samsung launched its new "Onyx" cinema LED screen, which is up to 20 meters wide and enables theaters to screen movies at 120fps HFR.

In 2017, Samsung installed the first batch of cinema LED screens in South Korea and Europe to replace cinema projectors.

These are true LED screens, without an LCD panel, made up of smaller LED modules. They are DCI certified for cinema use and support SDR and HDR content (unlike projectors).

4K 120Hz refresh rate

According to Samsung, since they are manufactured using modular LED panels, installation is very flexible. The latest generation of onyx is available in the following sizes for cinema use:

5 meters (16 ft) - ideal for boutique and smaller cinemas (pixel pitch: 1.25 mm)

10 meters (33 ft) - industry standard for premium cinemas (pixel pitch: 2.5 mm)

14 meters (46 feet) – versatile format for an immersive large-scale cinema experience (pixel pitch: 3.3mm)

20 meters (66 feet) – large format solution for premium auditoriums (pixel pitch: 5.0mm)

One of Samsung's new onyx LED screens, Source: Samsung

In addition to deep blacks, high contrast and vivid and accurate colors, the new LED screen supports frame rates up to 4K 120Hz, provided the IMB (the system responsible for video decoding and processing) installed in the theater also supports this frame rate.

Attempts at high frame rates in film have been limited, with most implementations achieving a maximum frame rate of 48 frames/second, such as the 3D version of Avatar: Waterpath, which had a frame rate of 48 frames/second, while most movies are still shot and projected at 24 frames/second.

Hoon Chung, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics' Visual Display Division, said:

The film industry is shifting its focus to providing more immersive and visually appealing experiences. With Onyx, Samsung not only delivers the highest quality visuals, but also provides the flexibility to enable theaters to redefine the moviegoing experience and meet evolving audience expectations.

Pixar agrees

Samsung said that the new generation of products has a peak brightness of up to 300 nits and supports 2.39:1 and 1.85:1 aspect ratios.

Pixar has released several films in theaters in HDR, including Elemental and most recently Inside Out 2 , and Pixar's upcoming summer release Earthbound will also be shown in HDR on Samsung's LED screens.

Dominic Glynn, senior scientist at Pixar Animation Studios said:

At Pixar, we believe movies can be epic, shared experiences—where stories are larger than life and memories are created with friends. That’s why we’re committed to bringing something truly new to the big screen with our groundbreaking HDR-1 theatrical releases, and to achieve this, onYX screen technology delivers stunning brightness, clarity and color – images so clear and even that they enhance every moment of the story. Even casual moviegoers will feel the difference. It's about creating that unforgettable "Wow!" feeling, the experience that reminds us why movies are and always should be special.

Pixar has not released any high frame rate titles.

This year's first batch of next-generation screens

Samsung said the first batch of its latest generation LED screens will be installed in the fall of 2025.

Looking ahead, Cannon Beach, a 37-acre lifestyle and excitement mixed-use development in Mesa, Arizona, will be the first in the United States to launch the latest generation of Samsung onyx in its seven-screen movie theater, LVL 11 Entertainment.