30 times better contrast than traditional cinema projection
In an era when the cinema industry has wrestled with its own relevance, HOYTS has answered with something unprecedented: two of the largest LED screens ever installed in a working multiplex, the bigger of which now holds a world record at Karrinyup, Western Australia. Built in partnership with GDC Technology, the APEX format is less a product launch than a philosophical wager — that the future of communal screen experience lies not in incremental projection upgrades, but in a fundamental reimagining of light, sound, and space. It is a reminder that the oldest human impulse, to gather in the dark and watch a story unfold, still has room to be reinvented.
- The world's largest cinema LED screen — 25 metres wide, 11 metres tall, 24 million pixels — is now operating at HOYTS Karrinyup, a benchmark that did not exist before this year.
- The central tension is technological credibility: LED cinema screens were long dismissed as dimmer and costlier than laser projection, and HOYTS is staking its premium brand on proving that assumption obsolete.
- Micro-perforated panels allow speakers to sit directly behind the screen, dissolving the gap between image and sound in a way conventional screen design physically cannot achieve.
- With 30 times the contrast of traditional projection, full DCI-P3 HDR colour, and a 160-degree viewing angle, the Tricorne system is engineered to deliver identical image quality to every seat in the house.
- APEX is already positioned to absorb future content formats — live events, high-frame-rate releases, alternative programming — making the infrastructure an argument about the entire direction of premium cinema, not just a single screen upgrade.
HOYTS has built two of the largest LED cinema screens ever installed in a working multiplex — one at Melbourne Central, and a world-record installation at Karrinyup that stretches 25 metres wide and 11 metres tall, driven by more than 24 million pixels. The partnership with GDC Technology, makers of the Tricorne Premium LED panels, is a deliberate declaration: LED, not laser projection, is where premium cinema belongs.
The engineering demanded more than scale. Panels of this size must tile seamlessly across a curved surface, because the curve itself reduces edge distortion for viewers sitting wide of centre. The joins between panels had to be invisible to the human eye — a precision requirement that shaped every stage of installation.
What separates Tricorne from conventional screens is a feature invisible in use but transformative in effect: micro-perforations across the panel surface. Too small to see from a seat, they are large enough to let sound pass through, placing speakers directly behind the screen. Dialogue and effects appear to originate from the image itself. Paired with Dolby Atmos, the audio wraps the entire room. Visually, the system delivers 30 times better contrast than traditional projection, genuine HDR blacks and highlights, and consistent image quality across a 160-degree viewing angle.
HOYTS CEO Damian Keogh describes APEX as a complete rethinking of the premium auditorium — screen geometry, pixel density, sound design, seating, and lighting conceived as a single system rather than assembled components.
For the wider industry, the stakes are significant. Cinema chains have spent a decade investing in laser projection. APEX, operating at this scale and with this flexibility — capable of live events, alternative content, and emerging high-frame-rate formats — makes a public case that the calculus has changed. HOYTS is not simply opening new screens. It is proposing a new standard.
HOYTS, Australia's dominant cinema operator, has built something that didn't exist before: two of the largest LED screens ever installed in a working multiplex cinema. The first opened at Melbourne Central. The second, at Karrinyup, is now the biggest cinema LED screen on Earth—25 metres across and 11 metres tall, powered by more than 24 million individual pixels. The partnership with GDC Technology, which manufactures the Tricorne Premium LED panels, represents a deliberate bet that LED is the future of premium cinema, not laser projection.
The technical challenge was not simply size. Screens this large demand seamless tiling—the panels must join without visible seams across a curved surface that wraps the viewer's field of vision. The geometry itself matters. A curved screen minimizes edge distortion, a difference you notice when you're sitting in a 25-metre-wide auditorium. The engineering had to be precise enough that the human eye couldn't detect the joints between panels.
What makes Tricorne Premium LED distinct is a design feature that sounds small but changes everything: micro-perforations punched through the screen surface. These holes are small enough that you can't see them from a seat, but they're large enough to let sound pass directly through the panel. This means speakers can sit behind the screen instead of beside it, creating a more convincing illusion that dialogue and effects are coming from the actors and objects on screen. Combined with Dolby Atmos—the overhead and surround sound system—the result is audio that wraps the room.
The visual performance is equally engineered. Tricorne delivers 30 times better contrast than traditional cinema projection, according to GDC's chairman and CEO, Dr Man Nang Chong. The screens reproduce the full DCI-P3 colour gamut with High Dynamic Range, meaning blacks are genuinely black and bright scenes don't wash out. A 160-degree viewing angle ensures that someone sitting on the far side of the auditorium sees the same image quality as someone in the center. The Melbourne Central screen is slightly smaller—21 metres wide by 9 metres tall, with over 17 million pixels—but operates under the same technical principles.
Damian Keogh, CEO of HOYTS Group, framed APEX as a complete experience: the curved LED screen, the pixel precision, the immersive sound, premium seating, and lighting designed specifically for the format. It's not just a bigger screen. It's a rethinking of what a premium cinema auditorium should be.
For the broader industry, HOYTS APEX functions as proof of concept. Cinema chains have invested heavily in laser projection systems over the past decade. LED was considered inferior—dimmer, less colour-accurate, more expensive to maintain. But Tricorne's technology, deployed at this scale, suggests the equation has shifted. The screens can handle not just feature films but live event broadcasts, alternative content programming, and emerging high-frame-rate formats. That flexibility, combined with superior contrast and colour, positions LED as a credible alternative to laser in premium auditoriums. HOYTS isn't just building a cinema. It's making an argument about where cinema technology should go.
Notable Quotes
HOYTS APEX is powered by our latest micro-perforated, HDR LED technology, delivering the most advanced big-screen experience available today.— Dr Man Nang Chong, Chairman and CEO of GDC Technology
What sets APEX apart is its combination of a curved LED screen of spectacular scale, cutting-edge LED technology delivering true pixel perfection, and Dolby Atmos immersive sound.— Damian Keogh, CEO and President of HOYTS Group
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does the size of the screen matter so much? Isn't it just about fitting more pixels?
Size changes the physics. A 25-metre screen curves around your vision. If the panels don't tile perfectly, you see the seams. The curvature also reduces edge distortion—your peripheral vision stays sharp. It's not just quantity; it's geometry.
The micro-perforations sound like they'd degrade the image. How do you punch holes in a screen without ruining it?
The holes are microscopic—invisible from a seat. They're engineered to let sound through without scattering light. It's a trade-off, but the benefit is that speakers sit behind the screen instead of beside it. The audio feels like it's coming from the actors.
Why is this a threat to laser projection?
Laser projection has been the premium standard for a decade. But it's dimmer than LED, and the colour accuracy isn't as good. Tricorne's contrast is 30 times better. If you can build LED screens this large and reliable, laser becomes the older technology.
Can these screens do anything besides movies?
That's the real play. They can broadcast live events, show alternative content, handle high-frame-rate formats. HOYTS isn't just building a cinema—it's building infrastructure that works for whatever comes next.
Is this expensive?
Enormously. But if you're HOYTS and you want to justify premium ticket prices, you need something that actually feels premium. A 25-metre LED screen does that.