At the 2025 Beijing International Radio， Film and Television Exhibition， numerous companies showcased their LED cinema display equipment， highlighting a significant trend: LED screens are becoming central to cinema upgrades.
Market data reveals that in the first half of 2025， over 30 new LED cinema screens were installed in newly built cinemas across China， achieving a penetration rate of 1.3%. This figure represents an increase of 0.4 percentage points compared to 2024， and a notable jump from the 0.1% recorded in the same period of 2023， indicating clear growth momentum.
This year， China has seen the addition of more than 30 LED cinema screen projects， with dimensions covering the full spectrum from 7 meters to 22 meters. The mainstream installations are equipped with 4K resolution， a standard that is rapidly becoming the norm for high-quality cinematic experiences.
From a technological standpoint， LED cinema screens offer substantial advantages. Compared to traditional projection-based systems， LED screens， with their inherent self-emissive semiconductor chip technology， provide a transformative leap in the display of color， contrast， and brightness， offering improvements on an entirely different scale.
Further enhancing their appeal， companies are pushing the boundaries of what LED displays can offer. For instance， China Film Light & Power’s VLED screen can play 24-frame content at 48 frames per second and supports HDR formats. Similarly， Times Aimei’s HeyLED screen has obtained 17 DCI certifications， playing a crucial role in the promotion of HDR technology. Moreover， some LED products consume as little as 40% of the energy compared to equivalent traditional systems， aligning with the growing demand for environmentally friendly solutions.
Policy support and economic factors are also contributing to the widespread adoption of LED screens. National development plans specifically list LED screens as key projects， and a joint initiative by six ministries to update projection systems further cements this policy support， creating a favorable environment for their growth.
While the initial investment for LED screens is higher， technological advancements and economies of scale are driving down costs. Crucially， the annual maintenance costs are approaching zero， and their lifespan reaches up to 100，000 hours， significantly exceeding the lifespan of laser light sources in current cinema laser projectors， which typically range from 20，000 to 30，000 hours. This longevity contributes to a more sustainable and cost-effective long-term operation for cinemas.
The application of LED screens also allows for greater diversification of cinema functions. They can seamlessly integrate with events such as sports broadcasts， live music performances， and stage plays. During off-peak hours， these venues can also host conferences and other activities. LoTData (RUNTO) estimates that this diversification can potentially increase revenue per hall by ¥300，000 to ¥500，000 annually， representing a significant opportunity for cinemas to maximize their profitability.
