Case study
Built around an ancient castle, the 54ha Bellewaerde theme park has consistently been at the forefront of innovations in amusement park technology. In 2006, it was looking to build an advanced, immersive cinema that would include stereoscopic 3D visualization, moving seats, surround sound and even wind, fog and water effects. 4D was born.
In an environment where effects such as fog, water and moving seats greatly enhance a visitor’s experience, Bellewaerde Park could not afford to have dim, blurry or unreliable visualization. As such, they required top-level display technology that was not only capable of rendering stereoscopic movies in full 1080p HD without light loss, it also had to be easy on maintenance and highly reliable. For these reasons, Bellewaerde Park chose a single-channel visualization system consisting of two iCon H600 projectors.
These network-centric, 6000 ANSI lumens LCD projectors feature full, uncompromised 1080p HD projection and an intelligent dual-lamp design. The iCon H600 is powered by an integrated Windows XP display server with Barco software that allows rapid and easy selection of sources and layouts and fosters complete integration into the existing AV/IT-environment, with remote control and diagnostics capabilities. Furthermore, it is easily operated with keyboard and mouse.
Barco’s stereoscopic display system completes the perfect picture of a spectacular, immersive movie theater for Bellewaerde Park’s visitors. For Bellewaerde Park, the iCon H600 setup results in quick response times and an efficient work routine for the cinema staff, due to its fast and user-friendly selection of movie sources with keyboard and mouse, through readily accessible Windows XP Start Menu options. Servicing and maintenance is made easy through the system’s remote control and diagnostics capabilities that automatically warn staff members through e-mail in case of problems with sources or projector lamps. Lastly, its dual-lamp design ensures an uninterrupted show when one lamp should fail, by letting the other lamp rev up to full power. Both lamps alternate service, so that the iCon makes very efficient use of its consumables.
The 4D cinema has been in operation since Bellewaerde Park's special Halloween winter opening in 2006. Annually, the amusement park attracts roughly 900,000 visitors.
