ORLANDO (IAAPA Booth 1874), Nov. 19, 2008 – Sony announced today at the annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions convention that its SXRD™ 4K digital projectors are behind Universal Studios’ award-winning “The Simpsons” ride.
The ride, which takes visitors on an action-packed virtual trip alongside Fox Televisions’ Simpsons family as they traverse Krusty the Clown’s Krustyland, was voted the “Best New Theme Park Attraction for 2008” by the Theme Park Insider, a consumer guide to the world's most popular theme and amusement parks.
There are four Simpsons’ rides – two each at Universal’s Orlando and Hollywood parks -- and each is equipped with four SXRD 4K projectors. The units were installed by Electrosonic, a leading audio/visual systems integrator with locations around the world.
The projectors display images from the animated series onto 85-foot dome screens for a roller-coaster style, virtual experience that features many of the show’s well-recognized characters, including Bart, Homer, Marge, Maggie, Lisa and more.
The rides utilizes Sony’s SRX-S110 model projectors, which are capable of displaying images at more than four times the resolution (4096x2160) of today’s high-definition television sets (1920x1080).
“The fact that thousands of visitors have experienced this ride projected on Sony’s SXRD 4K projection systems and voted it the best attraction is the latest proof that the immersive visual experience provided by these ultra high-resolution projectors is a clear winner,” said Andre Floyd, Sony Electronics’ marketing manager for SXRD systems. “The consistently crisp images will surely make the ride a park favorite for many years to come.”
Floyd also noted that the by utilizing digital rather than film projection systems, image consistency is maintained each time the ride is run. Film stock degrades with each use and needs to be replaced periodically at significant cost, while digital files remain pristine every time.
“The Simpson” ride opened at Universal Studios in May. More information about Sony’s SXRD projection systems is available online at www.sony.com/sxrd.
