A legend of the screen celebrates its 70th birthday: the XBO® projection lamp from OSRAM

• OSRAM’s XBO® projection lamp – “Made in Germany” – revolutionized cinema projection when it first appeared in 1954, and even went on to win an OSCAR®. 
• In the 2000s, OSRAM was a major player in the transition to digital cinema, and remains a reliable partner for cinema operators (now producing under the name of ams OSRAM).  
• From June 17 to 20, ams OSRAM will once again have a stand at CineEurope in Barcelona.

Premstätten, Austria and Munich, Germany (5 June 2024) – Its debut in 1954 was heralded as a revolution in cinema projection. Since then, OSRAM’s XBO® projection lamp has played a major role in cinemas around the world. This year it celebrates its 70th anniversary – 70 years of outstanding success.

When it was launched in 1954 the OSRAM XBO® lamp replaced the then common carbon lamp in German cinemas and quickly established itself as an international standard. Its crowning glory came in 1983 when it won an ACADEMY AWARD® for its outstanding light output and technical innovation. By continually developing its projection technology over many years, OSRAM was instrumental in achieving the next major milestone in cinema history, namely the transition from 35 mm film to digital cinema more than 20 years ago based on new powerful generations of its projection lamps, all made in Germany. Xenon discharge lamps are still in demand today thanks to their enormous luminance and very high color rendering index, which together ensure razor sharp images on the screen with high color intensity.

Longer life with stable luminance: the XL series of XBO® projection lamps 
The XL series of XBO® projection lamps is one of the latest updates to this successful product. Their longer service life and stable light output come from their improved design and optimized manufacturing processes, making them still attractive for cinema operators despite the trend toward laser projection.  

ams OSRAM remains a reliable partner for digital cinema projection
Today, the XBO® family comprises products for a wide range of digital film projectors on the market. The lamps, which are produced in Berlin, are constantly being adapted in terms of their design and manufacturing processes in response to changing conditions in today’s cinema, ensuring that cinema operators can continue to reliably impress audiences with digital projection technology.

“We can look back on the successful 70-year history of the XBO® lamp with immense pride,” said André Köhler, Product Manager Cinema Lamps at ams OSRAM. “It is a history in which tradition and innovation have been impressively intertwined – two strands that have made an important contribution to the world of cinema and have made us a trusted and proven partner for cinema operators worldwide,” he added.   

ams OSRAM at CineEurope in Barcelona
Visitors to CineEurope in Barcelona can learn all about the anniversary, the success story and the future of ams OSRAM’s cinema projection products. ams OSRAM will be at booth #422 at Europe's largest cinema trade fair from 17 to 20 June.