Chinese technology companies and cinema exhibitors are positioning High Dynamic Range LED screens as both a remedy for a slowing local box office and a vehicle for challenging America’s long-standing grip on international cinema standards, according to a panel at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

The push is being led by tech giant Huawei through the Ultra HD Video Alliance, which is promoting its own HDR Vivid standard as an alternative to the Digital Cinema Initiatives certification framework that has governed cinema projection globally for decades.

“Why do we still need to pass DCI certification domestically at this moment, whether for LED screens or other certifications? Because we need to screen Hollywood films,” said Hank Xiao, senior director at Huawei. “Hollywood films are expected to account for only about 8% of our box office revenue, which is already below double digits, [but] hardware manufacturers and our own content producers are actually still paying high fees to the United States.”

“This is also a major problem that we domestically need to resolve urgently. Our promotion of this industry standard and international standard is meant to solve these problems. The HDR Vivid version we are promoting now actually does not charge money from cinemas, nor does it charge money from film distributors; it is completely free,” Xiao added.

The strong push towards self-reliance and controlling technical standards stemmed from lessons learned from the US-China trade war. “After Huawei was sanctioned by the United States in 2019, we saw that many of our chips and operating systems could not be used,” Xiao said. “If we are still using the software and technology that were monopolized in the past, our development toward domestic self-reliance might still face some difficulties.”

Panellists argued that the HDR Vivid standard outperforms DCI on several technical metrics, and noted that the majority of LED screen technology installed globally is manufactured in China. The screens offer higher frame rates, greater brightness, deeper blacks and superior contrast ratios compared with conventional digital projectors. James Cameron‘s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” premiered on one such screen at the Hainan Island International Film Festival in December.

The commercial case for rapid adoption remains constrained, however. Of China’s approximately 93,000 cinema screens, only around 270 are currently LED, the majority clustered in first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Industry insiders project that figure may reach around 1,000 by end of 2027 – a modest target against a local box office that is running some 41% below year-ago levels, raising questions about exhibitors’ appetite for significant capital expenditure.

The panel, which included representatives from Huawei, LED manufacturer Huaxia, animators, cinematographers and academics, also touched on the integration of artificial intelligence into Chinese filmmaking education. Professor Lei Zaixing, head of the cinematography department at the Beijing Film Academy, revealed that the institution had received approval to launch a new major in “Intelligent Imagery,” combining cinematography with AI-generated imagery. The first cohort is expected to enrol next year. In a departure from BFA’s typically competitive admissions process, applicants will not be required to sit an art entrance examination or submit a prior portfolio.