Laser projection vs xenon in cinemas

The operational difference is bigger than the picture difference. Laser light sources are rated for tens of thousands of hours rather than the low thousands of a lamp, they hold their brightness far more steadily, and they start instantly. That removes the lamp budget, the lamp changes, and the slow brightness drift that makes an ageing xenon room look tired.

The costs move to the front. A laser projector is a larger capital purchase, which is why it is often bought through a lease or a supplier finance arrangement, and why the decision is now a ten-year decision rather than a five-year one.

Rated life to what brightness, not just to failure. Whether the light source can be serviced or has to be swapped whole. Power draw and cooling, because some laser units change the booth's HVAC requirement. And speckle — a shimmering texture that RGB lasers can produce — and how the unit mitigates it. The projection suppliers page lists the manufacturers.