CGV, a subsidiary of CJ Group and South Korea’s largest multiplex cinema chain, has installed Christie’s groundbreaking 6-Primary (6P) laser projection system in CGV Starium, which houses one of the largest screens in the world. The CP42LH laser projector is designed and configured to achieve a brightness level of over 14fL onscreen in 3D and an astounding 108,000 lumens on CGV Starium’s 32-meter wide screen.
Located in the sprawling Times Square shopping mall in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo district, CGV Starium is a deluxe 545-seat auditorium equipped with a giant screen that measures 32 metres in width – making it an ideal venue for installing the Christie CP42LH high frame rate 3DLP® 4K RGB laser projector, which provide an ultra-bright and colourful platform for huge screen theatres. This makes CGV the first cinema chain in South Korea to deploy Christie’s pinnacle cinematic projection technology.
“We are very proud and excited to install Christie’s top-of-the-range CP42LH laser projection system in CGV Starium, which makes us the first cinema chain in South Korea to offer audiences an unrivalled 3D visual experience which, in my opinion, is the future of cinema presentation,” said Nochan Park, senior manager, Cinema Technology Team, CGV. “The moment we saw the amazing 3D visuals projected by the CP42LH, we knew this is what we have been looking for all along – high-brightness and natural 3D that further pushes the capability of high quality visuals to new heights. Over the last two decades, CGV has been fully committed in providing patrons with the best cinematic experience, and the decision to select the latest technologies from Christie reinforces our pledge to be the cinema chain of choice for movie-goers.”
The upgrade will replace CGV Starium’s existing Christie 4K dual xenon system with a state-of-the-art pair of Christie 4K laser projection heads, a 6P modular laser light farm with fibre-optic delivery, Christie 4K 3D high-bitrate server, and a new premium white screen. This particular system is designed to achieve over 14-foot lamberts onscreen in 3D and an astounding light output of 108,000 lumens, far exceeding any ‘ultra-bright’ industry standards. The CP42LH has been officially commissioned and commences regular movie screenings from today.
Henry Khang, General Manager, Christie Korea, commented, “Our non-flashing 6P architecture is by far the most light-efficient 3D technology on the market, providing incredible brightness, enhanced colour gamut and a remarkable contrast ratio. We are very pleased that CGV has selected Christie for its next-generation cinema projection technology and are confident that this installation at CGV Starium will deliver an unmatched cinematic presentation to movie-goers. The unique system design and configuration of this laser projection system will further distinguish CGV Starium as one of Asia’s most premier cinema venues.”
“We’re delighted and honoured that CGV has acknowledged the superiority and brilliance of Christie’s revolutionary 6P laser projection system,” said Lin Yu, vice president, Christie Asia Pacific. “Compared to conventional 3D systems found in cinemas around the world today, our system is able to exhibit vastly improved 3D light levels, colour fidelity, image uniformity, viewing comfort, and a sense of immersion. This is the future of 3D cinema projection, and is expected to be a key element in boosting 3D box office revenues around the world.”
Anchored by the Christie Freedom® laser illumination system, the CP42LH produces a color gamut that exceeds the DCI P3 colour and replicates the Rec. 2020 space, making it the most advanced RGB laser cinema projection system available. It consists of rack-mounted laser modules where each module can produce up to 5,000 lumens of white light. Because of the scalability of this platform, up to 12 laser modules can be easily added, removed, activated or disabled depending on the brightness requirements. This provides up to 60,000 lumens per rack. Each laser module is also independently cooled, providing built-in fault protection, improved efficiency and ultimate reliability.
Since its rollout last year, a number of cinema chains around the world have chosen Christie’s 6P laser projection system as their preferred choice for a superior 3D cinema experience. Theater chains equipped with Christie laser projection technology include Seattle Cinerama, and Moody Gardens in North America and in Asia, the iconic Shanghai Film Art Center in China is the first theater to be fitted with the CP42LH.
Christie’s 6P laser technology has also been endorsed by Dolby as a foundation technology for Dolby Cinema™, a branded premium cinema offering for exhibitors and movie-goers that delivers the best cinema experience ever. So far, the famous El Capitan Theater in Hollywood as well as AMC Theaters in Burbank, Atlanta, Houston and Kansas City across the United States are delivering this total premium cinema experience, while JT Bioscopen in Eindhoven and Hilversum in The Netherlands, and Cineplexx Linz in Austria have also commenced screenings using Dolby Vision, the visual aspect of Dolby Cinema, which is anchored by Christie laser projection.
