Left: Coolux Pandoras Box quad server. Right: Quad HD-SDI card
I first became acquainted with Coolux Media Systems (Cologne Germany) as a major supplier of controllers to the Pro AV industry at last summer’s Rental and Staging Roadshow. The Coolux flagship product, the Pandoras Box media server, does real-time media compositing for both live events and fixed multi-media installations. In addition to the Pandoras Box server, coolux makes a variety of accessory products, including software, input devices such as touch sensors and show controllers and I/O boards for the Pandoras Box. In addition to supporting multimedia shows for the Pro AV industry, Coolux makes a special version of the Pandoras Box for the broadcast industry. These systems include special features needed by broadcasters, such as 2x low latency 3G HD-SDI inputs and sub-scanline-level synchronization to external video sync sources.
Show types and features supported by Coolux’s Pandoras Box and its accessory products include:
- 3D Stereo Projection
- 360° Projection
- SD/HD-SDI Processing
- 4K and Ultra HD
- Interactive Sensors for show control
- Multi-Channel 3D Audio
- Screen Warping
- 3D Projection Mapping
- Softedge Blending
- Sphere Projection
- Holographic Displays (Pepper’s Ghost, not true holograms)
On January 6th Christie Digital announced it had acquired coolux. Coolux will be integrated into Christie’s Global Market Solutions team, maintaining its office in Cologne, Germany.
Jennifer Smith, executive VP, Global Market Solutions at Christie, said, “Christie is committed to deepen its marketplace lead in supplying a total solution for advanced applications such as projection mapping, broadcast delivery and all manner of large-scale digital canvas creation, so the fit between our products and services and those of coolux is a natural one”.
Coolux CEO Jan Huewel, who will report to Ms. Smith in his new position at Christie of senior director, Processing Solutions, commented that, “In a world where visual and audio experiences are assuming new importance in inspiring and moving audiences, content orchestration and synchronized content delivery is paramount and with today’s news, Christie, with its already impressive presence in this arena, has gained another leading-edge product line and development team to ensure it keeps its lead”.
More detail on the announcement will be provided at the biennial Coolux Connect Conference, to be held January 8-9, 2015 at Vulkanhalle, Building E, Lichtstr. 43, 50825 in Cologne, Germany.
Christie already makes a video controller system, the Vista Spyder. Christie says the Coolux Pandoras Box will complement the Spyder, not replace it. The Spyder is used primarily as a video processor for tiled displays such as control rooms and simulation systems that include multiple projectors while the Pandoras Box includes more multimedia features needed by the rental, staging and broadcast markets.
Coolux has worked with Christie before. For example, at last year’s InfoComm, Coolux used Christie HD20K-J and Christie WU20K-J projectors in its booth. Display Daily wishes the best of luck to the merged companies. – Matthew Brennesholtz
