Christie used CineAsia to preview a digital-cinema laser projector boasting a much higher efficiency than RGB lasers used in current cinemas. Based on Christie’s latest Series 3 digital cinema electronics platform, this RGB laser projector has no need for external chillers resulting in a compact all-in-one design. Christie hopes this will become the superior color, higher contrast, and low maintenance replacement product for aging Series 1 and early Series 2 projectors.
The company also launched the CP2308-C, a lamp-based cinema projector capable of projecting 9,000 DCI lumens. It comes with an integrated DCI playback engine, built-in automation features, and a new, more user-friendly UX design interface. Designed for smaller screens, this unit features Christie’s latest Series 3 digital cinema electronics platform for playback of DCPs or alternative content sources through dual HDMI ports.
Christie also showcased their Vive Audio line powered by unique, ribbon-driver technology in a parabolic line array design, purposely built for the cinema environment. Products include the LS1 line source loudspeakers, LS2S surround speakers and S218 subwoofer. They support formats such as Dolby Atmos, Dolby Atmos, 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound.
On display was the “Christie Corridor” – a full-sized immersive cinema passageway similar to those found in contemporary theater complexes. Stealing a theme from the Dolby Cinema theater entrance to enhance customers’ pre-show experience, Christie’s 360 team put together a large extended screen displaying an array of cinema-related content using Christie Captiva Series ultra short throw projectors and Christie Pandoras Box media players.
In terms of theater roll outs, Christie leveraged two current installations to sign a wide-ranging, long-term partnership agreement with the Barbican Centre in London to provide visual technology solutions to the world-class arts and learning center. Christie will supply the latest laser phosphor projection, LED video walls, as well as Christie MicroTiles and Christie Pandoras Box media servers. The displays will be seen at entrances, across the foyers and at key points throughout the building.
Since the summer of 2016, Christie laser phosphor projectors, powered by Pandoras Box, have illuminated two separate installations in the foyers. Numen, by artist Zarah Hussain, uses two Christie HS Series laser phosphor projectors. It is a vast hexagonal grid illuminated with projection mapped geometric patterns that draw from traditional Islamic art. The bright projection onto a 3D sculpture is attracting significant attention both in person and across social media. A second installation, ‘let’s take a walk’ by theater collective ‘non zero one,’ greets visitors with projections of six individuals who guide visitors on an audio journey around the Centre. The new partnership will transform the public spaces of the Barbican by providing new platforms for its rolling program of artistic commissions and new focal points to communicate with the public.
Meanwhile, Christie also announced that Dadi Digital Cinema Corporation, the second-largest theater chain in China, will deploy the award-winning Christie 6P laser projection system at its newest cineplex in Huaibei, a prefecture-level city in northern Anhui Province.
The multiplex consists of 11 screens, including the premium Hall 8 auditorium in which the dual-head Christie CP42LH 3DLP 4K RGB laser projection system will be installed. Featuring a 16-meter wide screen and a seating capacity of 226, this is the first cinema in Anhui Province to be equipped with Christie’s 6P RGB laser system, which employs two sets of RGB laser lights – one for the left eye, and one with slightly different wavelengths for the right eye.
The 6P laser projection system fitted at this venue comprises a pair of Christie CP42LH projection heads, connected via fiber optic to a laser rack housing eight laser modules that generate white light with a brightness of 40,000 lumens. It produces a color gamut that exceeds the DCI P3 color spec and replicates the Rec. 2020 space. -CC
