Digital cinema projection and audio technology firm, Christie, has announced that it has entered into an agreement with cinema group Wanda Film Holding, a subsidiary of Wanda Group, to jointly establish an R&D centre for cinema technology within the Wanda Studios site in Shandong Province, China.
The Wanda-Christie Cinema Technology Centre of Excellence (CTCE) will be solely owned by Wanda, with Christie as the sole partner, to exclusively operate the facility for advanced R&D of digital cinema projection systems, including:
- Customised RGB laser projection technology for Wanda and its affiliates.
- RGB laser retrofit solutions for Xenon projection systems.
- Cinema solutions for Wanda’s premium, large-format auditoriums, in the areas of projection, audio, screen and 3D/4D technology.
- LED cinema screens.
- Service solutions for network operation centres.
- Testing of Xenon lamps versus competitive illumination technology.
Christie’s Solaria CP4230 Ultra HD Digital Cinema Projector.
The CTCE will assist both companies in areas such as the selection of laser/illumination technology, including guidance on choosing the best retrofit technology for Xenon-to-RGB laser technology to more than 60,000 Christie digital cinema projectors currently installed worldwide. The site will serve as a guide for Christie’s product development, especially for any customised products to be supplied exclusively to Wanda or its affiliates. Christie will also use it as its primary commercial test site for all new cinema products.
The companies will officially open the CTCE at a ceremony at Wanda Studios on April 27th. Prior to this collaboration, Wanda had signed an exclusive strategic partnership agreement with Christie to install several thousand Christie Solaria Series HD and Ultra HD digital cinema projectors, as well as the Christie Vive Audio solution in selected theatres.
The two companies have also embarked on initiatives in recent years to promote the technology, branding and market development of Wanda’s “Hall 9” auditoriums, some of which are equipped with Christie RGB laser projection and Vive Audio cinema sound system.
