More Awards For Christie Projectors

Gail Chiasson, North American Editor

Christie Digital Systems has added more awards to its trophy case, demonstrating the industry’s preference for innovative and high quality products that are at the forefront of today’s technology.

Christie’s Large Venue Projectors have been recognized with three awards:

  • Christie took the top spot in Pro AV magazine’s annual Brand Leader survey, winning the Large Venue Projector category for the second consecutive year.
  • The Christie Roadie HD+35K earned InfoComm‘s Best Video Projector/High Lumen category award from New Bay Media‘s Rental and Staging Systems magazine.
  • The annual Live Design Projector of the Year award was presented for the Christie HD10K-M in New York City, chosen by a panel of projection designers and programmers.

In other news involving Christie, Digital Cinema Korea, the joint-venture company of CJ CGV and Lotte Cinema in South Korea, deployed 110 screens in digital cinemas to show the prestigious 2010 World Ciup soccer matches in Africa in 3D using Christie CP2000 Series and Christie Solaria Series 2 digital cinema projectors.

“Tickets for the 3D matches were sold out three weeks prior to the actual screening,” says S.K. Lee, general manager public relations, CGV.

The 3D screenings were available due, in part, to the widest deployment of digital cinema theatres across South Korea, spurred by DCK’s 2008 deal to secure Virtual Print Fees with major Hollywood studios. Phase one of the agreement exclusively used 500 Christie CP2000 Series projectors; the current and second phase features at least 500 of the new Christie Solaria 4K-ready DLP Cinema projectors – of which, nearly 100 have already been installed. To date, Christie is the leading digital cinema provider in South Korea with almost 80% market share.

All in all, Christie has shipped and installed more than 12,000 digital cinema projectors worldwide, achieving a new industry milestone and strengthening its leadership with a 65% share of the total global market.

“The world is going digital and Christie is committed to leading the charge,” said Jack Kline, president and COO, Christie USA. “From our first, ground-breaking roll-out of 4,000 digital cinema projectors that jump-started the digital cinema revolution, Christie has been a major force in every corner of the world, developing innovative strategies, products and services that are guiding the industry into the digital age.”

To address growing demands, Christie recently announced a new manufacturing facility in China; increased R&D; expanded its base of skilled staff; stocked up on long lead components to ensure sufficient parts in the months ahead; and strengthened its technical training initiatives. At the same time, it has boosted its Christie Managed Services programs in North America to provide the widest range of technical support for resellers and exhibitors making the switch to digital.

“We are in high gear, working with resellers and exhibitors to quickly digitize screens and take advantage of the new crop of 3D movies arriving in theaters,” says Craig Sholder, Christie’s vice-president of entertainment solutions. “Christie’s phenomenal success in North America, where it holds more than 70% of the market, is now being echoed in Central and South America, where orders for digital projectors have jumped appreciably. Christie is the overwhelming projector of choice because exhibitors recognize our Series 2 projectors offer the best light efficiency and lowest cost of operation.”

In Europe, Christie continues to hold a commanding 54% market share with close to 3,000 Christie digital cinema projectors now in the European market place, and thousands more contracted to be installed in the near future.

Christie’s explosive growth in the Asia Pacific region, where sales have climbed by more than 400% in the past year, has also contributed significantly to its record number of installations.


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