Shipments of the Christie® Solaria® One projector, a DCI-compliant solution based on Texas Instruments’ (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) S2K DLP Cinema® chipset, have accelerated since first units rolled off Christie’s manufacturing plant floors in November 2012. Small-screen theaters in China, Russia, India, Brazil and across Europe and North America are seizing the opportunity to purchase these complete, economical projectors.
“Smaller cinemas the world over are strong contributors to their local economies but they must make the switch to digital format. That said, their loss would also leave a cultural vacuum that is irreplaceable. It is something we simply cannot allow to happen. Our Solaria One projector, our global network of first-rate installation partners and our participation in industry programs to help them finance the change are just some of the ways we’re helping complete the conversion to digital cinema projection,” said Dr. Don Shaw, senior director, product management, Christie Entertainment Solutions.
Christie’s Solaria One has a lot to offer, including being the brightest DCI compliant projector in its class, able to project 8000 lumens in the DCI color space and 9000 for alternative content. And a variation, the Christie Solaria One+, projects 9000 for DCI content and 10,000 with alternative content. As well, it has a customized Xenon lamp, the CDXL-21S1, which ensures ultimate performance, efficiency, and reliability. The projector, which ships “3D ready,” complete with built-in IMB, is easily upgraded to play high frame rate (HFR) movies.
Here, in their own words, are some customers’ experiences. While they serve different regions and cater to varied cinematic tastes, they have all found that the Christie Solaria One is the cost-effective, reliable way for independent exhibitors to transition to digital.
“We are very happy to partner with Christie in the roll out of their Solaria One series of projectors in India. This will enable us to take Hollywood content to the far corners of India and expand the market for Hollywood content in India exponentially. This new projector will push the envelope further in providing quality entertainment at affordable prices. The new offering has received a very positive response from the Indian Exhibition Industry, both in regards to quality and pricing.”
- Mr. Sanjay Gaikwad, Founder and Managing Director - UFO MOVIEZ INDIA LIMITED. UFO directly and through its subsidiary Scrabble Entertainment Limited has deployed digital cinema solutions in more than 4400 screens in India.
"When we heard about the new ‘all-in-one’ Christie Solaria One, we realized at once that this was what we needed. On offer was a reliable, all-round projection solution from a proven manufacturer, and it became apparent that it was the most economically attractive option in terms of cost and quality. We installed the Christie Solaria One in each of our three screens, including our 42-seat VIP screen, replacing the old film projector. The first audiences to experience the technology on 24 March 2013 went home impressed with the high picture quality. For us, this is a chance to offer a wider selection of films and give cinemagoers more choice, since studios are increasingly switching from film to digital."
- Alexandr Ryabkin, manager of the KinoFox cinema in Kamensk-Uralsky, Russia – the first three-screen cinema in this city of 170,000.
“Customers love the picture and sound improvements from film to digital and were relieved that we had made the switch to digital and will remain in business in their area, using Christie’s Solaria One.”
- Rhonda Fitzsimmons, Fun Time Cinema, Kendig, Pennsylvania
The Fun Time has three locations in Pennsylvania ranging from four to six screens each. It specializes in youth and family movies at economy prices, and also offers private screenings and parties. The installation was done by Integrity Entertainment Systems, LLC.
“The main selling feature for us was that the Christie Solaria® One could project both alternative content from Blu-Ray players as well as digital cinema files, including our pre-show ads. Also, the integrated media block (IMB) came with the projector, as opposed to other vendors with their external servers. That was a great combination, and we like having the newest and the best. The Christie Solaria One suits a small theater like the Princess very well. Audiences really notice the difference in color saturation, clarity and sound.”
- John Tutt, Princess Cinema, Waterloo, Ontario
The Princess Cinema is a 180-seat theater specializing in documentaries, foreign-language films, avant-garde festival-type films and emerging Canadian cinema content. It is located on the second floor of an historic 19th century brewery building. Christie’s technicians assisted Princess staff in quickly setting up the unit and training them on it.
“The Christie Solaria One has worked out perfectly for me, and it was obtained at a much more favorable price than the estimates I was getting on the Internet. In addition to the superior visual and sound quality, the Solaria One freed up a great deal of space in the balcony.”
- Barry Flood, Tryon Theatre, Tryon, North Carolina
The Tryon is a single-screen exhibitor in Tryon, North Carolina. It was built in 1932 and re-opened after a fire in 1938 with an added balcony. The feature film changes often, with runs of two or three days being the norm, and the theater is also used for presentations of a local film society. The Solaria install was done by Sonic Equipment Company.
