With the rapid expansion of the Chinese cinema industry, local exhibitors are now expecting flexible high value digital cinema solutions that provide quality cinematic experiences, and create the opportunity for them to build their own brands. Several renowned exhibitors in China have now turned to Christie® Duo™ to leverage on the existing 2K and 4K DLP Digital Cinema® technology and to create their own branded premium theaters to meet the needs of the sophisticated cinemagoers in China.
Since its recent launch, the Christie Duo solution has been well received by the local cinema market. Exhibitors such as Shimao, Shanghai Film Group, Wanda have installed the system into their self-branded large screen theaters such as Wanda X-land and Dongfang Giant Screen.
Chongqing Science and Technology Museum, one of the key social and cultural infrastructure projects determined by the Chongqing municipal Party committee and government, was the first in China to select a Christie Duo for its venue. The more-than-300-seat theater in the museum features a large spherical screen, measuring 16 meters (52.5 feet) high, 22 meters (72 feet) wide, and 37 meters (40.5 feet) in diameter. With the new visual solution, the audience now enjoys a high quality, immersive cinematic experience with unmatched brightness, sharpness and superior 3D images.
“We pride ourselves on responding to customer needs and our customers approached us for a flexible and economical solution to deliver a premium cinema experience. They wanted a low initial investment in equipment and not to be constrained by business models that may require them to share ongoing box office revenues with the equipment supplier. With Christie Duo , we’re delivering high value at a price point that provides immersive cinema experiences to all,” said Dr. Don Shaw, senior director, Product Management, Christie Entertainment Solutions.
The Christie Duo integration kit features the choice of two configurations: a compact and convenient stacking system for 3D installations, or a new, innovative physical configuration that perfectly aligns every pixel on the screen for optimal 2D and 3D presentations. Coupled with automated features that easily calibrate, align and optimize the images from both Christie Solaria™ Series 2K or 4K digital cinema projectors, Christie Duo delivers a completely seamless, premium movie experience for the world’s largest screens. When combined with world-leading 3D systems, exhibitors can achieve 3D image brightness levels up to twice as high as what can be achieved using the current large-format market leader — at a significant overall cost saving.
According to EntGroup, an affiliated company of ComInsight and China’s leading entertainment research service provider, there were only nine large screens in China in 2007, but by the end of 2012, the total stood at 107. “Chinese consumers are becoming more sophisticated, especially in their entertainment needs. Our Christie Duo system emerged as a solution to help meet exhibitors meet the current demands of the local market,” commented Lin Yu, vice president, Christie Asia Pacific. “We’ve always focused on innovation and placed our customers first. We hope Christie Duo can contribute to the development of large screen theaters in China to help generate an opportunity to provide an unsurpassed cinema-going experience, and also increase the branding exposure for the local exhibitors to maximize their investments.”