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Christie Digital showed three future platforms at ISE, that are to become available over the next six to eighteen months, however no-one was willing or able to tell me which platform would take how to long to come to market, within the given timeframe. The first platform was the single chip DLP 4K UHD, 10000 Lumens laser phosphor. Christie joined the industry in calling pixel shifting 4K. Where its spokesperson was very adamant last year "we will never call this 4K, as it is not 4K. We have true 4K".
The second platform was the much anticipated RGB laser (3P) 20K lumens projector with integrated lasers and cooling. Because of the promised 5000:1 on-off contrast, considerably higher than regular 4K DCi projector's approximately 1700:1. The third platform and probably the most fitting for ISE's Infocomm segment Christie caters to at ISE, was the 30000 lumens three chip DLP projector. This can accomodate a range of DMDs from WXGA through to TI's XPR pixel shifting DMD and the full 1.38" 4K DMDs.
"We are bringing the technology from our single chip projectors to this new platform", said Curtis Lingard, Sr. Product Manager High Brightness projectors at Christie in Canada. Asked what he ment by that and if Christie is working on adding red laser diodes to regular blue laser-phosphor light engines, Lingard explained "The HS-series* has had red and blue laser engines since its launch [at ISE 2016], we are bringing Bold Color to this platform", refering to the big 30000 lumens three chip DLP platform.
Christie's second series of single DMD projectors with upto double the 6000 lumens of the initial GS series is already using a light source using both Blue and Red laser diode arrays. New this year the GS850 8000 lumens projector was re-engineered to include Bold Color. However the box was only shown sitting on a pedestal, not in action.
However without LASER modulation the on-off contrast is limited to the typical 1200:1 of single DLP projectors. So, how about adding dynamic, content driven, laser modulation, that works not just on a full black screen? "Do you really want laser dimming? My customers tell me they don't care about laser modulation", Linghard responded. Adding that feedback sofar showed potential buyers prefered (less expensive) XPR over native 4K.
This cube housed the Christie dark room demo's
The new 3P RGB laser native 4K projector looks like the option for high-end video, with its generation 3 integrated electronics including DCI server and HDMI 2.0 inputs. And the on-off contrast at full brightness is five thousand to one? "No, greater than five thousand to one", according to Linghard. However none of the Christie staff present wanted to aswer my question at what contrast level the demonstration unit was running. As it did not look like 5000:1.
Though it was hard to judge as it was fed 'low resolution video' the other projector was 1080P, so I suspect it was HD, 'looks like blocks like in paint', a still village landscape. So not exactly wide color gamut or dark material.
Unfortunately 'No pictures allowed' at the dark room with the future platforms, but the RGB projector looks a bit like a Boxer series projector with a round plastic extrusion on the front surrounding the lens. The lens is slightly off center to the left (as seen from the front). The box is approximately 60 to 65 centimeter wide, 50 centimeter height, plus feet, and around 80 centimeter long, excluding the lens and plastic cover. I was told there are plans for an increased lumens version with 40,000 lumens. This will be longer to accomodate additional lasercooling.
The RGB projector's internal cooling must function quite well. According to Curtis Linghard it offers a lifetime of "thirthy thousand hours till eighty percent of its original output. Running it at full power".
Christie offers not just projection, but complete visualisation solutions, including direct view LED displays:
The second platform was the much anticipated RGB laser (3P) 20K lumens projector with integrated lasers and cooling. Because of the promised 5000:1 on-off contrast, considerably higher than regular 4K DCi projector's approximately 1700:1. The third platform and probably the most fitting for ISE's Infocomm segment Christie caters to at ISE, was the 30000 lumens three chip DLP projector. This can accomodate a range of DMDs from WXGA through to TI's XPR pixel shifting DMD and the full 1.38" 4K DMDs.
"We are bringing the technology from our single chip projectors to this new platform", said Curtis Lingard, Sr. Product Manager High Brightness projectors at Christie in Canada. Asked what he ment by that and if Christie is working on adding red laser diodes to regular blue laser-phosphor light engines, Lingard explained "The HS-series* has had red and blue laser engines since its launch [at ISE 2016], we are bringing Bold Color to this platform", refering to the big 30000 lumens three chip DLP platform.
Christie's second series of single DMD projectors with upto double the 6000 lumens of the initial GS series is already using a light source using both Blue and Red laser diode arrays. New this year the GS850 8000 lumens projector was re-engineered to include Bold Color. However the box was only shown sitting on a pedestal, not in action.
However without LASER modulation the on-off contrast is limited to the typical 1200:1 of single DLP projectors. So, how about adding dynamic, content driven, laser modulation, that works not just on a full black screen? "Do you really want laser dimming? My customers tell me they don't care about laser modulation", Linghard responded. Adding that feedback sofar showed potential buyers prefered (less expensive) XPR over native 4K.
This cube housed the Christie dark room demo's
The new 3P RGB laser native 4K projector looks like the option for high-end video, with its generation 3 integrated electronics including DCI server and HDMI 2.0 inputs. And the on-off contrast at full brightness is five thousand to one? "No, greater than five thousand to one", according to Linghard. However none of the Christie staff present wanted to aswer my question at what contrast level the demonstration unit was running. As it did not look like 5000:1.
Though it was hard to judge as it was fed 'low resolution video' the other projector was 1080P, so I suspect it was HD, 'looks like blocks like in paint', a still village landscape. So not exactly wide color gamut or dark material.
Unfortunately 'No pictures allowed' at the dark room with the future platforms, but the RGB projector looks a bit like a Boxer series projector with a round plastic extrusion on the front surrounding the lens. The lens is slightly off center to the left (as seen from the front). The box is approximately 60 to 65 centimeter wide, 50 centimeter height, plus feet, and around 80 centimeter long, excluding the lens and plastic cover. I was told there are plans for an increased lumens version with 40,000 lumens. This will be longer to accomodate additional lasercooling.
The RGB projector's internal cooling must function quite well. According to Curtis Linghard it offers a lifetime of "thirthy thousand hours till eighty percent of its original output. Running it at full power".
Christie offers not just projection, but complete visualisation solutions, including direct view LED displays: