Christie Digital Provides Projector for Hollywood Landmark

Christie®, a world leader in advanced cinema technologies and visual displays, announced that it is the official 4K digital projection partner of TCL Chinese Theatres for the renovated TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, with the acclaimed 4K Christie® Duo™ two-projector system anchoring that theater’s 932-seat auditorium and lighting up its massive screen.
 
Christie digital cinema projectors have also been installed exclusively at the adjacent TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, making the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame a “walk with Christie.” TCL Chinese Theatres reopened to the public on September 15, following extensive renovations, with the world premiere of the remastered “The Wizard of Oz: An IMAX 3D Experience.”
 
The installation of the 4K Christie Duo solution at TCL Chinese Theatres is among the highlights of the extensive, multi-million dollar renovation that have helped the famous landmark make the move to digital. The reopened theater features the brightest 2D and 3D 4K-resolution images in the industry, with the auditorium playing host to a wide range of high-profile events, from world premieres and gala performances, to some of the entertainment industry’s most glamorous celebrations and awards shows.
 
“The TCL Chinese Theatres is an iconic institution that has played a significant role in the legends and traditions of the entertainment history worldwide,” noted Alwyn Hight Kushner, president and chief operating officer for TCL Chinese Theatres. “The TCL Chinese Theatres’ multi-million renovation efforts included a respectful acknowledgement of the theater’s history, while bringing it into the digital age, thanks to our digital cinema partners, which include Christie. We are also pleased that Christie projection systems are lighting up our TCL Chinese 6 Theatres’ screens nearby. For us, Christie was the clear solution for our non-IMAX 2D and 3D showings.”
 
Craig Sholder, vice president of Entertainment Solutions at Christie, noted that “The TCL Chinese Theatres is part of American history, as is Christie, with our record of more than 80 years service to the cinema exhibition industry. As the official 4K digital projection partner, Christie is proud to ensure that all the content shown at the TCL Chinese Theatres is always thrilling, magical and memorable – the way movies are meant to be.”
 
The Christie Duo two-projection system, selected and installed through Christie integration partner Southern California Cinetech Services, offers twice the brightness of conventional systems for enhanced 3D, 4K resolution and High Frame Rate (HFR) screenings, enabling TCL Chinese Theatres to deliver an enhanced movie-viewing experience. It features an innovative design that perfectly aligns every pixel on the giant screen for optimal 2D and 3D screenings.
 
Jim Dukes, Christie senior product manager, noted that the massive screen at TCL Chinese Theatres is an excellent canvas for demonstrating the enormous power and brightness of the total solution that Christie Duo and two Christie Solaria® CP4230 projectors deliver.
 
“Large screens such as the one at the TCL Chinese Theatres present a challenge to most dual projection systems when it comes to the convergence of the image, which must be perfectly aligned to ensure the sharpest results possible. The Christie Duo’s configuration options solve that challenge by making image convergence quick, easy and consistent,” said Dukes. “Since its introduction, the Christie Duo has been highly acclaimed for addressing the biggest issue faced by exhibitors when screening 3D movies: that is, the delivery of ample brightness to the screen to make the experience memorable.”
 
Dukes also observed that the dominance of the Christie brand in theaters is also reflected in the exclusive use of Christie digital projection systems in the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres nearby.
 
“Christie digital projectors are used by leading exhibitors around the globe and are found in more digital cinema installations than any other brand,” he said.