Christie is an audiovisual company that specializes in digital projection and projection tools for cinema and enterprise markets, video walls, content management, image processing, video wall processors, and SDVoE technology. The company has been granted over 100 patents.[1]
 | |
 Headquarters in Cypress, California | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Professional audio-visual technology |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Founder | S.L. Christie |
| Headquarters | Cypress, California |
Key people | Takabumi Asahi, CEO; Hideaki Onishi, President & COO, Christie Digital Systems, Inc. |
| Products | Projectors, LED displays, LED video walls, LCD displays, media servers, image processors, AV-over-IP |
| Services | Design, manufacture, deploy and support ProAV systems |
| Parent | Ushio, Inc. |
Christie is headquartered in Cypress, California with a center of excellence for engineering in Kitchener, Ontario and a center of excellence for manufacturing in Shenzhen, China[2]. Christie has offices in 15 different countries[3].
History
edit
Christie was founded in 1929[4] by S.L. Christie in California. It made a name for itself as a manufacturer of 35mm film movie projectors, lamp houses, lamp consoles and film platter systems.[5] It acquired the Kitchener, Ontario-based digital projection business of Electrohome in 1999.[6] Christie was the first licensee of Texas Instruments' Digital Light Processing technology.
As of 2019, more than 65,000 Christie projectors have been installed worldwide, used in more than 10 million screenings.[7]
Christie acquired Vista Controls Systems in 2007, makers of video processing systems, including the Spyder.[8]
In 2009, Christie launched MicroTiles, modular 16" × 12" (408 mm × 306 mm) LED-powered DLP-based units that can be built together into a large video wall-style display.[9]
In 2013, Christie launched the Matrix StIM WQ and Matrix SIM WQ projectors. These projectors were designed for simulation and training applications and included Christie AccuFrame smear-reduction technology.[10]
In 2015, Christie acquired Coolux, best known for its Pandoras Box product family of media and show control systems.[11] In the same year, Christie launched a new projection system using RGB laser technology with colors approaching Rec. 2020 color space.[12]
In 2019, Christie launched MicroTiles LED, a direct-view LED display consisting of a mounting chassis and three rectangular modules which snap onto the chassis via magnets.[13]
In 2021, 252 Christie RGB pure laser projectors were used to illuminate the Al Wasl Dome at Expo 2020 Dubai. The dome was the centerpiece of the Expo site and holds a Guinness World Record for the largest interactive immersive dome[14].
Awards
editIn 2024, Christie received its third award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences[15]. The Academy Scientific and Technical Award was awarded to principal product developer Michael Perkins for the design and development of the Christie E3LH Dolby Vision Cinema Projection System [16].
The company won an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 1982 for the design and manufacture of the Ultramittent film transport for Christie motion picture projectors and again in 1998 for the design and development of the Christie ELF 1-C Endless Loop Film Transport and Storage System by employee Clark F. Crites[17].
References
edit- ^ "About Christie".
- ^ "About Christie".
- ^ "Christie Locations".
- ^ "Christie: Relationships, passion and quality". InPark Magazine. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
- ^ "A Digital Leader with Heritage". Archived from the original on 2020-09-18.
- ^ "ProjectorCentral News - Nov 1, 1999 - Christie Digital Systems Premieres". www.projectorcentral.com. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
- ^ "Christie - A digital leader with heritage". Archived from the original on 2020-09-18.
- ^ "Christie Acquires Vista Systems". Sound & Video Contractor. 2007-07-12. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
- ^ "DailyDOOH » Blog Archive » Christie Digital Launches MicroTiles". DailyDOOH. 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
- ^ "Christie Matrix StIM WQ and Matrix SIM WQ Projectors". Sound & Video Contractor. 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
- ^ "Christie acquires Pandoras Box creator coolux". Installation. 2015-01-07. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
- ^ "Christie announces new laser projection system platform and products - Projectorpoint News". www.projectorpoint.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
- ^ Haynes, Dave (2019-10-01). "Christie Goes Into The Back-Story Of Its LED MicroTiles". Sixteen:Nine. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
- ^ "Largest interactive immersive dome". Guinness World Records.
- ^ "Projection technology developed in Kitchener wins Academy Award". CTV News Kitchener.
- ^ "Scientific & Technical Awards 2024".
- ^ "Acad awards tech Oscar, other nods". Variety.