Christie previews most extensive line-up of purpose built projection solutions

Atlanta, GA – InfoComm (June 9, 2004) – Christie Digital Systems, Inc., a leading provider of visual solutions for business, entertainment and industry, announces its most extensive line-up of network-enabled 3-chip DLP™, single-chip DLP™ and LCD-based projectors. Highlighted by a ground-up design and delivering new standards of brightness, resolution and power at lower cost-of-ownership, the products represent a dramatic advancement in visual solutions for the largest audiences to small boardrooms and business facilities.

"It's a quantum leap in digital technology with higher brightness levels and higher resolution for projection onto large screens. We've done a ground-up design of our DLP projectors. We've raised the bar on product performance, ease of installation and ease of use, service and maintenance," remarks Zoran Veselic, senior director of product management, Christie. "We're making a clear commitment and statement of our leadership in DLP and LCD projection technologies as well as being at the forefront of the convergence of AV/IT through our powerful, easy-to-use networking solutions."

Extensive Product Line-Up

Rental/Staging
The flagship Christie Roadie 25K features 2K-resolution (2048x1080) powered by the most advanced 3-chip DLP™ technology on the market, a 1500:1 contrast ratio, and 25,000 ANSI lumens – an unmatched level of brightness performance for Xenon-based projection systems. Unique, innovative two-piece design features separate projection head and ballast that creates a whole new category of high powered projection solutions for large audience presentations. With the integrated rigging/mount, the Roadie 25K delivers maximum versatility, mobility and ruggedness for the ultimate "road show." The Roadie 25K is also fully networkable using ChristieNET™ via the projector's RS-232, RS-422 or IP network, through which countless units can be controlled, at distances reaching out to thousands of feet.

The Christie Roadster S+16K, Christie Roadster S+12K and Christie Roadster S+8K feature SXGA+ (1400x1050 resolution) and brightness levels of 16,000 lumens, 12,000 lumens and 8,000 lumens, respectively. Featuring 3-chip DLP™ with 0.95" DMD chips, the new Roadsters offer 90% brightness uniformity and 1500:1 full field contrast ratio. The new Roadsters have been designed with built-in handles, a new airflow pattern and multi-rigging points. 10-bit processing raises the bar for actual image processing, color accuracy and video realism, designed to handle the rigors of any rental/staging environment. All new Roadsters include on-board ChristieNET™ networking.

Fixed Installations
For the new purpose-built Christie DS+6K and Christie DS+4K, image clarity, excellent color reproduction, enhanced performance and new 10-bit electronics are the keys to their design. These projection solutions featuring 0.95" 3-chip DLP™ deliver 6,000 ANSI lumens (Christie DS+6K) and 4,000 ANSI lumens (Christie DS+4K) with 90% brightness uniformity. Offering true SXGA+ resolution of 1400x1050 and a contrast ratio of 1500:1 full field display, these high-end projectors offer the brightest images in their class and are ideal for customers demanding high quality and Christie reliability for venues such as boardrooms, rental/staging, corporate or commercial theaters, and similar arenas, as well as post-production studios. Particularly in rental/staging applications, the DS+6K and DS+4K offer fast lens changes for easy set-up and teardown. The Christie DS+6K and Christie DS+4K include on-board ChristieNET™ for secure control and management.

The new Christie DS+60 is the world's brightest single-chip 0.95" DLP™ projection system for fixed installations such as classrooms, training rooms and meeting rooms. It features dual lamp operation, an astounding 6,000 ANSI lumens (dual lamp mode) or 3,000 ANSI lumens (single-lamp operation), 1300:1 full field contrast ratio, and built-in multi-standard video decoder delivering compatibility with all popular standards including NTSC, PAL and SECAM. With on-board ChristieNET™, the DS+60 becomes part of a total network of IP-addressable display devices.

The Christie DS+25 features sealed, single-chip SXGA+ DDR Darkchip2™ technology and delivers the brightest light output with single lamp design. At 2,500 ANSI lumens, the DS+25 is perfect for screen sizes from 2.5' (0.7m) to 18' (5.5m) wide, as found in most small to medium sized venues. The DS+25 connects with most digital and analog data up to UXGA and video up to HDTV 1080i. Also available in wide-angle format, the DS+25W features a short throw fixed lens. On-board ChristieNET™ allows for monitoring and control over a TCP/IP network. The new Christie LX66 and Christie LS+58 projectors with 1.4" LCD panels featuring micro lens array offer 6,500 ANSI lumens (dual lamp mode) and 5,800 ANSI lumens (with dual lamp), a broad range of features, including 10-bit processing, true XGA resolution for the LX model and true SXGA+ (1400x1050) resolution for the LS+ model. Both projectors offer 1300:1 contrast ratio (full field), 90% brightness uniformity, an internal shutter/douser and work with current 1.8" LCD lenses. These projectors are gaining popularity in houses of worship, boardrooms, large conference rooms, small auditoriums and rental/staging. With ChristieNET™, the new Christie LX66 and Christie LS+58 are network-enabled.

Networking Solutions At InfoComm, Christie will feature the latest generation of ChristieNET™ projector management and control solutions for corporate and small offices, educational facilities, government, and dynamic signage. These include advancements in ChristieNET™ Connectivity Modules (CCM), new ChristieNET™ SecureCCM, and new ChristieNET™ Wireless Multimedia Portal (WMP). Supporting new and existing Christie projectors, as well as any controllable AV device, the new ChristieNET™ CCM and SecureCCM feature embedded Web Servers deliver out-of-the-box functionality and integration with any existing web browser interface, providing the ultimate in ease-of-use. For increased security, the ChristieNET™ SecureCCM is the first product of its kind to be certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to meet the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), mandatory requirements for government installations and applications.

The new ChristieNET™ Wireless Multimedia Portal (WMP) is ideal for projection full motion video and audio or showing DVD content wirelessly. A direct access to video buffer delivers fast, jitter-free images at 30fps. Similar to the ChristieNET™ Wireless Presentation Portal, the ChristieNET™ WMP works with projectors or other presentation devices positioned anywhere in a room, while the user is free to move about during the presentation.

Structures
The new Christie Nova™ Rear Screen Display Structure System is a unique solution designed to complement all Christie projection offerings. Each structure is individually designed and detailed by Christie's expert CAD engineering staff and fabricated in its ISO9001:2000 certified facility. The system consists of Reflex II™ screen system (a "floating" screen solution that allows display screens to expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity, preventing screen bowing), anodised extruded aluminium construction for durability and precision in screen sizes from 50" to 120", and first-surface glass mirror of 94% or better reflectivity and Geo-Correction mirror technology. Completely customisable and based on specific requirements of each individual application, Christie's Nova structures can be configured as a single rear screen display, a large tiled wall display for a control or broadcast monitoring center, or a complete immersive CAVE® wall.

InfoComm International 2004
At InfoComm International 2004, all projectors and display devices at Christie's booth, #1943, will be networked using ChristieNET™. Screening original 2K-resolution content, the Christie Roadie 25K will be among the featured projectors in the Large Venue Gallery, also on display during the show. Availability Christie DS+25/DS+25W, Christie Nova, ChristieNET™ CCM, ChristieNET™ SecureCCM and ChristieNET™ Wireless Multimedia Portal are available for order today. All other products will begin shipping Q4 of 2004.

About Christie
Christie is celebrating its 75th anniversary as a leader in visual solutions for world-class organizations, offering diverse applications for business, entertainment, and industry. With expertise in film projection since 1929 and professional projection systems since 1979, Christie has established a global reputation as the world's single source manufacturer of a variety of display technologies and solutions for cinema, large audience environments, control rooms, business presentations, training facilities, 3D and virtual reality, simulation, education, media and government. Christie has installed over 50,000 projectors worldwide. For more information, visit www.christiedigital.com.