Christie (company)

Christie Digital
Group of private companies
Industry Display technology
Founded 1929
Products Projectors, audio solutions, digital cinema, LCD, DLP®, LED and LCD flat panel displays, image processing, collaboration and presentation tools, projection mapping, MicroTiles, 3D printing, control rooms, video walls, digital signage displays, rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing capabilities, simulation training, virtual reality, professional technical services, network operations monitoring
Number of employees
 1,500+ (2014)
Parent Ushio Inc.
Website www.christiedigital.com

The Christie group of companies manufactures DLP projectors and various digital cinema devices, and offers a selection of LCD projectors, line array audio solutions, and collaboration and presentation solutions which are used in various settings. The Christie group includes Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc.; Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc.; Christie Medical Holdings, Inc.; Vista Systems Control, Corp.; Event Audio Visual Group, Inc.; Christie Digital Systems South America Ltda. (Brazil); Christie Digital Systems Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V. (Mexico); Christie Digital Systems (India); and Christie Digital Systems Australia Pty Ltd. (Queensland, Australia). They are all part of the Ushio group of companies, the ultimate parent of which is Ushio Inc., a publicly traded Japanese company (JP:6925).

Christie Corporate Headquarters are located in Cypress (Orange County), California, United States, while its Research & Innovation (R&I), engineering teams are located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. In addition to the Kitchener facility, Christie has a second manufacturing facility in Shenzhen, China. Christie has over 1,500 employees worldwide.

Christie was founded in 1929 and began as a manufacturer of 35mm film movie projectors, lamphouses, lamp consoles and film platter systems. Later, it began importing Japanese-made Xenon bulbs before acquiring the Kitchener, Ontario-based digital projection business of Electrohome Limited in 1999. As the first licensee of Texas Instruments’ DLP Cinema® technology, Christie quickly became a leader in the conversion of 35mm to digital cinema. Today, more than 43,000 cinema screens worldwide use Christie technology.

Acquisitions and new technologies

In May 2003, Christie purchased Event Audio Visual Group, Inc. (Nationwide Video) provider of subrental equipment and services to audio visual professionals throughout the United States of America and Canada.[1]

Christie acquired Vista Controls Systems, Corp (Vista) makers of the video processor, in July 2007 to expand its offering in real-time windowing solutions for dynamic visual effects.[2] As of April 1 2015, Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc announced the full integration of Vista Systems products under the Christie brand name.

In 2009, Christie launched the Christie MicroTiles® digital display system based on DLP® technology with PhlatLight® LED illumination.[3] Christie MicroTiles are modular 12h × 16w × 10d-inch rear projection units which can be stacked to form any shape or size of digital display.

Christie entered the medical imaging market in December 2009 and now operates a medical imaging device business under Christie Medical Holdings, Inc.[4] Their product uses near infrared light to detect a patient’s veins through the skin, along with image processing technology to project a map of the vasculature on top of the skin.

Hyphen Services, a Christie enterprise®, held its grand opening on October 4, 2012 to bring North American manufacturers and product designers a variety of rapid prototyping and environmental testing services and equipment that assist in bringing products to market faster, with shortened lead time and design cycles.[5]

Christie introduced a presentation and collaboration solution, Christie Brio, in June 2013 at the InfoComm International show.[6] Christie Brio allows users to show simultaneous presentations, video, and other media from up to five sources - wirelessly and in real-time.

In July 2013, Christie introduced a full range of Christie Vive Audio™ solutions including screen channel speakers, surround speakers, subwoofers, Class D amplifiers and an audio/video processor designed to provide dynamic, detailed and captivating sound to any seat in the auditorium.[7] Christie Vive Audio leverages a single enclosure line array speaker design and ribbon driver technology. The Christie LA3C ceiling surround speaker was an industry first.[8] The line of professional-grade amplifiers utilizes Class D[9] architecture unlocking the potential for digital audio.[10]

Company achievements

Christie has earned over 80 industry awards and numerous corporate awards of distinction, including two technical achievement Academy Awards for its Ultramittent technology (1983)[11] and Endless Loop Film Transport and Service System in 1998.[12] In 2009, Christie won Manufacturer of the Year, as voted by the International Cinema Technology Association.[13]

InfoComm International presented Christie with the first Green AV Award in 2010.[14] Mediacorp Canada Inc. recognized Christie with several employer awards in 2010, including Canada’s Greenest Employers[15] and Best Employers for New Canadians.[16]

Jack Kline, the Company’s chairman, president and CEO, received the 2014 Ken Mason Inter-Society Award during a ceremony at CinemaCon 2014 for outstanding long-term contributions leading to the overall improvement of the motion picture experience.[17]

The three-storey Christie MicroTiles wall at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus won gold in the 2013 Apex Awards competition in the Education and Healthcare category.[18]

References

  1. ↑ Christie Reaffirms Commitment to the Rental Staging Market
  2. ↑ Christie Acquires Vista Systems
  3. ↑ "Luminus Devices’ PhlatLight LEDs Illuminate Christie MicroTile’s New Digital Canvas Display"
  4. ↑ Christie Acquires Assets from Luminetx Corporation
  5. ↑ Hyphen Heralds New Era for Local Manufacturers Seeking to Compete on the World Stage
  6. ↑ New Christie Brio Meeting Room Solution Lets Participants Share More
  7. ↑ Christie Enters Cinema Sound Business
  8. ↑ Innovative Christie Line Array Surround Speakers Expand Christie Vive Audio Immersive Sound Solution
  9. ↑ Class D Audio: The Power and the Glory
  10. ↑ Christie Vive Audio brochure
  11. ↑ 1983 Technical Achievement Award - Christie Electric Corp., LaVezzi Machine Works, Inc. for the design and manufacture of the Ultramittent film transport for Christie motion picture projectors.
  12. ↑ 1998 Technical Achievement Award - Clark F. Crites, for the design and development of the ELF 1-C Endless Loop Film Transport and storage system.
  13. ↑ Christie Receives Teddy Award for Superior Dealer Service from International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA)
  14. ↑ InfoComm Names First Green AV Award Winners
  15. ↑ Canada's Greenest Employers
  16. ↑ Best Employers for New Canadians
  17. ↑ Christie’s Jack Kline to Receive the '2014 Ken Mason Inter-Society Award'
  18. ↑ Shypula, Brian. "UW Stratford Campus’ Christie MicroTiles digital display earns industry award.". stratfordbeaconherald.com. Retrieved 10 April 2014.

External links

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