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CGR Cinemas declares future of cinema is RGB laser
October 05, 2018
CGR Cinemas becomes the world’s largest investor in Christie RGB laser cinema projection
WOKINGHAM, England – CGR Cinemas has chosen Christie®, a leading cinema technology manufacturer, as its exclusive laser projection partner, as it moves to convert all 700 of its theatres to RGB pure laser technology. In a landmark agreement that sees CGR becoming the largest investor in Christie RealLaser™ systems in the world today, 200 CGR Classic auditoriums will be redeveloped for Christie RealLaser over the next two years.
Complementing CGR's hugely-successful ICE (Immersive Cinema Experience) theatres, which also utilize RGB pure laser systems, CGR will deliver the premium cinema experience. Christie's proprietary technology uses next-generation RGB pure lasers to deliver the highest levels of brightness, contrast and colour reproduction, fulfilling the long-heralded potential of laser illumination as the preferred successor to lamp-based cinema projection technology.
"Following the ICE premium screen success with our cinemagoers, this investment demonstrates our commitment to offering the best quality experience for our audiences, as we look to keep them coming back to CGR time and time again," says Jocelyn Bouyssy, CEO of CGR Cinemas. "Having experienced what RGB pure laser can do with ICE premium screens, we believe it is the future of cinema, and, having successfully upgraded to digital projection with Christie 10 years ago, we are delighted to again be utilising the company's latest technology developments."
The first 100 projectors will be installed in 2019, with the remaining 100 projectors to arrive in 2020. To accommodate the variety of screen sizes required to facilitate projection across CGR Cínemas' 73 locations, the projectors will be selected from across Christie's portfolio of RGB pure laser cinema projectors. This portfolio includes the CP4325-RGB, the soon to be released CP2315-RGB and CP2320-RGB models, and further Christie RealLaser cinema projector models to be released in the next 12 months.
"Our trusted relationship with Christie has created an environment where we can continue to lead the way by using the best technology available," says Sebastien Bruel, CTO, CGR Cinemas. "We've worked together since 2007, and in that time, they've helped us to advance our offering and remain at the forefront of the cinema experience. They're breaking new ground once again with RGB pure laser projection, and we're delighted to be offering it in our cinemas."
CGR Cínemas has experienced strong interest in its current premium screen ICE experience, which utilises Christie's first generation of RGB pure laser cinema projectors. As a result, the company has several years of experience and customer data with the technology. CGR believes now is the best time to invest, as Christie's next generation of Christie RealLaser projectors deliver 4K, high frame rate, DCI performance and even higher contrast.
With the support of Christie and Ciné Digital Service (CDS) – the leading French cinema integrator – the company will oversee the upgrade of 200 classic auditoria across its network from lamp technology to RGB pure laser.
"Our relationship with CDS and CGR Cínemas goes back many years." says Adil Zerouali, Senior Sales Director Cinema Europe, Christie. "It continues to flourish. As CGR looks with us to the future of cinema, seeking out the best technologies; first digital and now RGB pure laser to excite and entertain cinema audiences. And CGR's enthusiasm to do so, makes them a pleasure to work with."
The RealLaser family of projectors offers all the advantages of a high-performance laser projector in a compact 'all-in-one' form factor that eliminates the need for sub-ambient external cooling, while providing a low cost of ownership, excelling in image quality and posting an impressive operational lifetime. RealLaser delivers superior and more consistent brightness levels according to DCI standards throughout the entire lifetime of the projector.
"Christie is strongly committed to developing technologies that add real value for our customers. With Christie RealLaser, we are the first manufacturer to make available the world's first laser illumination technology that qualifies as a true replacement of lamp-based illumination," said Dale Miller, Executive Vice President, Cinema, Christie.
Christie RealLaser offers directors and producers a much-increased colour palette, approaching Rec. 2020 and over 30,000 hours of theatre operation without lamp changes. It is the only laser technology to offer brightness levels above DCI standards throughout its natural life.