Christie presents its IMB media block solution at CinemaCon

Designed for DCI compatibility, the fully integrated media block system breathes life into 4K and high frame rate projection.

Christie has presented this Monday at CinemaCon, IMB, an integrated media block solution that smoothly and smoothly converts cinematic and alternative content and provides it in a secure environment to all Christie Solaria Series 2 2K and 4K projectors.

Factory-integrated into Christie projectors or easily retrofitted to previously purchased units, the Christie IMB system utilizes off-the-shelf, non-proprietary storage solutions, giving exhibitors the smoothest possible transition to HFR (high frame rate) and 3D projection standards.

Launched at CinemaCon in Las Vegas after several months of commercial field testing, Christie IMB provides an integrated solution delivered by a single, reliable equipment supplier. Christie used its IMB at NAB 2012 last week, delivering hourly presentations of HFR film content on a single CP2220 Solaria projector, with automatic, seamless switching between different frame rates. This same demo is also taking place at CinemaCon. The DCI compatibility certificate is expected to be received shortly.

Don Shaw, director of Entertainment Solutions at Christie, highlighted that "most digital projector installations use a media block on an external server connected by cables to the projector. This creates bandwidth limitations that affect image quality and restricts the system's ability to deliver higher frame rates and increased pixel resolution. The Christie IMB operates inside the projector, becoming an integral part of the device. The result is a secure connection capable of handling high bandwidth. demanded by HFR and 4K content and maintaining great image quality.”

All Solaria Series 2 projectors have been designed to seamlessly integrate Christie IMB and Christie Previsto HFR technology. With full support for both cinema content and MPEG2 and H.264 for in-cinema advertising and alternative content, the design of the Christie IMB is based on a solid understanding of software, thermal conditions, vibrations and the internal power supply of the projector, making this projection system the most reliable on the market.

A comprehensive solution

The IMB design simplifies things by eliminating the need for the exhibitor to rely on the support of several servers and media block systems from various manufacturers that currently exist on the market. Christie achieves a fully integrated solution by ensuring seamless interaction between its IMB and Christie Avias-TMS, a TMS (Cinema Theater Management System) software application that allows exhibitors to centrally manage and organize all projection operations in a multiplex.