The Chiswick Cinema: affordable laser comes of age

Superb image, low maintenance, great value: there’s a reason Omnex specified Christie laser projectors in London’s latest independent cinema destination.

When the team crunched all the numbers, the RGBe projector became a gamechanger

THE CHISWICK CINEMA in London was a success from the start. As the passion project of UK cinema pioneer Lyn Goleby, co-founder of Picturehouse Cinemas, that’s not a huge surprise

Owned by Trafalgar Entertainment and developed and launched by Lyn, it is a standout venue. An entirely new build on the site of the former Ballet Rambert, it is an independent with an intimate boutique feel. The venue has a club atmosphere with members, private hire and five screens. Christie RGB laser projectors illuminate all five screens; naturally image quality was key, but Christie’s laser also offered value.

When the team at Omnex crunched all the numbers, the RGBe projector became a real game-changer in the budget, which turned the original spec for a mix of laser and Xenon illumination into laser throughout. The five screens range from 4 to 8.5 metres, so projectors of different sizes were selected to match the requirements from three ranges and two technologies: the RGBe and RGB pure laser technology with CineLife™ and Real|Laser illumination.

“LYN CAME TO US to recommend projectors for the cinema as a trusted technical partner. She was familiar with Christie from the Picturehouse Cinemas, where Christie’s equipment was widely in use. Lyn’s Abbeygate cinema also uses a CP4330-RGB pure laser projector on its flagship screen,” explains Darren Briggs, Omnex’s head of engineering.

“Although our original spec was a mix of laser and Xenon, there were delays in the build, during which Christie announced higher levels of affordability for laser, introducing their RGBe range, a powerful solution for smaller screens, and ideal for use in this site,” said Darren.

“The numbers fitted the budget. We could easily show low running costs plus the advantage with no lamps. For a little more upfront cost than Xenon there is payback within a few years,” continued Darren. “The CP2306-RGBe will give DCI brightness for around 30,000hrs and is low maintenance with a sealed light source. The colour gamut is extended, offering outstanding image quality for the audience,” he said. “There is low maintenance and reduced cooling; and it is a more ecological choice — an important consideration for the site. The RGBe was a new platform for us, but it really impressed us when we saw the image vibrancy. In brightness terms, it was more than the specs say that it is, while running close to minimum power.”

THE SMALLEST auditorium, with just 16 seats, has a small dining room attached for private parties or company presentations. In the 60-seat auditorium Omnex selected Christie CP2306-RGBe projectors. The other three auditoriums, two with 8.5m screens, one with a 7.3m screen, feature CP4315-RGB and CP2309-RGB projectors, respectively.

Phil Lord, the sales manager at Christie, explains the R&D behind the Real|Laser illumination. “It hinges on how we engineered the Multi Laser Pack Devices (MPDs) to deliver audiences true-to-life detailed image brightness, image uniformity and high contrast — and it is all factory calibrated to hold the colour balance for years with almost no maintenance.

Crucially, it also delivers the best TCO in the industry with up to 50,000 hours of operational life.”

“The largest auditorium, which uses the CP4315-RGB projector is used by a local film studio for testing pre-release content,” says Darren, “Christie laser projectors give better, brighter images for a longer period, and they produce a lot less heat meaning stress on cooling systems is reduced. The projectors are compact and suited to pod enclosures. These auditoriums all use pods to house their projectors. Audiences will get a great visual experience from an affordable platform that will perform long into the future.”

Audiences will get a great visual experience from an affordable, futurefocused platform

www.omnex.co.uk. info@omnex.co.uk