Richard Heslett, Christie: "We have room for growth in interactivity, 4K/UHD, OLED or low pixel distance LED"

Christie's Senior Director of Product, Richard Heslett, Says, in this interview for Digital AV Magazine, the firm's decision to bet on display technologies, as well as the advantages offered by the arrival of Velvet compared to its already established MicroTiles.

Since the launch of MicroTiles in 2009, Christie has developed a wide range of projection solutions that go beyond those used in command and control rooms.

Was it necessary to have so many options in Christie's product catalog??

Christie's mission is to help the customer create the best shared experiences and that requires a wide spectrum of technological solutions. And these range from front projection or rear projection to flat LCD panels or LED displays, going through a complete range of products not specifically projection. In addition, there are also the services, among which the audio systems stand out, video processing, technical designs tailored to the client or content generation.

The arrival of Velvet and the entry into the LED market, contribute to expanding this catalogue?

The combination of the launch of the Velvet LED, with Christie's existing line of LCD flat panel and projection products, allows our brand to offer a complete range of videowall technologies adaptable to the specific needs of each client.

What does Velvet bring?? Are you considering it an alternative to MicroTiles or are you targeting a totally new sector??

Advances in LED technology, in pixel distances and in prices, have made it a viable solution for indoor video walls. LED offers a high-brightness, separation-free visual experience, is solid state and has the capacity to operate at maximum efficiency 24×7. LED projection systems cannot provide the same pixel density as MicroTiles, but they are a fantastic solution in situations where the viewing distance is reasonable.

What other advantages does it present?? In the case of a mosaic display, Will it have been thought of facilitating the interconnection of the cubes and the absence of a bezel?, For example?

Christie Velvet allows you to create an attractive and uniform display, bezel-less, and with great flexibility in design. LEDs allow operation 24×7 reliably and with the energy efficiency that customers are looking for.

What messages do markets send you about the trends that collaborative environments would be setting??

Christie serves a wide range of markets such as cinema, the rental of scenic spaces, control rooms or display rooms, and, each of them, sends us your expectations.

The digital signage customer wants an affordable alternative to increase the effectiveness of the display and, in many cases, products like Christie Interactivity Kit can help you reach that goal. In the world of business or education what the client wants are more smaller meeting rooms, spaces in which to group together to collaborate with technological tools such as Christie Brio.

MicroTiles have changed the rules of the game but after the introduction of optimization devices such as JumpStart or Interactivity Kit, How far can you go now with MicroTiles??

Christie has not stopped investing in the MicroTiles platform. Over the five years since its launch we have addressed a wide variety of improvements that affect its performance., control and reliability. MicroTiles have become, de facto, in a building system in blocks of ultra high resolution canvases, and Christie is very proud of the success achieved and intends to complete the product line with new launches and improvements that will be, No doubt, exciting and that are already planned for the coming years.

Development, first from MicroTiles and now from flat LCD panels, open new markets to Christie?

Christie continues to grow year after year in new vertical and regional markets, and we have many examples of how important MicroTiles and flat LCD panels have been to the success of the brand.. In the field of digital signage, Christie MicroTiles are today the most recognized brand.

Is the demand in the foreign market increasing and, consequently, of the protection provided by Corning Gorilla Glass?

Commercial flat panels are usually located in public spaces where, if they are not adequately protected, may be harmed, or where the user is encouraged to zoom in and touch the screen to interact with the content. In these conditions it is highly recommended to have the protection layer of a glass, that can be directly attached to the flat screen to ensure better image quality or installed in front of the panel if we want a cheaper option.

Talking about flat LCD panels and Corning Gorilla Glass, How has the Multitouch videowall solution been received??

The reception has been very good. Christie wanted to offer a complete solution, that will combine in a single solution the best in displays, in touch technology and video processing.

Is the greater potential of these new display media contributing to the creation of more advanced content??

Projection media evolve at high speed and take advantage of the potential offered by new technologies. LED technology offers good contrast with minimal reflection, high brightness and a huge color space. Content creators are benefiting from those strengths.

What influence will the growing number of display platforms have on those media??

Christie's content management technologies integrate seamlessly with Velvet LED and that increases the potential for developing content and the way it is displayed.

Where does the projection product roadmap lead?? The principles of low maintenance and low consumption have been sufficiently demonstrated, but, Are there still technological obstacles to overcome??

We have room for growth in the coming years in aspects such as interactivity, high resolutions such as 4K or UHD, or in new technologies such as OLED or low pixel distance LED. As with any projection technology under development, the biggest challenges will be reliability and performance. The evolution of display technologies should be accompanied by a parallel progress of technologies focused on the design and distribution of content..

Does Christie aspire to lead and influence the market or is he content to respond to demand??

Christie is an industry leader and an innovative company that prides itself on being the first in a large number of systems and technologies.. With a wide range of display solutions such as MicroTiles, Christie remains firmly positioned at the forefront of the market.

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