Christie Integrated Media Block (IMB) Achieves DCI Compliance for 2K and 4K Content

Ready for the high frame rate (HFR) revolution with the ultimate in reliability and compatibility, Christie® announced that its new Integrated Media Block (IMB) has been validated as DCI-compliant by Aegisolve, one of only three entities in the world fully licensed for compliance testing by the Digital Cinema Initiatives, LLC (DCI).

The Christie® IMB is the first IMB to pass the DCI Compliance Test Plan (CTP) in a 4K DLP Cinema® projector, in both 2K and 4K modes of operation. It joins the DCI-compliant Christie Series 2 Solaria projectors, making this the world’s only, single-manufacturer DLP Cinema projector and IMB combination that meets the DCI specifications. As part of this testing process, the Christie IMB was also tested to the rigorous FIPS 140-2 security tests mandated by DCI in the CTP.

Building upon Christie’s expertise in D-Cinema technology, the Christie IMB has been designed by Christie engineers as a standalone IMB, meaning that everything it needs for control and content decryption/decoding is part of the IMB itself, and is the first such IMB to achieve DCI compliance. The only external hardware needed to operate the IMB is a compatible storage solution, which can range from a simple Network Attached Storage (NAS) or Direct Attached Storage (DAS) device all the way to a networked central storage system, depending on the needs of the exhibitor.

“With the largest share of the world’s digital cinema projection market, Christie offers exhibitors proven quality, reliability, and performance,” said Don Shaw, senior director, product management, Entertainment Solutions, Christie. “Having achieved full DCI-compliance on our IMB, Christie now offers a complete digital cinema solution that provides exhibitors the highest level of technical performance and value, producing the brightest and sharpest image and the most reliable HFR solution.”

"We are very pleased to confirm that the Christie IMB has passed all applicable CTP requirements for DCI compliance," said Travis Spann, President of Aegisolve, based in Mountain View, California. "As an accredited and trusted third party, we are committed to providing our customers with rigorous, unbiased and efficient testing processes."

The new Christie IMB provides the most reliable and secure digital cinema projection system design in the industry and unlocks the high frame rate and 4K potential in Christie Series 2 Solaria projectors. Manufactured by Christie and installed inside the projector, the single-brand digital cinema solution removes the limitations of proprietary external storage/decoding solutions connected to the projector via bandwidth-limited video cables. The Christie IMB allows HFR or 4K content to pass directly to the projector electronics, completely uncompromised and exactly reproducing the colour palette and stylistic intent of the content creator.

Christie’s Commitment to HFR

The two main goals of Christie’s HFR activities are to help the industry develop the best HFR content and the best delivery system for HFR content. The first goal involves assisting leading-edge filmmakers and post-production companies in perfecting HFR movie creation, so the industry has the most engaging, entertaining content possible. The second goal is to assist exhibitors in showing these 3D HFR movies in all their glory. To these ends, Christie is helping create the standards for 3D HFR movies through formal and informal technology-development alliances with major producers and directors, post production facilities, studios and technology partners. On the exhibitor’s front, Christie provides one stop shopping for all the hardware, software and services that enable exhibitors to deliver a filmmaker's vision in stunning 3D HFR quality. For more information visit http://www.higherframerates.com.