Christie Digital swaps DLP light source, removes color wheel

A major component of many new HD newscasts — both on the local and national level — frequently is a new set designed to take advantage of the higher resolution and wider aspect ratio of HDTV.

Another is a redesigned and rebuilt production control room, oftentimes including a multiviewer to drive production monitoring walls.

At last month’s NAB Show, Christie Digital introduced new rear-projection DLP technology some broadcasters may wish to consider for both applications. The company rolled out a rear-projection DLP video wall display that removes the spinning color wheel and mercury lamps from the projector and replaces them with high-brightness LEDs.

Available in SXGA+ (1400 x 1050) and WUSGA (1920 x 1200), the new rear-projection units reduce maintenance demands when compared to traditional designs because the LED light source is rated at 50,000 hours of life.

“HD Technology Update” spoke with Jim Gavloski, Christie Digital director of product management for control rooms and video walls, at the company’s booth on the closing day of the trade show about the new displays.

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Phil Kurz

Phil Kurz is a contributing editor to TV Tech. He has written about TV and video technology for more than 30 years and served as editor of three leading industry magazines. He earned a Bachelor of Journalism and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.