
CHRISTIE ANNOUNCES RECORD
YEAR IN DIGITAL CINEMA
December 20, 2007
Source: Christie
Christie,
a global leader in Digital Cinema, announced record sales
of its DLP Cinema(r) projection systems worldwide for 2007,
outpacing the entire field of competition to take a commanding
80% control of the market, a nearly 20% increase over the
previous year. Christie surpassed original industry expectations,
setting a strong pace of installation that has culminated
in more than 4,400 digital screens to date across North and
South America, Europe, South Africa, Australia and Asia.
Due to the groundbreaking work of Access
Integrated Technologies, Inc. ("AccessIT") (NASDAQ:
AIXD), which launched the world's first and largest deployment
program for Digital Cinema, Christie is presenting digital
feature films in 85% of North American installations. In addition,
Christie posted record sales of its Digital Cinema projectors
for large-scale 3D deployments across the U.S. teaming with
REAL D on installation agreements with AMC Entertainment,
Inc. (AMC), Cinemark (NYSE: CNK) and Cineplex Entertainment
(TSE: CGX.UN) for the opening of the animated feature, Columbia
Pictures' "Monster House".
Christie's Digital Cinema successes are
marked by historic wins with some of the biggest players in
the industry worldwide, including:
- Exclusive provider for Regal Entertainment
Group (NYSE: RGC), Eastvale Gateway Stadium 14 the
first all-digital Regal site in California.
- Exclusive provider for the Cineplex Entertainment
(TSE: CGX.UN) SilverCity Oakville Cinemas the first
of its kind and largest Digital Cinema theater complex in
Canada with DLP Cinema, a Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) projection
technology.
- Exclusive agreement to digitize 100% of
Circuit George Raymond ("CGR Cinemas"), France's
largest cinema chain with 400 screens, as part of CGR Cinémas
exclusive Virtual Print Fee (VPF) based agreement with Arts
Alliance Media ("AAM"), Europe's leading provider
of digital distribution services. CGR Cinémas will
be the first European exhibitor to convert completely to Digital
Cinema exhibition.
- Commitment with Russian distributor Nashe
Kino in partnership with Nevafilm Digital Labs to deliver
all future movies in digital format. Christie is the largest
Digital Cinema projection provider in the country.
- Exclusive Digital Cinema sponsor for the
Toronto International Film Festival and the Manhattan Short
Film Festival; the single Digital Cinema provider for XDC,
the official Digital Cinema partner of the 2007 Cannes Film
Festival.
Christie's success comes just over two and
a half years after introducing the groundbreaking Christie/AIX
funding plan, which many analysts credit with jump-starting
the large-scale deployment of Digital Cinema and revolutionizing
the industry. The innovative Virtual Print Fee (VPF) formula
won the backing of the major Hollywood studios and was quickly
adopted as the industry standard, serving as the prototype
for all new deployment agreements. Today, large national chains
and major regional exhibitors are benefiting from the operational
efficiencies of Digital Cinema and are reaching new audiences
with alternative content programming opportunities and stunning
picture quality. Christie remains committed to supporting
existing and emerging customers in this new era of entertainment.
Christie's Entertainment Solutions Business
Unit (ESBU) is responsible for the DCI Compliant system design
blueprint for the 3,750 fully networked Digital Cinema systems
deployed in the USA and financed by Access Integrated Technologies,
Inc. ("AccessIT") (NASDAQ: AIXD). These systems
incorporated Christie's state-of-the-art CP2000 series of
DLP Cinema projectors, Doremi's DCP2000 Digital Cinema server
and AccessIT's Theatre Command Center(r) software, all of
which were thoroughly tested in Christie's Digital Cinema
software and hardware regression testing laboratory in Cypress,
California.
"Christie is the only DLP Cinema projection
manufacturer to enter the market with more than 75 years of
innovation and a long-established commitment to exhibitors,"
noted Jack Kline, president and COO, Christie Digital Systems
USA, Inc. "Our unrivaled experience is a major factor
in our success, helping us secure exclusive deals with exhibitors,
distributors, movie studios, and technology providers to install
the next generation of entertainment in theaters worldwide.
As they transition to digital, exhibitors know that the show
must go on, and to ensure the systems run at optimum levels,
they are going with a proven winner."
Christie's Managed Services group, the largest
cinema technical organization in the world, is supporting
more than 8,000 screens at over 585 sites across the U.S.
and Canada. Exhibitors are contracting for the company's managed
services solutions in record number, citing Christie's three-quarter
century of innovation and proven reliability more than
any other DLP Cinema projector manufacturer as a prime
factor in their decision. The service features over 150 network
operations center personnel, service and field application
engineers, covering all manufacturers' film and digital projectors,
networking and support technologies.
Kline observed that Christie has expanded
its manufacturing facilities to become a state-of-the-art
worldwide center of excellence, helping the company maintain
and extend its formidable lead. Christie has also significantly
increased its technical staff, expanded its managed services
personnel, streamlined internal processes, and strengthened
its quality control to ensure a standard of quality and reliability
that is unsurpassed in the industry.
The renowned Christie CP2000 series projectors
are installed in more than 4,400 systems worldwide and have
launched major digital movie premieres including Lucasfilm's
"Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith",
Disney/Pixar animated feature "Cars", Walt Disney
Pictures'/Jerry Bruckheimer Films' "Pirates of the Caribbean",
and most recently Paramount Pictures/Robert Zemeckis' "Beowulf"
in 3D Digital Cinema.
Christie was the first exclusive licensee
of Texas Instruments' (NYSE: TXN) DLP Cinema technology. Its
projectors ensure perfect reproduction of movies, time and
time again, as well as a vivid, 2K-resolution picture quality
that delivers contrast and unparalleled vibrant colors.
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