Go Back Print Page

Christie Adds Visual Splendor To The Columbus Blue Jackets Opener And The 81st National FFA

CYPRESS, CA - (January 12, 2009) - New Christie dealer Bartha Audio Visual (Columbus, Ohio) selected the Christie Roadster HD18K 3-chip DLP® projector for the Columbus Blue Jackets NHL home opener and the 81st National FFA (Future Farmers of America) Convention.

On October 17th, the Blue Jackets took to the ice at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Four Christie Roadster HD18K projectors were rigged vertically, approximately 72 ft. in the air.  The four-image blend was able to create a single image on the ice.

From October 21st – 25th, the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis hosted the 81st National FFA Convention.  Four Christie Roadster HD18K projectors were rigged for a 20 ft. x 85 ft. front screen blend with a slight curve on the ends. 

Projectors at each venue were controlled wirelessly via a laptop and had the option of hardwire control.  Bartha Audio Visual’s Jason Fritz was pleased with the Christie Roadster HD18K’s ability to deliver clear and crisp images .  “For each event, image quality was excellent,” he says.  “With all the warping and masking done inside the projectors, it was impressive to see no degradation in the image.”

The Christie Roadster HD18K 3-chip DLP projector offers perfect color saturation and spectacular video.  It boasts a 1600-2000:1 contrast ratio, enabling enhanced image detail, with blacker blacks and whiter whites.  True 10-bit image processing offers high-bandwidth signal processing.

The Christie HD18K sports a Xenon bubble lamp system that provides repeatability of photo-realistic colors and the ability to accurately color-match images.  High-quality lenses designed for increased image sharpness and manual contrast adjustment provide impeccable image control.  Additional features include: built-in edge-blending, two HD input channels that allow 4:4:4 signals, digital dark level adjustment, an Intelligent Lens System on zoom and focus and DMX 512 communication capabilities.

According to Bartha Audio Visual’s Nick Wears, the wireless capability of the Christie HD18K projectors allow an event to flow smoothly and deliver the highest visual impact.  “The Christie projectors are easy to set-up and they can go wherever you need to be at the time to deliver stunning images and effects.  Furthermore, the ability to generate alignment patterns at the same time really makes load-in and tweak time that much faster and easier for the technician.” 

Wears also found that the masking feature worked well around the curve of the ice and that the Christie Twist ™ software delivered the necessary, finishing touches. “The masking feature really gave the video an exact match to the structure of the boards and the warping function made it much more convenient to dial in the blend region, given the fact that the projectors were around 70 ft. in the air for the Blue Jackets and 30 ft. for the FFA.”

“We’re thrilled to be supplying Christie projectors to our customers.  Their image quality meets all of our expectations, the operational costs are quite attractive and enhanced features like Twist software allow us to meet unique challenges like projecting onto curved surfaces,” remarks Bartha’s Dan Bashore.

About Bartha

Bartha Audio Visual was founded in 1946 as a manufacturer’s representative, supplier and installer of audiovisual equipment and systems to schools, churches and governmental agencies. Today, with a full-time staff of 44 event professionals and a regular cadre of talented contractor/partners, Bartha Audio Visual is a nationally recognized provider of Event Production and Staging Services.  While every event is unique in terms of size, style and venue the services that Bartha provides include:  theme, graphic and style development; logo design; stage set design and fabrication; content development; media production; presentation graphic design and production; lighting design; audio design; single, multiple and blended screen projection; breakout meeting support; presentation scripting; teleprompters; venue and local labor coordination; special effects and pyrotechnics.  All of these are delivered on site by our experienced technical and production staff – talented people with years of event production experience.

About Christie

Christie, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio, Inc., Japan (JP:6925), is a leader in visual solutions for world-class organizations, offering diverse applications for business, entertainment and industry.  A leading innovator in film projection since 1929 and a pioneer in digital projection systems since 1979, Christie has established a global reputation as a total service provider and the world’s single source manufacturer of a variety of display technologies and solutions.  With the acquisition of Vista Control Systems Corp., Christie offers the most complete and advanced solutions for cinema, live venues, control rooms, business presentations, training facilities, 3D and Virtual Reality, simulation and education as well as industrial and government environments.