A Christie RGB pure laser cinema projector is powering immersive high-brightness movie screenings at The Rheged Centre in Penrith, located in the Northern Gateway to the English Lake District. The unique multipurpose destination in Cumbria – which features a two-screen cinema, destination art gallery, meeting rooms, independent shops, and a 100-seat café – welcomes over 400,000 visitors a year, and is one of the largest grass-covered buildings in Europe.
Christie partner CinemaNext upgraded Rheged’s main screen to a Christie CP4455-RGB pure laser cinema projector, which is the model’s first installation in the UK. It replaces an ageing lamp-based model.
“We are delighted with both the incredible image quality from the Christie projector and the customer service we have received from CinemaNext,” said Claire Logan-Stephens, head of programming at Rheged. “Replacing our 17-year-old projector with the latest Christie 4K RGB pure laser projector will save on lamp costs as well as £5,800 ($7,200 US) in energy costs and £2,700 ($3,300 US) in annual maintenance costs.”
Rheged approached CinemaNext seeking a more environmentally friendly projection option with reduced running costs, as well as “stunning image reproduction and a high level of brightness” to provide a superior cinema experience on the large 18.3m(60ft) wide screen. Following a site visit to discuss the options with the technical team, it was decided that the CP4455-RGB pure laser projector met all requirements, with its laser light engine (12.4 lumens per watt) capable of producing up to 57,000 lumens with more than 50,000 hours of stable DCI brightness.
The CinemaNext team was able to integrate the projector into the 260-seat auditorium with the existing surround sound and automation system, with senior engineer Richard Rhodes praising it as the best 4K image he had seen. Built on the CineLife+ platform, the DCI-compliant CP4455-RGB pure laser projector delivers artefact-free 4K images in 2D and 3D, and features Real|Laser technology. The cinema re-opened on July 19 with screenings of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One’, ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’.
