The Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie (city of science and industry) in Paris, the biggest science museum in Europe, has swapped its current video projectors for a Sony 4K laser projection system.
The aim was to take the immersive experience within the planetarium to the next level with a higher resolution, better contrast and optimal brightness solution.
For more than 30 years, the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie has allowed visitors to experience ‘intense realism’ thanks to its Planetarium, which features immersive films and 360° shows.
“In order to offer our visitors even greater experiences, we have to regularly scrutinise our technological approach,” said Fodil Yazid, technical manager at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie. “By getting equipment capable of broadcasting 8K resolution, the Planetarium at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie has become the first place of its kind in the whole of Europe to push the bar this high. As well as choosing Sony for the technology, we also had to surround ourselves with strong partners to achieve our ambition. We therefore chose to team up with RSA Cosmos, a planetarium specialist, and Vidélio, a video integrator with a thorough understanding of issues specific to the world of shows.”
As well as the need for the Planetarium to continually modernise its facilities, high expectations were identified regarding the need to increase the uniformity of the light and colours.
Sony suggested a device comprising 10 VPL-GTZ280 4K projectors which when combined, are able to produce a single image in 8K resolution. These projectors, assisted by 20 computers, are able to project an image made up of approximately 35,000,000 pixels, which is more than 17 times more detailed than the HD screens found in the vast majority of today’s televisions.
“We are particularly proud to be able to work with a place as iconic as the Planetarium of the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie,” said Philippe Remion, sales manager at Sony PSE. “In effect it will take the most powerful solution currently available on the market to push the realism of the images as far as possible and enrich visitors’ emotional experiences.”
The Planetarium at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie has become the first 8K planetarium in Europe and the second in the world. With its 600sqm dome, it is the largest in the world to feature such a high resolution.
