Better known for its high-end digital projection systems, Christie has launched its MicroTiles digital display units which can be stacked like building blocks to create a visual display wall virtually anywhere there is power. The modular MicroTiles can be used to create an almost seamless digital canvas in almost any size or shape using an entirely new, advanced optical design that produces advanced levels of brightness, contrast and color reproduction.
The Christie MicroTiles can be joined with only a 1mm gap between each unit, which represents a major step forward in large-format digital display technology. The LED- and DLP-based system is designed for long, reliable commercial use in public areas, with no lamps or other consumable parts to replace. The key component is an LED light engine, rated at 65,000 hours to half brightness usage, or nearly 7.5 years of continuous operation.
Screen sizes are 16 inches (408mm) wide x 12 inches (306mm) high, and the tiles also feature a shallow depth of only 10 inches (260mm) and require just 2 inches (50mm) of minimal clearance for rear ventilation making them extremely versatile.
Self-awareness
No more reaching around the back of a unit and risking electrocution to make adjustments - Christie engineers have designed the MicroTiles to be fully and easily serviced from the front. In-built sensors automatically keep the tiles “self-aware” – which does away with time-consuming and costly color calibration needed to keep conventional “video walls” looking uniform.
While the engineering behind the display tiles is sophisticated, walls of tiles are controlled by a single unit that processes the signal from the most popular digital signage and media players.
Christie says it has had its new tiles in R&D for two years and claims technology and visual design experts who’ve seen sneak previews this year have described the system as “one of the wonders of the world in displays.”
“MicroTiles represent a distinct revolution in display technology that allows users to create their own digital canvas or digital wallpaper,” said Bob Rushby, the co-inventor and chief technology officer at Christie. “With MicroTiles, users can express their creativity and vision, and assemble the displays in ways that have previously been unattainable using current flat panel LCD, plasma or LED walls.”
“Assemble the tiles any way you like, take them apart and re-assemble them in a new configuration, and they ‘recognize’ each other every time and adjust the image automatically,” Rushby added. “Our partners are discovering new ways of using digital display that would have been impossible or impractical before MicroTiles.”
“Christie MicroTiles open up a whole new world of possibilities for the various display markets,” Rushby added. “They offer an innovative, visually striking digital solution to deliver messages and make them memorable.”
Watch the video to see how compact the units are and find out more about the engineering behind the product.
The MicroTiles will be on display in the U.S. at IAAPA/G2, November 17-20 in Las Vegas, I/ITSEC, November 30-December 3 in Orlando, and the Christie MicroTiles Product Showcase, December 9 in New York City. They will be launched in Europe at ISE, February 2-4, 2010, and in Asia in the first quarter of 2010.
