In a new video, post-production specialist, Quantel, has been producing systems at the forefront of technology for more than 30 years. Based in Newbury, Berkshire, UK, the company’s cinema has existed as a research and demonstration facility for half of that time, providing a facility to develop, test and demonstrate its capability to produce world-leading content creation systems for broadcast, post production and Digital Intermediate (DI).
Historically, Quantel used film, often in short test loops, but started using dual projectors to develop and display DI and 3D technology prior to the recent rebuild. The virtual doubling in size of the cinema provided an opportunity to invest in more modern projection for both 2D and 3D — with a further option to upgrade to 4K, according to David Throup, R&D Group Leader at Quantel.
As their digital cinema projector of choice they have opted for a Christie CP4220 DLP Cinema device, supplied by cinema specialists, Sound Associates. “In the end the decision came down to Christie’s reputation for quality, and the upgrade path of the projector — which made perfect sense to us,’ says Throup.
“Frame rates and sizes continue to grow and so we are always pushing the boundaries of what is possible,’ he says. “The CP4220 is the first Christie projector we have owned although we have used them at trade shows over the years, and it fits the bill for upgradable technology.’
In fact Quantel has already fully utilised the Christie upgrade capability to operate on the 4K platform. “And soon we will be looking for the next step in performance,’ Throup adds.
