International. Pure RGB Christie laser projectors are illuminating the newly renovated Infinity Dome cinema at the TELUS Spark Science Centre in Calgary, Alberta. The dome is three stories high and 21 meters wide, making it one of the largest domes in Western Canada and one of the brightest in North America.
It is equipped with eight Christie Griffyn™ 4K32-RGB pure laser projectors that offer 272,000 lumens. RSA Cosmos – Konica Minolta, a world leader in digital planetariums, in partnership with Solotech, a world leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology, installed the new digital system.
The extensive refurbishment of the cinema included the addition of reclining seats, an elevated stage and new carpet, as well as a new audiovisual system. The selection and installation of a new projection system required close collaboration between Solotech, RSA Cosmos – Konica Minolta, the Spark team and consultants Bill Peters and Ian McLennan to ensure the best solution for the project.
Bahar Gumus, Sales Manager of RSA Cosmos – Konica Minolta, said: "Our teams worked together to understand the needs of the project, suggest high-quality solutions, install a state-of-the-art digital system and provide the necessary training to planetarium operators and technical teams."
"The science center had very specific technical specifications, including the brightness and resolution of the system," says Philippe Giron, account manager at Solotech. To select the projectors that best suited the dome, Solotech organized a duel between high-brightness models, including two Griffyn 4K32-RGB projectors in blending.
"The planetarium team was looking for a digital projection system capable of providing very high levels of brightness, vivid colors and quiet operation," adds Gumus. "Christie Griffyn 4K32-RGB was the only projector that fully responded to these requirements thanks to the high brightness levels of 34,000 lumens per projector and the very wide color gamut achieved with RGB laser technology." The installation included RSA Cosmos' SkyExplorer planetarium software – Konica Minolta, to deliver breathtaking journeys through the Universe in real time, along with fun and interactive modules that open the dome to new content beyond astronomy.
The Griffyn 4K32-RGB projector achieves more than 96% of the Rec.2020 color gamut to produce bright, realistic images, and runs quietly, at less than 46 dBA with full brightness, to keep the focus on the content, not the projector.
Solotech created a 3D dark spot view to visualize every detail of the planetarium, allowing teams to plan the installation and location of the projectors. Given the shape of the dome, installing the projector brackets was a challenge. "The way the dome is made, there is only a small gap between the bottom of it and the stage under the seats. We had to place the projector in this space and orient them precisely." As a result, Solotech created custom-made brackets to exactly fit the projectors inside the dome.
With the projection system successfully installed, the dome now delivers the brightest on-screen image of any planetarium in North America, with 272,000 lumens illuminating the huge screen in 8K resolution. "When you're in the dome and you see eight perfectly calibrated 34,000 lumen projectors working together, it's mind-blowing," says Giron. "Everyone involved is very happy with the results."
