Christie Digital Systems is a global audiovisual, content management, and image processing technologies company offering a complete range of high-quality AV solutions for business, education, and the entertainment industry. They have been serving the industry for the last 91 years and have a significant presence in North and South America Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Asia Pacific countries. Rishubh Nayar is the Director for Christie Digital Systems (India). He undertakes the important role of promoting Christie’s advanced visual solutions to numerous clients and business partners throughout India and South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) nations. In a conversation with CXO Outlook, Rishubh talks about home cinema trends, how is Christie Digital helping consumers during this pandemic, upcoming technologies in this sector and many more.
Streaming and web video consumption is booming due to the pandemic. Is the home-cinema going to be a trend as consumers are still reluctant to visit the cinema hall?
As all of us are aware, the Cinema industry is one of the most impacted sectors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the industry is currently facing a challenging period, I am confident that it will bounce back eventually, as nothing can replicate the experience of watching a movie on a large screen in a cinema, and it is also one of the most affordable forms of entertainment for the masses. Having said that, OTT media services are enjoying a good run as more people are staying at home due to the current pandemic. But the Cinema experience and OTT are two different mediums, each having its own targeted format and consumer consumption patterns. Going forward, I anticipate that both OTT and Cinemas will continue to co-exist side-by-side as people eventually return to the movie theatres.
As a global visual, audio and collaboration solutions company, how is Christie Digital helping consumers during this pandemic?
Christie continues to actively engage and support our partners, distributors and customers during this pandemic. In fact, we are doing much more to help them during these trying times. From complete monitoring solutions ideal for Control Rooms to the recently launched Christie® CounterAct™ with patented Care222® lamps (that emit far-UVC 222nm light that’s shown to significantly reduce surface pathogens in occupied and unoccupied indoor spaces and the only far-UVC germicidal technology that may also be used around people), these are exemplary examples of how Christie is doing its part to fight the pandemic and restore people’s confidence in returning to the places they love. Apart from our product lines, we are also supporting our partners and resellers with easier terms to accomplish their sales to end-users.
What are the business challenges that you Christie Digital faced in 2020 and how you have overcome it?
It has been a challenging business environment for us due to the closure of cinemas and entertainment venues, but we have embraced the new normal and refocused our efforts in capturing other market segments that are unaffected by COVID-19. We have, in the interim, launched new products targeted at a wide range of vertical markets and catered to the changing demands of our customers. These include the feature-rich and budget-friendly Christie Access II Series LCD panels, high-value and affordable Christie Velvet Core Series LED video walls, and the award-winning Christie Griffyn 4K32-RGB pure laser projector ideal for demanding large venue applications.
Do you think many people will fall out of the habit after a year or two of not going out to the movies? How is it going to help companies like Christie Digital that are providing home cinema solutions?
As mentioned earlier, we do not anticipate people abandoning the habit of watching movies in cinemas, as it is an affordable and highly engaging form of entertainment for people of all ages. At Christie, we will continue to innovate in this segment with our comprehensive range of RGB pure laser projection solutions featuring Christie Real|Laser™ illumination technology that exceeds DCI standards to bring a crisp, unmatched image to the screen. As for home entertainment, we have a wide selection of projection solutions, such as the high-performance Christie 4K7-HS and 4K10-HS laser projectors suitable for home theatres, as well as large format displays and direct-lit LED solutions that can be deployed for similar applications.
What are the unique products and services Christie Digital offering to the home cinema viewers? How does the company intend to stand out from the crowd?
Christie has its roots firmly in Cinema, and we have worked with cinema technology for the past 70 years. I am proud to say that Cinema has always been in Christie’s DNA, and we intend to utilize our strengths in the Home Cinema segment as well. As mentioned above, we have the cost-effective and high-performance Christie 4K7-HS, and Christie 4K10-HS laser projectors that are perfect for Home Cinema use. What makes these projectors outperform the competition is the enhanced colour performance, thanks to our proprietary Christie BoldColor Technology. Colours appear natural, and with the added fidelity of 4K UHD resolution, visuals are lifelike and clearer than ever. In addition, we have a wide range of solutions that can be utilized for home entertainment. They include large format displays such as Christie Access II Series flat panels, and MicroTiles LED featuring powerful processing including 12-bit input sources, 4K@120Hz and HDR10 compatibility combined with high-brightness and cinema-quality colour for brilliant, true-to-life detail.
As India is opening-up post lockdown, what is Christie Digital’s strategy to the new normal for doing business?
We will continue to offer new products that are catered to the needs of our customers, and implement new ways of engaging, training and supporting our partners, distributors and customers through online webinars, virtual meetings, ‘live’ product demos, and so on. As well, we have come up with easier terms for our partners and resellers, so as help them to accomplish their sales to customers.
What are the new technologies that you see will be of focus in 2021?
Christie will continue to elevate visual technologies to new heights by introducing leading-edge solutions that not only meet the needs of the market but also make a difference to our customers and end-users. In terms of LED technology, we will see displays with narrower pixel pitches that offer an unparalleled visual experience, and bezel-less displays that can create seamless video walls. We will also leverage our leadership in RGB pure laser projection technology, and to continue pushing the boundaries of colour reproduction, brightness, image uniformity, and operational lifetime. Another area that we will be focusing on is Software Defined Video over Ethernet (SDVoE), which will serve the ProAV industry into the future with a standardized platform that provides an affordable solution enabling the networked delivery and processing of zero-frame latency, artefact-free video content over IP networks for an uncompromised visual experience.
About Rishubh Nayar
Rishubh Nayar has over 12 years of professional experience in the areas of account management, market and channel development, business analysis and sales. Under his astute business acumen and hard work, Christie has attained market leadership for high-brightness projection and display solutions in India, with many of its products showcased in high profile events and installations across major corporates and PSUs in India.
In December 2019, Rishubh was chosen for the inaugural “40 Under 40” listing by renowned ProAV trade publication InAVate APAC, which celebrates the contributions of committed and talented individuals from the AV industry who are aged below 40. Rishubh is a postgraduate in Management Studies from the Alliance Business School in Bangalore.