Last night, I had a chance to travel to New York for a demonstration party of Christie’s new Microtiles. I have to say, I really like this product. It is inspired on three fronts; the engineering of the microtile; the attention to system integration detail and the creative juices this will unleash with system integrators and creative types.

Chris Chinnock
Senior Analyst and Editor
for Insight Media

We have already reported on the specification of the Microtiles in Large Display Report, but let me repeat the highlights here. First, they are 20-inch "cubes" that can be assembled in any arbitrary shape with a very small 1mm mullion between cubes. Each engine has an SVGA DLP engine powered by RGB Luminus LEDs. You can’t see the pixels - even up close. The current and light output of each LED is measured as a function of temperature, with these parameters stored for reference. In operation, a light sensor detects the red, green and blue light and determines if output is changing. But to achieve uniform brightness and colorimetry over the whole array of microtiles, a communication protocol is set up between connected microtiles. This determines the weakest setting for red, green and blue in the assembled array, then sets the entire array to this lowest common denominator. This is not as bad as it sounds when you use LEDs. In effect, this goes a long way toward creating a video array that is uniform and color correct at all times. Remove one microtile and replace it with another - the system will interrogate this new member and adjust the entire array to produce uniform images. And, if there are any geometric distortions in the lens or mechanical system, these are measured during manufacture and compensated for in the video stream. This approach will create some serious competition for the camera-based geometry and color-correction systems. For me, this is inspired engineering.

The second inspiring feature of the Microtile is the ability to assemble them in any number of shapes and sizes. "Why do displays have to be retangular?" asked Christie’s Bob Rushby, co-inventor of the technology. He then told the assembled crowd how he and Mike Perkins came up with the concept several years ago while in a Japanese bar. Sometimes it is ok to allow the engineers let their hair down.

To showcase that displays don’t have to be rectangular, the event highlighted a number of innovative applications including:

• o A 37-megapixel, 130 sq. ft video wall driven by four PCs with an IR interactive capability (a six-year old girl was quite amused with this system)
• o A ceiling mounted display in an irregular shape that provided video content and room illumination
• o A "16 sheet" video display, the same size and shape of a common signage poster size
• o A "BigO" display that featured an open area surrounded by microtiles with a laser-based interactive capability aimed at retailing environments.



• o Microtiles mounted on a 30-degree angle for use on an escalator so the content can flow with the viewer.
• o A "skyscraper" design showing how an innovative kiosk can be created to show off the attractions of New York, for example.
• o Column displays are simple vertical stacks that act as high aspect ratio signage.

Microtile are video Lego blocks that can be transformed into all kinds of unique and creative shapes and uses. Christie has created a technology pallet for creative people to do their magic. And I believe this is exactly what will happen. This is an inspirational product for this community.

Want more? Christie even has an on-line Microtile designer tool that lets you create your vision, then spits out the microtiles you need, connectors, power, weight - everything to quickly design and quote the system. And, the system will work with a number of content players from C-nario, Float 4, Scala and Signage Live. This is a system integrator’s dream - thus, the third inspiring feature.

Did I say I like this product yet? The only issue that has surfaced so far is the relatively high cost - $3,800 per microtile. And for conventional videowall applications this will be expensive, which is why system integrators will push the creative boundaries to find innovative uses that can’t be done with conventional displays. As one integrator put it, "these will then look cheap."

Christie thinks they are on to something with this product. I agree.