Hockey Hall of Fame replaced end-of-life projectors in two theatres with Christie units. The swap happened around operating hours and existing GS Series gear still running in the main exhibit zone.
Two theatres at the Hockey Hall of Fame needed replacement projectors before the old units failed mid-show. Audio Video Design specified the gear. Applied Electronics executed the swap. The work kept both the 120-seat and 125-seat rooms on their regular screening calendars without touching the existing screens or mounts. Daily operation leaves little margin. A single cancelled matinee ripples into lost ticket revenue and rescheduled school groups.
M 4K15 RGB laser projector installed in TSN Theatre - courtesy Christie
Placement and Existing Cable Paths The M 4K15 went into the TSN Theatre for family programming. The 4K860-iS went into the Tim Horton's Theatre for archival footage. Both rooms already carried mounts and conduit from the prior generation of projectors. Rodney Joffe ran throw-distance calculations with Christie before the units arrived. He confirmed an 18.4 m lens-to-screen distance and locked in the 1.2-1.5:1 zoom lens so the 4K image filled the frame without cropping or added black bars. Existing cable paths stayed in place. New runs were limited to the dedicated power feed and one HDMI 2.0 line per projector. The shorter pulls cut the number of junction points that could loosen over time.
Lens Shift and Mount Verification Technicians torqued the mount bolts to 12 Nm once final alignment was set. That value keeps the projector from creeping under the low-frequency vibration that travels through the building's steel truss during hockey events upstairs.
Blending With the GS Series Zone Three GS Series projectors already cover the larger World of Hockey exhibit floor. Color and brightness had to match when visitors walk between spaces. Joffe and the Christie team dialed the new units on site. They ran blending passes after 10 p.m. so the main floor remained open. The final color space values were logged in the rack notebook for the next service call. - Check lens shift range against the existing truss before ordering. - Pull one spare signal cable even when the old run tests clean. - Record final color space settings in the rack notebook.
Heat Dissipation Checks in Tight Projection Booths Laser projectors still require airflow verification in small rooms. Installers placed a handheld anemometer at the intake and exhaust grilles after the units reached operating temperature. Readings stayed above 85 CFM with the booth door closed, confirming the existing passive vents were adequate.
Commissioning Under Real Conditions Extended loops of actual film and reel content ran for four hours before sign-off. Internal sensor logs showed projector temperatures holding below 42 °C. Mike Dalton credited the on-site collaboration for keeping the first month of continuous operation stable.
Practical Takeaway The bill of materials stayed close to the original estimate because mounts and most cabling were reused. Labor hours concentrated on alignment, color matching, and the airflow verification rather than new infrastructure work. The next retrofit of this type should reserve an extra half-day after reopening to re-check blending once the room returns to its normal schedule and ambient temperature.
