*U.S. giant buys Electrohome division

Christie Inc., one of the largest designers and manufacturers of film projection equipment, has completed a deal to purchase Kitchener, Ont.-based Electrohome’s Projection Systems division.

Electrohome Projection Systems, with over 20,000 projectors installed in more than 40 countries worldwide, specializes in large-screen video, data and graphic solutions.

Under the agreement, Christie, based out of Cypress, Calif., will retain all staff of the division and maintain the manufacturing facilities, and engineering and administrative offices in Kitchener.

Electrohome will maintain controlling interests in Robotel Electronique, the Fakespace Group of Companies, Pyramid Systems and an equity position in Immersion Studios.

*Matrox set to ship new editing platform

Dorval, Que.-based Matrox Video Products is set to begin marketing its new realtime editing platform for digital tv. The DigiSuite dtv, which operates on the Windows nt platform, supports various formats of digital video including multi-format DV, DV50 and variable bit rate MPEG-2 4:2:2 I-frame editing.

Matrox will begin shipping the DigiSuite dtv in late 1999 bundled with Adobe Premiere rt realtime editing software, Inscriber cg titling and Boris Effects 3D dvd. The full package will be priced at us$5,995 ($8,925).

The company has also unveiled its Flex 3D realtime mix/effects architecture, which is said to provide a full range of broadcast-quality 3D digital video effects. The Flex 3D will come integrated with the company’s RT2000, but only as an optional dve card on the DigiSuite dtv.

*Grass Valley releasing new Production Center

Grass Valley Group, formerly Tektronix, has released a new, more automated line of production centre equipment with its eye on the dawn of hdtv.

The Grass Valley Kalypso Video Production Center is said to offer better switching and mix/effects (m/e) capabilities with a higher level of operational automation than its predecessor. The new Kalypso can also be upgraded to handle high-definition.

Because the Kalypso can supply eight m/e banks and 80 inputs, it is touted as a leader for broadcasting such graphics- and replay-intensive sporting events as football and hockey. In fact, one of the product’s most high-profile users is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based NEP Supereshooters, which supplies mobile units to cbs, Fox and espn for their nfl broadcasts.

The four m/e channel version will come on market in November at a cost of us$215,000 ($320,000).

*Alias|Wavefront, WAM!NET sign pact

Toronto’s Alias|Wavefront and wam!net of Eagan, Minnesota, have announced an agreement that will allow animators the option of farming out their rendering processes.

The co-marketing and joint sales pact will allow Alias|Wavefront customers using the company’s Maya software to off-load projects to wam!net’s network. Alias|Wavefront president Warren Pratt says the agreement will provide Maya animators with ‘powerful and cost-effective off-site rendering services.’

wam!net is a digital networking service that provides businesses with a high-speed data transportation network, plus a range of services such as online archiving and work-flow application software.

*TOYBOX lambadas with talking baby in Brazil

TOYBOX, the visual effects division of Command Post and Transfer, has extended its reach into the Brazilian commercial market.

The Toronto-based animation and effects shop completed a series of commercials for Brazil’s Telesp Cellular which focus on a talking baby named Mateus. The spots, produced by Sao Paulo-based Joao Daniel Filmes (jodaf), promote Telesp’s new ‘Baby’ cellular phone.

It was the job of toybox Inferno artist Michael Hatton and visual effects supervisor John Watson to give the baby the appearance of speaking.

*Sony digital TV picked up by Winnipeg station

Sony Canada continues making inroads in the sale of its Betacam sx digital platform. Winnipeg’s cky-tv, a ctv affiliate, is the latest station to choose Sony as its digital partner.

Like many networks and independent stations across the country, cky is preparing for the coming of the digital tv era. The station will enhance its on-air and production capabilities enabling it to broadcast high-definition images; it will also use such advances as mpeg compression.