All Products Filed in Projectors and Screens

Friday, February 03, 2012

Runco has established its top level, 73d projector as arguably one best performing 3D projectors in the entire residential market. The company's latest projector, the newly announced LS-12d maintains many of the 73d's performance characteristics, but at price levels that are considerably lower than its flagship product.

The LS-12d is an active-shutter, three-chip DLP projector that Runco says can be used situations in which homeowners want a high-performance projector that aesthetically doesn't detract from their home's interior design. To ensure the projector's visual compatibility with today's modern home designs, Runco dresses the projector with its LightStyle industrial design and backs it with its FinishPalette color program that allows consumers a full choice of exterior color choices.

Runco ships the LS-12d projector with is 2U outboard DC-300 controller unit, which provides authorized installers with a convenient means to setup and calibrate the projector, and three pairs of active-shutter 3D glasses.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

With 2011 in the record books it's interesting that the zest for 3D isn't quite as high as it was about a year ago, but that doesn't mean that 3D is going away.

Over the past few months an increasing number of manufacturers have started to support the format by introducing new products that deliver 3D at more reasonable price points. Sharp has been a leader in the movement to bring mainstream consumers options in affordable 3D projection products and the company's latest product the XV-30000 front projector continues the company's emphasis on real big-screen 3D at reasonable price points. The XV-30000 is a DLP-based projector that is said to produce contrast ratios as high as 50,000:1 and brightness levels up to 1,600 ANSI lumens. Facilitating its custom installation capabilities are its center lens shift and vertical and horizontal shift functions. The unit also incorporates provisions for AMX, Control4, Crestron, RS-232C and LAN network control, as well as a resize option (V-stretch) that is designed to support CinemaScope (2.39:1) content in the correct aspect ratio.

In addition, the projector comes with two sets of active 3D glasses, companion IR emitter, IR connection cables and two HDMI inputs.

Monday, December 05, 2011

The Cerritos, California-based video company Elite Screen has developed a reputation as a value-minded manufacturer of projection screens that offers a product for just about any application.

Elite's latest product is the PowerMax electric roll-up screen and the company says the screen is designed to provide homeowners with an elegant solution that blends into a variety of home decors. The affordable screen solution is available in a choice of sizes that range from 90 inches to 165 inches, and Elite offers the roll-up in in a choice of either 16:9 (1.78:1) or 4:3 (1.33:1) aspect ratios. Elite incorporates a 1.1 matte white gain screen that's backed with fiberglass or offered with a tensioned material. In addition, other standard features include a 14 RPM tubular motor with a 4.4-pound lift capacity, standard power connections and an inline up/stop/down toggle switch.

The Power Max is also designed to install quickly with a set of sliding wall brackets, and Elite offers an IR/RF with 12-volt trigger control package to further enhance the custom installation applications of the product.

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Most people's idea of power protection are those $10 plastic power strips that are sold throughout mass-market box-box stores across the country. Very few realize that those inexpensive power strips provide a limited shelf life of protection and once that protection goes their plugged in electronics are susceptible to the dangers of power surges.

Eaton Corporation's 3S line of battery backup products offer small office and home office (SOHO) users, as well as standard homeowners a choice of either a 550VA or 750VA products that are designed to protect their electronics, while also providing battery backup insurances.

The 750VA battery backup unit incorporate the company's EcoControl power outlets, which Eaton says help users to cut as much as 30 percent of their energy consumption, and both units feature Eaton's Power Protector software, which is engineered to protect plugged in devices from any power disturbances. In the event of a power failure the battery backups provide as much as 45 minutes of backup power to allow users to safely power down their computers, NAS drives, DVRs and projectors.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

A strong case could be made that no entity has played a bigger role in the growth of projection-based home entertainment systems than JVC and its sister company JVC Professional.

JVC and JVC Professional recently introduced several new products each, and highlighting the list of new products is JVC Professional's DLA-RS65 Reference Series projector. The DLA-RS65 utilizes familiar JVC technologies such as the company's D-ILA LCoS-based chipset and new JVC technologies that include e-Shift. JVC says e-Shift is an upscaling technology that upconverts pictures to 3940x2160 resolution levels, which is four times higher than normal HDTV.

JVC Pro also incorporates 3D capabilities, anamorphic processing that can be used when the projector is combined with an external anamorphic lens and three Xenon lamp color modes that emulate the performance of high-performance commercial projectors. Other features incorporated into the unit include installer-friendly setup and calibration options from the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) and THX that help to ensure the projector produces the best possible image quality.

Friday, September 16, 2011

One of the major complaints about the 3D format is that there's not enough content out there to drive consumer adoption.

The Brea, California-based company KanexPro recently introduced its CubeUp 4x1 HDMI Switcher with built-in 2D to 3D converter, and it is designed to be an all-in-one solution that switches multiple HDMI sources that also converts 2D content into 3D images. KanexPro says the unit can handle source content from devices like Blu-ray disc players, cable and satellite boxes, gaming consoles and computers and it can send it to a 3D TV, projectors and computer monitors. The unit is said to work with 3D formats such as side-by-side, top-and-bottom, 3D fame packing and 3D page flip with companion lossless multichannel audio.

KanexPro adds the unit with its four HDMI 1.4a inputs and single output is HDCP and EDID compliant, and it ships with a 5-volt power supply.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

A few years ago when CinemaScope aspect ratio screens and projection products first hit the residential market they were ultra expensive. Helping to bring those prices down in the screen category is the Cerritos, Calif.-based manufacturer Elite Screens, Inc., which recently rolled out its latest screen product: The Lunette A1080P2.

Elite says this screen provides electronics professionals with an affordable acoustically transparent curved screen that's formatted in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The screen employs the company's AcousticPro A1080P2 screen material that offers a 1.0 gain surface and .25mm perforations in an angular mesh-weave to support the placement of speakers behind the screen. Elite says the screen tested at a dampening range of just .91 to 3.00 max dB at 20kHz, and it says the material is engineered to eliminate moire artifacts that are produced by some perforated materials.

The company also points out that because the screen's curved surface the product minimizes the pin cushion effect that some anamorphic systems experience when utilizing external lenses.

Monday, August 22, 2011

A few years ago the custom electronics industry discovered the fun and impact that CinemaScope video can deliver in a home environment. Since that time however the video category's focus has gone on to other technologies such as LED light engines and 3D. CinemaScope aspect ratios are however something that custom installers can still utilize to wow their clientele.

Digital Projection's (DP) new dVision Scope 1080p projector provides installers with the ability to integrate a fully compatible 2.35:1 system without having to incorporate external lenses and additional vertical-stretch processing. DP says the projector offers a native resolution of 2560x1080 and more than 2.75 million pixels to enable the 2.35:1 constant-height projector to produce more detail without factors such as lenses and image processing to distort the picture.

The company adds that when the projector is used to view 16:9 (1.78:1) content it can handle this task in a full 1080 resolution, and it supports a variety of throw ratios ranging from short throws as minimal as .81 all the way up to long throws of 4.5:1.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Whether people want to admit it or not electronics are a major part of most peoples' lives. Components like computers and portable devices are engrained into the fabric of society and there are many people that couldn't think of what life would be like without their electronics.

NAD's newly released C 446 digital media tuner is a device that installers can use to tie all of these digital media devices together. The media aggregation device allows homeowners to tap into the content that's stored on their networks and stream files from their Apple iOS and Android devices. The C 446 incorporates a 24-bit/192kHz digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and an analog circuit design that helps the unit to reproduce a variety of files, including MP3, FLAC, WMA, WAV and AAC to the highest possible levels.

NAD says the unit employs Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standards, and the company adds that through the implementation of Digital Audio Renderer (DAR) technologies, users can scroll through their media, create playlists and change songs from anywhere in their home. In addition, the C 446 also incorporates Wi-Fi, USB, support for services such as Last.fm and RS-232 control.

Monday, August 01, 2011

With the introduction of its new latest projector product, Panasonic is breaking new ground.

Not only is it one of the few manufacturers that are offering a LCD-based 3D projector product, it is offering this product at a price point that's approachable to consumers, and its also employing an image processing technology that will help its LCD chipset produce a better image. According to Panasonic, its new PT-AE7000U is the only 3D projector to use a 480Hz refresh rate to drive its LCD panels and as a result it will produce a "stunning large screen 2D images, as well as an immersive 3D viewing experience for home theater viewers."

Panasonic says the projector's 3D technologies were developed in collaboration with its Hollywood Laboratory engineers who helped the film making community to develop 3D industry standards. The company specifies the 1080p PT-AE7000U to produce a contrast ratio of 300,000:1 and its brightness rating to reach as high as 2,000 lumens.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Whether it's at the theater, in the home or even at school, it seems that interest in 3D video has no boundaries. Portland, Ore.-based InFocus is helping to bring 3D into the classroom through the release of its new IN100 series of products.

The company's latest line of projectors includes five models: the IN112, the IN114, the IN116, the IN124 and the IN126, and according to InFocus, the projectors are lightweight and small enough to move in the event multiple classrooms need to share a projector. InFocus adds the line offers users the ability to manage their costs by choosing a product with SVGA (800x600), XGA (1024x768) or WXGA (1280x800) resolutions, and depending on the model, the IN100 Series can produce up to 3,200 Lumens and contrast ratios as high as 3,000:1.

InFocus says the line is engineered to provide affordable compatibility with formats like HDMI and 3D, and long bulb life to minimize the expense of changing bulbs.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Several studies conducted over the course of the early part of 2011 indicate that interest in 3D content may be waning. Part of this lack of interest may be due to the fact that this year's crop of 3D movies aren't that good, but the fact still remains that 3D is sputtering at this point.

Custom installers looking for a video upgrade path for their clients still have anamorphic technologies to turn to however. Panamorph the Colorado-based anamorphic lens company recently teamed with Sony to provide authorized Sony dealers with an easy way to upgrade their clients into a full CinemaScope home theater system.

Panamorph's new FVX200S anamorphic lens system is specifically designed for Sony's VPL-VW85 and VW90ES projectors and it's engineered to install with just two screws. Once the lens is mounted the projector/lens combination will be able to produce aspect ratio correct 2.40:1 images with no black bars. The competitively priced lens solution is also compatible with 3D content through the addition of additional video processors and consumers that use a Sony/Panamorph home theater system can toggle back-and-forth between 1.78:1 ( 16:9 widescreen) and 2.40:1 by just pressing a button.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Optoma is one of a handful of projector companies that have embraced the gaming category. Adding to its gaming oriented line of products the company recently added its fourth GameTime product to its series of multipurpose projectors.

The newly launched GT750 projector is the company's latest product and Optoma says the projector is compatible with all the industry's current gaming formats and standards, including 3D. Optoma says the Texas Instruments' DLP-based projector offers users a native 1280 x 720 HD resolution and it incorporates HDMI 1.4a inputs to accommodate 3D sources such as Blu-ray.

Optoma adds the projector is rated to produce as many as 2,500 Lumens, and in a business or computer-based environment, the GT750 can reproduce graphics from Apple and PC computers.

Monday, June 13, 2011

No one can say for sure whether 3D video is here to stay, but regardless of how the technology trends over the next year or two, it will remain as a topic of interest for consumers that are considering a new video system purchase.

The Berkeley, Calif.-based company Wolf Cinema is arming its dealers with products that fill the demand for high-performance 2D and the latest 3D technologies. The company's newly introduced SDC-15 is a D-ILA-based projector installers can use with screens up to 11 feet wide to provide their clients with the latest in video technologies. Wolf calibrates the projector at the factory before shipping and it incorporates features such as 99 customizable calibration presets to support its dealers' ability to fine tune the projector's performance for each home environment it is placed.

The active 3D projector also includes dual HDMI 1.4 inputs, a gloss-black cabinet, IR, LAN and RS-232 control capabilities, and Wolf supports the projector, which is nicknamed "The Cub" with options that include a choice of two of its VariScope fixed anamorphic lens systems and a ceiling-mount kit.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

There's no doubt that the public is interested in 3D content. Movie gate receipts and the success of movies like Avatar, Tangled and How to Train a Dragon verify the format's growing popularity and the increasing amounts of 3D Blu-ray disc releases and programming availability from broadcast service providers are providing more options for consumers.

ViewSonic's new VP3D1 HD Video box is designed to provide owners of 3D-ready DLP-based projectors the ability to watch 3D content. Viewsonic says the converter features dual HDMI 1.4a inputs and a 1.3 HDMI output to ensure compatibility with a wide range of display devices.

The converter works with gaming, Blu-ray and broadcast content, and ViewSonic adds the device works with its Pro8450w, Pro8500, PJD6251, PJD6531, as well as other DLP-based products.