CEDIA 2009

In terms of video, CEDIA is a projector showcase, and Digital Projection is all over that theme. Among the company's product introductions at the show will be the Highlite Cine 280, a 1080p, 3-chip DLP model that is said to pump out up to 2000 lumens with 12,000:1 contrast. The enclosure reflects the same design aesthetic as the Cine LED and Cine 260 projectors as well as the CineSkin enclosure, all of which have been previously covered in this blog. And at about $30,000, it's the most affordable triple-chipper ever offered by Digital Projection.

Digital Projection is slated to have a slew of high-end projectors at CEDIA this year. Among them is the M-Vision Cine 260, a high-brightness, single-chip DLP model said to output 2000 lumens with 3000:1 native contrast. Pricing and availability are not available prior to the show.

At the end of the day, I stopped by the Digital Projection booth to see its new offerings, which I blogged about before the show. The M-Vision Cine LED was being compared with an iVision 30 lamp-based projector on adjacent screens, and while the iVision was brighter, even on a larger screen, the Cine LED exhibited better color saturation. In another part of the booth, the HighLite 3-chip DLP looked great, with excellent color and detail.

French speaker maker Focal will be debuting several next-generation models in its Electra Be lineup, so named for the beryllium tweeter used in each speaker. The 1008 Be ($5000/pair) is a 2-way bookshelf model, while the 1028 Be ($8500/pair, pictured) and 1038 Be ($12,500/pair) are 3-way floorstanders. The redesigned tweeter is said to have greater power handling capabilities with a crossover point all the way down to 2kHz.

At CEDIA next week, Focus Enhancements will be demonstrating what it calls the industry's only 7.1-channel wireless-audio system. Dubbed Summit, the technology uses the 5GHz band to transmit multichannel audio to powered speakers equipped with compatible receivers. The demo will include a set of Aperion Intimus 5 speakers modified with internal power amps and Summit receivers, and Focus Enhancements is in discussions with many other audio companies to incorporate the technology into their products.