Scott Wilkinson

If money really is no object and you want a true digital-cinema projector in your home theater, this is the only game in town. The CAT MBX 4 is a 3-chip DLP with a resolution of 2048x1080, the same as you see in digital cinemas. It also provides D-Link decryption in order to display DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative) files. Other standard features include 3-kilowatt xenon lamp, dual power supply, custom lenses, anamorphic lens with sled, custom irises, and a plenum enclosure with a cooling system that keeps the internal temperature within 3 degrees of the target at all times. The projector is fed by an outboard processor via two dual-link DVI connections, each of which provides a higher bit rate than standard DVI. If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it, but I'll tell you anyway—$208,000 with the standard processor (10-bit processing, 12-bit output) and an extra $32,000 for the 12-bit processor. Heck, why not buy two for 3D?

Like last year, the 2010 CEA Line Shows event was held at 7 West 34th St., taking over the entire 11th floor of what is otherwise a design center, no doubt one of many in midtown Manhattan. And that floor was definitely more crowded than last year—according to executive producer Martin Porter, about 70 exhibitors (twice as many as last year) and roughly 1500 attendees, an increase of more than 30 percent. Not only that, there were quite a few new-product announcements that had not been originally made at CES. Clearly, the whole idea of a consolidated line show has gained some traction, as I hoped it would.

Summer is just about over, which means it's time for the annual confab known as CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association) Expo. Next week, the show returns to Indianapolis, Indiana, after several years in Denver and Atlanta while the Indiana Convention Center underwent extensive renovation as depicted in the rendering above. Home Theater will be there in force with five correspondents—Rob Sabin, Tom Norton, Mark Fleischmann, Darryl Wilkinson, and myself—all blogging from the show floor about the super-cool audio, video, and custom-installation goodies that will undoubtedly be unveiled. So be sure to check HomeTheater.com often for the latest from the world of high-end home theater, and prepare to drool!