Cineversum Force One & Two 3D DLP Projectors


Home theater using Force One by Sphere Custom Design, South Africa. Photo courtesy of Christaan Beukes.

Last April, I profiled the magnificent Force One 3-chip DLP projector from French maker Cineversum. Now, just in time for the holidays, the company has announced a new model, the Force Two, and 3D capabilities for both.

The Force Two is identical to the Force One with one exception—it replaces the Force One's dual 200-watt lamps with 350W flame throwers, putting up to 10,000 ANSI lumens on the screen. And that screen can be big, up to 80 feet wide. Otherwise, the specs are the same—1920x1080 resolution, 2500:1 native on/off contrast, 10,000:1 dynamic on/off contrast, 650:1 ANSI contrast. Naturally, such a light cannon will cost you—$113,800 to be exact, and that doesn't include a lens, which will add $15,000 to $19,000 to the bottom line.

If you're into 3D, there's no better way to experience it than with a really big screen and a really bright image, so it seems like a no-brainer that both Force models will soon be available with this capability. With so much light available—the Force One provides up to 6000 ANSI lumens—losing 70 percent through active-shutter glasses still provides an adequately bright image, unlike just about any other consumer 3D display. Even so, the maximum screen size for 3D is probably less than it is for 2D.

And the price? The Force One 3D is $120,400, while the Force Two 3D is $147,000—again, without a lens, and without any glasses, either. You'll have to drop $300 per pair, but they are professional-grade models based on the glasses used in commercial 3D cinemas throughout Europe.

One more announcement from Cineversum is the availability of an anamorphic-lens kit for both Force models, which will add $32,200 to the final price tag. The company is still testing to see how well it works with 3D.

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