Custon Installation Equipment Reviews

SmX Cinema Solutions Corporation is introducing a line of high-end acoustically transparent front-projection screens for home theater installations. The new company has developed a proprietary woven screen material called CineWeave HD, which it claims provides positive picture gain, lack of reflective artifacts, wide-viewing angle, acoustic transparency, and color neutrality. Additionally, SmX says CineWeave HD screens are guaranteed to produce moiré-free video with either digital or non-digital projectors when used with the company's patent-pending frame systems.

SmX maintains that its CineWeave HD screens offer this many key benefits which have not before been available simultaneously in a screen material. In addition to those mentioned above, the screen is supposed to provide a flat, acoustically transparent audio response without comb-filtering so that no screen EQ is necessary to correct for audio losses. SmX claims the screen material reduces audio output by only 1.5 dB from approximately 15-22 kHz.

CineWeave HD screens are rated for a 160-degree viewing angle with no loss of gain and equal brightness from edge-to-edge, as well as no hot-spotting regardless of seating position. The screen is said to be wholly free from reflective artifacts, which SmX attributes to the lack of pearlescent mineral additives traditionally used in screen manufacturing. SmX also claims CineWeave HD screens have no visible perforations and are visually continuous from any seating position. Although the voids in the screen material are more than three times smaller than those found in most micro-perf screens, SmX says the CineWeave HD is still able to provide superior acoustical performance.

According to SmX, part of the screen's performance characteristics depends on the use of the company's patent-pending Pro-Line screen-framing system, which is designed to maintain the correct tension on the screen material. The frames use a custom-tooled lightweight extruded-aluminum channel system and come with genuine black-velvet trimming. SmX claims the frames are acoustically inert due to the use of injected-foam insulating material that eliminates resonances. The frames are also designed to allow for end-user tweaking to eliminate potential moiré patterns that may appear when used with a projector different from the one that was originally installed.

SmX also offers Pro-Curv, a fixed-curve screen-framing system, which can be used with the CineWeave HD material. Pro-Curve systems are available in 40-, 30-, and 20-foot radius curves with widths ranging from 80 inches up to 24 feet in all aspect ratios.

ProMask and ProMaskcurv are two of SmX's four-way Pro-Mask systems. The systems are capable of masking to every possible aspect ratio and incorporate all of the technology found in the Pro-Line frames, including acoustic isolation. Each system comes with six preset aspect-ratio settings that can be controlled with a standard remote, as well as up to 99 aspect ratio settings that can be used with home automation systems. Masking is available in either acoustic or non-acoustic panels. ProMaskcurv is a constant-height, fixed-curve masking system for the company's Pro-Curv screens.

Pricing and availability of the new screens and masking systems have not yet been published. For more information, go to www.smxscreen.com