THX is now getting into video product certification, and was running training sessions throughout the show. As yet few video products carry the THX imprimatur.
SIM2's demo used three new projectors from that company. The first, and the one that impressed me most from a price/performance
aspect (though at $16,000 it isn't cheap by today's projector standards) was the HT-3000E. Incorporating TI's BrilliantColor technology, and SIM2's new Unishape lamp technology that can vary both the color of the lamp and its brightness in a dynamic, nearly instantaneous way, it presented a superb image with excellent deep blacks. Oddly, SIM2 was using a Firehawk screen-8' wide for the 3000E, 10' wide for the other two projectors, the C3X ($20,000) and the C3X 1080($30,000), both of which were demonstrated with anamorphic lenses. (There was a lot of anamorphia going around at this year's show.)
Ron Phone was deep in discussion when I wandered by and I didn't disturb as I was in a rush too, but I did snap this picture of their pre/pro. I've had great things to say about Sherbourn amps in the past but was disappointed when I saw this pre/pro had no HDMI switching on back. Good thing I checked <a htref= "http://www.sherbourn.com/PDF/PT-7010A/PT-7010ADataSheet.pdf" target="new">their website.</a> The PT-7010A will have a separate HDMI switcher, controlled by the processor via an RS-232 port, for, hopefully seamless operation.
At the 2006 CEDIA Stewart Filmscreen showed a new, frameless,self-supporting rear projection glass material, Starglas. The company has now come up with a wide assortment of possible applications. Here a glass panel is mounted in a shallow cabinet at the foot of a bed. When needed, it rises up to viewing height. The image is projected from the rear, perhaps, as here, from a projector mounted in a cabinet at the other side of the room (presumably, a bedroom of more than shoebox size!). Ta Da! A substitute for a large plasma. The glass in the Starglas panel, incidently, is safety glass.
The most recent projector I reviewed here at UAV was a real standout, Epson's <A HREF="http://ultimateavmag.com/videoprojectors/607epsonprocin/">Powerlite Pro Cinema 1080p</A>. This projector is among the more marvelous packages of peformance and price I've seen. Especially susprising was that the color fidelity was so pristine and on this LCD projector, along with a relaxed and naturally detailed image with real depth. The only thing that held this proejctor back was slightly dim light output and softer image. The Pro Cinema 1080p UB is here to settle both scores.
I could tell you that this is a better picture of the Samsung SP-A800 we reported on earlier in the show. But it isn't. It's the Samsung SP-A400, and apart from its smaller size, it's a dead ringer in appearance for the SP-A800. It's a 1280x768 design. Didn't catch the price yet, but it's sure to be lots cheaper than the circa $10,000 price of its big brother.
NHT has come a long way, or a different way, or, whatever. Their A/V pre/pro, bundled with five speakers, two self-powered subs, five 4-channel amps (one for each speak), plus, uh, wires I think, goes for $40,000! Each of the amp's channels is responsible for one of the four drivers in each speaker, so there is no crossover in the speakers themselves. Of course, in the middle of the convention hall you couldn't get much of a feel for the systems sound. I would have liked to have heard an isolated room demo.
This is a pretty good shot of the JVC RS1 projector with an anamorphic lens by Panamorph giving it a 2.35:1 image. Video processing was done in the Anthem D2 processor and sequence from Phantom on Blu-ray looked really good.