Italian SIM2 is another company known for ultra-high-end projectors, including the new and improved flagship HT5000E introduced at CES with three DarkChip 4 DMDs. If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it, but I'll tell you anyway—$66,000 for the projector with your choice of 16:9 lens. If you want the ISCO 3 anamorphic lens and sled, that'll be another $15,500. The projector looked spectacular on a 116" Da-Lite Affinity screen. The single-chip Domino D60 (pictured) is more down to earth at $5000, and adding a Panamorph anamorphic lens and sled with mounting bracket brings the total cost to $9000.

Yet another entry in the LED-illuminated, single-chip DLP projector sweepstakes is the Mico 50 from SIM2. Said to deliver 800 lumens, the PhlatLight LEDs have an expected lifespan of over 30,000 hours. It's name means "sparkle" in Italian, but I saw no sparkles in the demo on a Da-Lite Affinity screen, which is a good thing. Not so good was the demo material—a clip from a concert video featuring singer Seal. The colored stage lighting was not conducive to evaluating color accuracy, though Seal's dark skin looked about right when he was in white light. The Mico 50 should be available in November for $25,000.

Most manufacturers are keeping a tight lid on their product introductions at CEDIA until the show starts, but SIM2 has announced a new line of four projectors in advance. Going by the series name Nero, all models are single-chip DLP designs with 3D capabilities using active-shutter glasses. (The company's much-more-expensive, 3-chip Lumis Duo 3D dual-projector system uses Infitec spectral-filter glasses, the same technology employed by Dolby 3D.) The four Nero projectors differ in their feature sets and brightness/contrast specs, and one even offers a native 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Three different lenses will be available, and the grayscale and colorimetry of all models can be separately calibrated in 2D and 3D mode using a PC-based interface. Pricing starts at $19,990. Stay tuned for our impressions of these projectors from the show floor next week.

At the high end of SIM2's extensive projector lineup is the Teatro 50 (single-lamp, 5000 lumens, $60,000) and 80 (dual-lamp, 8000 lumens, $70,000). As you might guess from the prices, both are 3-chip designs.