Tom Norton

CEDIA 2011
Future Technology 2
Tom Norton  |  Sep 08, 2011  |  0 comments
The area of the Future Technology display of most interest to home theater fans, however, involved this huge, 244.5-inch x 104-inch, 2.35:1 Stewart Aeroview 100 screen. It's a rear projection setup using six DLP projectors with edge blending. The image you can see here was only 16:9 for this preview, but 2.35:1 material that fills the screen is on the menu for the show days. The image was as impaired, as this photo suggests, by the ambient lighting, which is also higher on setup day than it will be during show hours. For more details, see the next post.
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CEDIA 2011
Future Technology 3
Tom Norton  |  Sep 08, 2011  |  2 comments
The magic behind the curtain for the Future Technology Pavilion's big rear projection screen (above) consisted of six Digital Projection D-Vision 30-1080 DLP projectors, each responsible for filling one sixth of the image, combined with edge blending to hide the transitions from one projector to the other. These projectors offer a short throw, permitting a short, 9-foot distance from projector to screen.

Once you divide the high definition source image into six segments, each of those segments will be far smaller in pixel count. Each of these segments must therefore be upconverted to match the projector's native resolution. The processing is further complicated by the fact that the screen used here is 2.35:1, not the 16:9 that would be a direct multiple of the six projectors' native resolutions. In addition, allowance must be made for overlap where the images meet. An overlap of about 13% is needed to provide for the edge blending. And the edge blending itself requires major processing power.

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A/V Veteran
Christmas Blu
Tom Norton  |  Dec 22, 2010  |  0 comments
Come December 25, Santa will be slipping new Blu-ray players and discs under many a Christmas tree. But will those Blu-ray discs actually look better to you?

The Blu-ray format may be four years old, but I still see comments on various websites—not to mention in the mainstream (non-enthusiast) press—to the effect that those Blu-rays don't look any better than upconverted DVDs. When you read these comments, you need to ask a few questions about the commenter, questions to clarify the circumstances surrounding the observation. These questions may even relate to your own experiences…

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CEDIA 2010
Schneider Projector
Tom Norton  |  Sep 27, 2010  |  0 comments
In addition to its range of anamorphic lenses, Schneider Optics introduced its own single-chip, 2D DLP projector, fitted with an anamorphic lens. The trick feature here is that the motorized mechanism that moves the lens in and out of position is built into the lens case, with no need for outboard sled hardware. $23,500, including ther anamorphic lens. Available early in 2011.
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CEDIA 2010
Vivid Vivitek
Tom Norton  |  Sep 27, 2010  |  0 comments
Vivitek wants to be your projector company, either with its premier H9080FD LED-lit, single-chip DLP projector ($15,000) or with its new $5000, H5085 lamp-lit single chipper, or the H1085 DLP. The latter carries an alarming price of $1499 with a specified light output of 2000 lumens.
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CEDIA 2010
Pioneer in 3D Blu
Tom Norton  |  Sep 27, 2010  |  0 comments
Pioneer showed three new 3D Blu-ray players, including this Elite BDP-43FD and an Elite BDP-41FD (the latter lacks the 43's extra mass damping). No prices or launch dates were announced.
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CEDIA 2010
Monitor Audio Cast in Bronze
Tom Norton  |  Sep 27, 2010  |  0 comments
Monitor Audio introduced its redesigned Bronze line at CEDIA. The entire family is shown here, topped by the floor-standing BX6 at $1000/pair.
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CEDIA 2010
Cast in Bronze II
Tom Norton  |  Sep 27, 2010  |  0 comments
Also by Monitor Audio was a new line of Monitor Audio premium in-or-on-walls (available in either form factor). The Soundframe 1iW, shown, utilizes a coaxial driver from 250Hz up. A con-shaped, convex midrange surrounds Monitor's signature gold-colored tweeter. This driver technology should be a natural for the mid/tweeter response in a conventional box horizontal center flanked by a pair of woofers. The Soundframe 2iW, not shown, actually does use this configuration, but with a single woofer. The 1iW and 2iW sell for $800 each.
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CEDIA 2010
A Procella is not a Mushroom
Tom Norton  |  Sep 27, 2010  |  0 comments
Procella is a relatively new speaker company to these shores, with headquarters in Los Angeles, Stockholm, and Sydney. Its speakers, apart from the surrounds, follow the professional, powered-speaker paradigm. That is, they are driven by on-board amps. The P815, for example (the two stacked cabinets on the left in the photo, for example, is bi-amplified with 700 x 2 watts of built-in, class-D power. That model sells for $10,000 each.
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Salamander Chameleon
Tom Norton  |  Sep 27, 2010  |  0 comments
Furniture isn't exactly a high priority around here, unless its comfy chairs in the home theater room. But we all need something to put our gear on when the concrete blocks and boards will no longer do. This Salamander wall-suspended rack caught my eye. It's lit from the bottom with LEDs,
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