Sim2 Bows HD Projector Pair

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 9/5/2007 9:00:00 PM

DENVER — SIM2 will demonstrate at CEDIA Expo its Grand Cinema C3X 1080p DLP projector.

The C3X 1080 offers 1,920 by 1080p resolution and a new compact industrial cabinet design. The projector ships in October at a $29,995 suggested retail.

“In 2005, the original C3X model revolutionized the home theater market,” stated Giorgio Corazza, SIM2 USA president. “For 2007, we are taking the C3X concept to the next performance level.”

The company will also present its Grand Cinema HT30000 HOST system, which pairs a compact projector with a highly styled cabinet design with a discrete external, video-input processor that connects via SIM2’s proprietary, three-line optical-digital High-Definition Optical Signal Transfer (H.O.S.T.) system. This is able to link the two over distances up to 750 feet.

The C3X 1080, meanwhile, measures 17 inches square, and weighs 22 pounds. The sculpted cabinet design, which features a high-gloss finish, was created by Giorgio Revoldini and features the company’s trademark, flowing lines. Finish color options include high-gloss gunmetal (standard), black, red and gold.

The C3X 1080 uses three 0.95-inch 1080p Digital Micromirror Devices (DMDs) from Texas Instruments, improved all-glass optics in SIM2’s proprietary Alphapath light engine and a 10,000:1 contrast ratio.

Full-depth 10-bit video processing, with HD scaling and de-interlacing capabilities, maintains 1080p/24 fps full-HD purity under actual content-playback conditions.

Newly developed advanced color-management software is available to permit installers and calibrators to match each projector to its environment, with near total control over color, white-point coordinates and gamma correction.

Both RS-232 serial and USB ports are included to ease connectivity for control and software/firmware communications, and even an optical digital-audio, and 12-volt-trigger outputs and IR-sensor inputs are on board for total flexibility of installation and control.

Meanwhile, the HT30000 HOST system, which ships in October at a $19,999 suggested retail, uses two-piece modular design including the projector, which measures just 17 inches square and weighs 24 pounds. The HOST processor tethers to the projector and measures 14 inches by 4 inches by 12 inches.

The processor incorporates video switching for up to six HDCP-compliant HDMI inputs, three HD-capable component-video inputs, and multiples of legacy composite- and S-video inputs as well as RGB and DVI formats.

The HOST processor/switcher’s full-depth 10-bit video processing performs high-accuracy scaling up to full-HD 1080p and de-interlacing of SD signals.