DENVER – It seems that CEDIA Expo has been getting lighter on video- and TV-related exhibitors and products in recent years, but the 2014 custom-integration showcase should start to reverse that trend.
A number of big players in the TV space either return to the show floor or will make long-running participation at the event more visible than ever before in a quest to showcase new technologies, including OLED TV displays, more advanced smart-TV platforms and 4K Ultra HD TV systems, including more content offerings.
The following is glance at what the video-centric companies are planning for the Denver Convention Center this week.
Bang & Olufsen (booth 1044), the high-end design- centric Danish CE manufacturer, is planning to use CEDIA Expo for the global launch introduction of its 85-inch “ultimate television” – billed as the BeoVision Avant 4K Ultra HD TV. Details were planned to be announced at a Thursday evening press event.
Barco (booth 700) will be returning to the CEDIA Expo floor with a new residential line of video projectors, which will be formally unveiled at a reception Thursday evening.
The company recently launched a group called Barco Residential that is scheduled to debut a line of home entertainment products this year.
The company has promised to bring “the pinnacle” of its image and sound technology to high-end homes.
Barco Residential products will be custom-designed and built in Barco’s European Design Centers in Belgium and Norway.
The company said will be working with an exclusive network of partners to produce “tailor-made solutions.”
Christie (upper level exhibit hall booth 1078), the high-end A/V equipment manufacturer, will be showing new 4K Ultra HD offerings, including the D4K2560 three-chip DLP projector with native 4K (4,096 by 2,160) resolution and 25,000 center lumens. Christie said the projector “is ideal for large applications such as amusement parks, auditoriums, museums, theaters and virtual design centers.”
Also on tap at the Christie booth will be the CP4220 Solaria series solution built with the Christie 4K+4 advantage.
The company said that when coupled with its IMB-S2, the Christie Solaria series is “the most reliable, cost-effective 4K DLP Cinema solution available today.”
In FullHD projectors, Christie’s Q-series DHD951-Q is a one-chip DLP model that is said to offer a new high brightness/performance level for a projector of its class.
The company will also show new Quad 84- inch LCD touchscreen display. The Christie QuadHD84 features a 60Hz refresh rate and what the company called “Quad HD” (3,840 by 2,160 pixel) resolution.
The Christie FHD551-XG flat-panel includes bonded Corning Gorilla glass that is optimal for professional-grade, tiled LCD touchpanel solutions for applications located in high-traffic areas.
Electric Mirror (booth 1234), a leading supplier of lighted Mirror and Mirror TV products, will introduce its Iris Mirror Technology, billed as “the next generation of Mirror TV technology.” Iris Mirror is a vanishing decorative mirror that transforms into a crystal-clear HDTV. The company’s exclusive Iris Mirror Technology is said to produce “the brightest Mirror TV experience,” with reduced glare, for a picture that is “on parity with a standard HDTV.”
Epson plans to formally unveil Thursday a number of new retail-targeted 3LCD home cinema projectors and high-performance offerings reserved exclusively for the distribution through the custom installation channel/home integrator channel.
Leading off the previously announced models will be the under-$1,000 PowerLite Home Cinema 750, first announced in January.
LG (booth 140) promises a number of high-end TV treasures at its booth this year, including the 65- and 77-inch Ultra HD OLED TVs the corporate office preannounced prior to IFA last month.
“Our return to the CEDIA Expo show floor dovetails with the exploding market for Ultra HD 4K TVs and LG’s strong push this fall on the new OLED TVs. The custom-installation/pro-A/V market is well-positioned to help drive growth in these exciting new TV categories. CEDIA is the place to be – both to meet with key customers and to unveil our new sets shipping in the fourth quarter,” said Rick Calacci, LG Electronics USA sales VP.
The company’s U.S. executives are expected to address delivery timing and pricing for the new curved-screen gems, which now include wallmounting capability.
The company also has a full assortment of Ultra HD LED LCD TV units with similarly flexible mounting flexibility, and the company’s new SmartTV+ WebOS platform offering faster, smoother, and simpler program searching, selection and tuning.
Sony Electronics (booth 130) is helping to kick off the event this year with a keynote address from U.S. president Mike Fasulo, who will, in part, speak to the importance of collective efforts to raise awareness to the latest and greatest video technologies, including 4K Ultra HD projectors, flat-panel displays and streaming content.
The company is expected to announce a number of new products for the fourth quarter on the show floor.
Sony will be joined by LG Electronics, which will make a return appearance to the Expo floor after announcing new fall TV and audio products with an offsite reception the last couple of years.
SunBriteTV (booth 664), the outdoor-TV resource, is using CEDIA Expo to present the refresh of its popular Signature series of value-priced TV models, and to launch an exclusive customer-appreciation show special for dealers and distributors.
SunBriteTV’s “1-2-3 Special” offers pricing incentives for near-term purchases on Signature-series models.
SunBriteTV dealers and distributors that purchase at the show will receive $100 off the SB-4670HD, $200 off the SB-5570HD and $300 off the SB-6570HD. Additionally, they will receive a $25 discount off the SB-HDWT wireless transceiver, a weatherproof peripheral device capable of wirelessly transmitting a 1080p HD signal up to 100 feet. It is compatible with all SunBriteTV models.
Sim2 Multimedia (booth 236 and SR15) will use CEDIA Expo to introduce a full line of high-performance projectors made in Italy for the custom-integration market “and priced to be competitive even within the CE world.”
Among the highlights will be the Crystal Cube with its Art and Portrait customizable options. In Sound Room 15, Sim2 will show the totally new Nero 3 LED Projector, with a brightness level comparable to 2,000-lumen lamp-based systems.
The company will also show its Sim2 Immersive System (SIS), a multiformat 10,000-lumen motorized projector that can produce pictures in any aspect ratio without the use of external lenses, while offering the brightest 3D for real-life curved-screen simulators, Multi-view Technology and HDR capability.
The SIS also has the ability to accurately reproduce two discrete images simultaneously on the same screen.
In the High Brightness category, Sim2 will be show its new entry with a 7,000-lumen, single-chip projector.
Sim2’s projector demos will be accompanied by a Dolby Atmos sound system from Marantz and Atlantic Audio.
