Tripod Pro Enhances Traditional Projection Screen Design

Tripod Pro Enhances Traditional Projection Screen Design



New concept in a well established product. The Tripod Pro has a redesigned casing that is velour surfaced for the rental and staging market.





CERRITOS, Calif., Jan 20, 2010 - Elite Screens, Inc. an innovative company that specializes in affordable high quality projector screens, today announced the launch of the Tripod Pro enhanced free-standing portable projection screen. It is an enhancement of a traditional design.
"The Tripod is our best selling portable screen. Due to its price performance and dynamic functions, it has become a favorite with educators, commercial trainers and residential consumers." said Dave Rodgers, Marketing Manager for Elite Screens. "The new casing with the velour surfacing adds a touch of elegance for rental and staging presentations which enhances an already tried and true product."



The Tripod Pro has a black tube casing that will protect the screen material and is coated in a velveteen material that absorbs glare from projectors as well as bear the brunt of hard handling in rental and staging applications. It is available in a (1:1) aspect ratio with viewing sizes that range from 85" to 99", 113" and 119" diagonal measurements. The screen material is Elite's MaxWhite 1.1 gain matte white front projection material with black masking borders. They vary in weight from 15lbs to 35 lbs making the tripod a highly portable and versatile product. Lastly, each tripod has a keystone eliminator to accommodate angle distortion or "keystone effect" during forum presentations.









Warranty, Availability, Pricing


The Tripod Pro comes with Elite's two-year manufacturer's limited warranty, which is twice the industry standard. Elite's Tripod Pro Series is available now through the commercial and retail sales channels. MSRP starts at $189

LG 3F3D 1080P Projector Info from CES

The cat is out of the bag. CES had all the buzz about 3D. One exciting product was a full 1080P 3D model 3F3D from LG. It has a dual SXRD engine, which uses LCoS. It had an impressive 2500 lumens and 7,000:1 contrast ratio. The screen used was a silver screen, so it appeared to use polarized glasses. The demo was one of the best I had seen. The picture really jumped out at you and had a lot of depth. The projector was also on display in the booth next to the standard 2D CF181D which advertized use of the HQV chip. I inquired of the parts used (sealed light ingine, which video processor do they use, and lens provider, etc). The projector does use a sealed light path, and due to it having side vents, mounting it up against a back wall would not be a concern. The lenses were provided by Ricoh. They are mostly known for their copiers, but they do use optics, and the image did look great! The video processor is provided by MStar. When I questioned going from HQV to MStar, I was told that is what they use for their LCD TV's. And again, the image looked great. MSRP will be $10,000 when it comes out this summer, June I believe. For new technology, that is a not bad starting point!

CES 2010 News

Ok, where do I start. CES 2010 while there seemed to be some regular exhibitors missing due to cutbacks, there were still some very exciting products to see. Some of which will soon be, if not already on their way, for me to review. Stay tuned for info and reviews on projectors, receivers, speakers, headphones, blu-ray players, and home media systems, just to name a few. It was a very busy show and I look forward to bringing you a lot of great news, so stay tuned.

One of the coolest technologies on display seemed to be 3D. Some are calling it a recurring fad. After all, we have seen 3D come up before and it will come up again. But I think it is actually hear to stay. Why? Very cool films are coming out and not just for kids like the soon to be released Alice in Wonderland. Can you say Avitar? The amazing film is helping to bring out a lot of buzz about 3D, and the industry is jumping on board. And it is not just the manufacturers. It is the content providers. Hollywood is bringing us great movie content, and broadcasters like ESPN want to keep the content coming. This time around, we have the interest from the consumer, the interest from the manufacterers to brovide the hardware, and we also have the technology to make a real enjoyable experience.

LG releases info on new 3-D 1080p projector at CES

LG ELECTRONICS THINKS OUTSIDE OF THE BOX:
UNVEILS WORLD’S FIRST FULL HD 3D PROJECTOR

Portable LED Projector Allows Consumers to
Enjoy Excellent Display Quality – Anytime, Anywhere

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2010 – LG Electronics unveiled its new versatile 2010 video projector series, including CF3D, the world’s first Full HD, 3D Single Lens Type Projector and a new compact, lightweight projector (model HX300G), at the International Consumer Electronics Show this week (Booth #8205).
“Consumers are continuously looking for creative new solutions for both entertainment and business video display needs, and LG projectors provide the versatility and portability options for multiple applications,” said Jeff Dowell, vice president, business solutions, LG Electronics USA. “Whether customers desire compactness and portability for presentation use, or theater-like performance for a home installation, LG has the right solution.”

CF3D – More Life-Like Viewing
LG’s versatile CF3D is the world’s first Full HD Single Lens Type 3D Projector featuring an amazing brightness rating of 2,500 ANSI-lumens and a high contrast ratio of 7,000:1. This model also features TruMotion 120Hz for smoother images – a technology previously only seen on flat panel HDTVs.
LG’s CF3D enhanced technology gives consumers a more life-like viewing experience. Incorporating both Dual Engine and 3D Auto Picture Calibration technology, the CF3D offers superb color correction to help ensure images are displayed naturally. HDMI upscaling on the CF3D reduces on-screen color banding, providing smoother tonal transitions and more subtle gradation between colors. Specifications include:
• 0.61-inch SXRD
• Full HD 1080p (1920x1080)
• 3D Auto Picture Calibration
• Dual Engine
• 2 HDMI 1.3, USB Input
• ISFccc
• Real Cinema

HX300G – Perfect for Presentations
The HX300G uses an LED light source to boast distinctive, clear color imaging and offers increased durability with long lamp life of approximately 30,000 hours. With an output brightness of 300 ANSI-lumens, the HX300G allows users to view video content in a darkened room with reduced distortion.
The HX300G is good travel companion for those executives that are frequently on the road as it is compact and lightweight at just 1.7 pounds. The All File Viewer function supports all Microsoft Office® files and includes a USB port and support for “HD” DivX, MP3 and JPEG files, making it ideal for presentations. Specifications include:
• 0.55-inch DMD
• XGA resolution
• 300 ANSI-lumens
• Contrast ratio: 2,000:1
• Life time: 30,000 hrs (typical)
• HDMI 1.3, USB 2.0 input (“HD” DivX, File Viewer)
• Green Technology (does not utilize a Mercury containing CCFL lamp)
• Wireless FM Transmitter

For more information and product images, please visit LG’s online press kit at www.lgusa.com/cespressroom.


About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances and business solutions, all under LG’s “Life’s Good” marketing theme. For more information, please visit www.LGusa.com.

About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 84,000 people working in 115 operations including 84 subsidiaries around the world. With 2008 global sales of $44.7 billion, LG comprises of five business units – Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning and Business Solutions. LG is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both A Global Partner of Formula 1™ and A Technology Partner of Formula 1™. As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event. For more information, please visit www.lge.com.

Elite Screens 100 inch 16:9 ezFrame Review

When it comes to home theaters with front projectors, the quality of the picture starts with your projector. But the quality of the end result will depend on your screen. Just as the quality of projectors vary, so do the quality of screens. While you wouldn't use a $2,000 screen with a $1,000 projector, it is too easy to use a $200 screen with a $2,000 projector. It is possible to get a good quality screen for a fairly cheap price that will not degrade the quality of the image from your projector. Up for review is an Elite Screens EZ Frame 100 inch wide fixed mount screen.

When I opened the screen that Elite Screens sent for review, I could tell the high level of quality. The frame material was a very high quality, solidly built 2.36 inch aluminum frame with a black velvet finish. The design is quite ingenious with the frame having multiple grooves built into the aluminum frame. All sides of the screen material have a slot that provided plastic rods slide into. Then you push the edge of the screen with the embedded rod into the first grove. There are plastic clips provided, and once you push the screen into the first groove the plastic clip slides into another groove and holds the screen in place. The provided installation instructions are simple to follow. They are step by step, and once you start to install the screen into the frame, the sections of the frame are numbered to show a recommended order of installing the plastic clips to tension the screen to the frame. I started in the middle. After installing the first two clips at the top and bottom of the screen, there was a tight crease and I was worried there would be a lot of creases in the screen material. But as I went around and installed all of the plastic clips, the screen ended up being well secured to the frame and well tensioned with a flat surface free of creases, of the entire screen. The end result was a great looking flat screen with a nice looking solid frame in a black velvet finish. Once the frame is built it is time to mount it. The mounting design is also rather ingenious. There is a third groove that runs the entire length of the frame. Included with the frame were two aluminum brackets. These two brackets are aluminum plates that are flat except for a lip at the top. These plates are screwed onto the wall through a stud, so they are flat with the wall except for a lip at the top that sticks out from the wall about 1/16 of an inch. This spacing a the lip now allows it to slide into the last groove of the frame. So the installation process was rather simple. And after you have to do is screw the plates onto the wall. Once the wall plates are installed, all you do is lift up the screen and set it on the plates. Follow the included instructions and it is pretty simple. And the end product looks great. The screen itself is also washable.

So we know it uses high quality parts, is easy to build even for one person, and the completed screen looks great. But how does it perform? As I mentioned earlier, screens can get very expensive. This is after all not quite considered a budget screen. Screen material options are either CineWhite 1.1 or AcousticPro1080. The screen material provided was the CineWhite. The CineWhite does not quite have the black level performance help that the Cinema grey screens provides, but if you have a newer projector- which should have fairly good black level performance, the Cinema White would do a good job. And the screen material itself is fairly easy to interchange.

The picture looked great. The performance was better then expected. The image was bright enough, with good black levels, uniform diffusion and no noticeable color shift. Overall it was a good looking picture. Times are difficult with many of us trying to cut back where we can. For those of you looking for a screen on a tight budget, and are tempted to save some cash by picking up a manual pull down screen, I would suggest you take a look at the Elite Screens EZ Frame They also have their SaleFrame line which is their entry level fixed mount screen. The tensioned screen will not only look better, the fixed mount frame will have a better overall look. And it will give you years of enjoyment. For more info and complete specs, please check out their website at http://www.elitescreens.com/index.php.

Casio EXILIM EX-FS10 Review by Jenafer Roy

With the invention of the digital camera whole new worlds opened up for my husband and me. Jeff bought our first digital camera and was so excited. Frankly, so was I. The thought of being able to almost instantly print out pictures, not having to spend money on printing out the ones that hadn’t turned out right, was almost intoxicating. And that was when the dilemma started. Jeff had always preferred to have a camera that was as advanced as we could afford. I had no problem with this in theory, but in reality, it translated into a bigger, bulkier camera then I felt comfortable with, a dSLR. I found myself not using our camera as often as I had previously, then the Casio Exilm ex-fs10 came into my life.

This camera included everything I wanted, with the added benefit of also not making my husband want to pull all his hair out. So, I’ll go through the expectations. It’s small. This is important to me. I need to be able to drop it into my purse and go. Often, I will just leave it in my purse so that when I showed up at my daughter’s student of the week assembly after spending several hours grocery shopping and running other errands, I could still snap pictures of her beaming from the stage as they handed her a computer generated certificate and unsharpened pencil. In the past, I have forgotten to bring a camera with me so these moments weren’t being recorded. The Exilm also has a large view screen. I can easily see exactly what my picture looks like. The only problem is that it’s too fast in saving to the memory card. I don’t have enough time to delete before it saves but that’s only a small nuisance. Another of the features that I really enjoy is the ease of use. I can fill my 4 gig card at family events, come home, pop the card into my computer and download the pictures in no time at all. For those of you without a card slot on your PC, it does come with a cord for equally easy downloading. I even used the video function at my daughter’s preschool Halloween parade. The video wasn’t smooth and seamless, in fact it was a bit choppy and disjointed, but it did capture the event for posterity. And I figured out the video for the next time, so I now have my daughters twirling and singing seamlessly. It’s even got a cord so that you can pop the video up on the TV almost instantly for all to see and hear.

As for its other very wonderful features, this camera captures at 9.1 megapixels and has a 3X optical zoom. It’s fully compatible with all our computers (and we have 5 in the house!) and even has a built in flash. It’s very easy to use, omitting the viewfinder in favor of the larger viewing screen and has a built in timer and everything. If I felt so inclined I could even have attached it to our tripod.

I did have one initial complaint. It’s really the only thing I could find wrong with this camera. I was trying to capture a picture of my six year old swinging I my mother’s backyard and noticed that I would snap the picture and it wouldn’t actually capture the image for a second or so. Then my husband pointed out burst mode. This is when you push the button and it takes thirty or so very quick pictures in a two or three second span. Not all of the pictures are keepers, but you can usually find at least one that is good. I used this feature when capturing my five kids with Santa. Between the eight year old putting up rabbit ears, the four year olds fidgeting, and the thirteen year old eye rolling, I credit this camera for the successful happy picture. If I squint just right, I can even pretend that my kids are the angels they appear in that shot!
I truly love my new little toy and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for one. For around $199, it’s a great buy.

For more info and complete specs, check out Casio’s website at http://www.casio.com/products/Cameras/EXILIM_High-Speed/EX-FS10BE/content/Technical_Specs/

New JVC iPod Dock Features Dolby Virtual Surround

NEW UNIQUELY-DESIGNED JVC iPOD® DOCK FEATURES DOLBY VIRTUAL SURROUND


New JVC XS-SR3 “personal theater” holds iPod’s vertically or horizontally.

WAYNE, NJ, December 16, 2009 – A new JVC iPod® speaker system features a unique wraparound design, Dolby Virtual Surround, and a dock that like most docks holds an iPod vertically for music listening, but also can cradle it horizontally – ideal for widescreen viewing of video.

The new JVC XS-SR3 surround dock is a sleek, glossy black speaker tube with a curved design that allows the iPod to nestle between the speakers. The iPod holder rotates for viewing video in widescreen mode and comes with four clips to hold selected iPod models. The speakers’ powerful neodymium magnets ensure clean, crisp sound, while Dolby Virtual Surround creates the illusion of a wider sound field when viewing video content. Power output is five watts and the system features two audio inputs, one analog and one digital optical. A remote control is included.

In addition to its function as an iPod speaker dock, the XS-SR3 can also be used as computer speaker system.

The JVC XS-SR3 is available this month for $149.95.

About JVC U.S.A.
JVC U.S.A., headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, is a division of JVC Americas Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Victor Company of Japan Ltd. JVC distributes a complete line of video and audio equipment for the consumer and professional markets. For further product information, visit JVC’s Web site at http://www.jvc.com or call 1-800-526-5308.

JVC LAUNCHES DUAL WIRELESS AND SUPER-SLIM SOUNDBAR SYSTEMS

JVC LAUNCHES DUAL WIRELESS AND SUPER-SLIM SOUNDBAR SYSTEMS

New TH-BA3 includes wireless rear speakers; TH-BS7 features a slender soundbar and slim, wall-mountable amplifier.

WAYNE, NJ, December 14, 2009 – JVC today introduced a pair of soundbar home theater systems, offering consumers a home theater sound solution to meet a range of budgets and needs. Among the two new systems is the world’s first dual wireless soundbar system that features a wireless subwoofer and wireless surround speakers. The other is highlighted by a super-slim soundbar and a thin, wall-mountable amplifier.

JVC’s new dual wireless soundbar system is the TH-BA3, a 280-watt, 5.1-channel surround sound system that includes a sound bar, wireless subwoofer and wireless rear speaker kit comprised of wireless left and right surround speakers and a wireless receiver. The sound bar contains four speakers – one each for the left and right main channels and two for the center channel. Also built into the sound bar is the power amplifier, surround decoding, system controls and the transmitter for the wireless surround speakers. It offers one analog and two optical digital inputs and decodes Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby ProLogic II surround signals.

The new JVC TH-BS7 system is designed to match the slimmest of flat panel HDTVs. It includes a sliver of a soundbar that measures just 1.4 inches (36mm) tall, an even slimmer wall-mountable amplifier/control unit and a wireless subwoofer.

The 180-watt, 4.1-channel TH-BS7 owes its slim design to JVC’s own Direct Drive speaker technology that uses a unique voice coil design and strong neodymium magnets to deliver outstanding sound quality and a broad soundfield from a super-slim speaker. The design allows the TH-BS7’s soundbar to boast a frequency range of 200 - 20,000 Hz that falls to just 200 – 10,000 Hz at 360 degrees off-axis. The soundbar features four JVC Direct Drive speakers – left and right main channels and left and right surround channels – each driven by 20 watts. The two surround channels are processed using JVC’s Front Surround technology to provide a surround sound effect without the need for rear speakers.

Complementing the slim design of the soundbar is the system’s amplifier/control unit. It measures just 1.2 inches deep and can be wall mounted. It decodes Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Pro Logic II, and offers one analog and three optical digital inputs. The system’s wireless subwoofer features a six-inch woofer powered by a 100-watt amplifier.

Pricing and availability:

About JVC U.S.A.

JVC U.S.A., headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, is a division of JVC Americas Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Victor Company of Japan Ltd. JVC distributes a complete line of video and audio equipment for the consumer and professional markets.

For further product information, visit JVC’s Web site at http://www.jvc.com/ or call 1-800-526-5308.

Wireworld Introduces New Platinum Starlight HDMI Cable

For those of you looking to upgrade your cables and looking for the best, your checkbook may see a couple more zero's than you are used to. Wireworld's new top-of-the line cable is $1,000 for a 1m cable.

COOPER CITY, FL (12/8/09) -- Wireworld, which debuted the world's first upgrade HDMI cables in 2004, has introduced a new flagship HDMI cable that delivers the highest levels of performance the company has ever offered. The Platinum Starlight HDMI cable features molded carbon fiber connectors, the company's unique new 24-conductor DNA Helix™ design with solid silver conductors, and high-speed/high-bandwidth capabilities to meet even the most stringent system requirements - including the new HDMI v1.4 High Speed with Ethernet specification. MSRP for the Platinum Starlight is $1,000 for a 1.0 meter cable.

“Now that Blu-Ray players are the primary source for both movies and music in home theater systems," comments Wireworld President and founder David Salz, "the HDMI cable connecting the player to the system has become the most important audio cable in the entire system. The Platinum Starlight HDMI cable addresses the need to provide the highest possible audio and video fidelity in high end home theater installations.”

The Platinum Starlight HDMI cable employs Wireworld's new, patent-pending DNA Helix conductor design, which uses 24 solid silver conductors -- double that of conventional HDMI designs -- arranged with an innovative symmetrical geometry designed to neutralize impedance variations at every point along the cable's length. These advancements maximize available speed and bandwidth for the signal path while also reducing noise and jitter effects for substantial overall improvements in signal fidelity and dynamic response. The cable is capable of transfer rates of up to 21 Gbits per second, far exceeding the HDMI group's recently announced v1.4 High Speed with Ethernet specification of 10.2 Gbits per second.

Platinum Starlight HDMI cables will be available in February of 2010 in lengths ranging from 0.3 meter to 30 meters. Retail pricing for a 1.0 meter cable is $1,000.

Wireworld Cable Technology, which was founded by renowned designer David Salz in 1992, is the premier provider of leading edge digital and analog cable technology for home audio and video, from HDMI and Displayport technologies to state of the art high-end interconnects and speaker cables. The company has an unmatched reputation for producing superior cables based on the use of objective perceptual testing, innovative patented designs, premium materials, and exceptional manufacturing quality.

For more information, visit: http://www.wireworldcable.com/ or call 954-680-3848.

New LCOS projector CF181D from LG

LG pulls a surprise with a new LCOS front projector with $2499 street price. The specs look rather impressive for the price.

• 1080P
• LCOS panel
• 35,000:1 contrast ratio
• 1,800 lumens
• 120Hz FI
• HQV Certified
• ISF Certified
• 2 year warranty