Show Reports, Film Festivals and Concerts

2016 CEDIA Expo Video Wrap-up

For the last couple of CEDIA Expos, technology has been emerging more quickly than content. That is to say, a lot of displays can play specialized demos with grace, beauty and elegance but once you get one in your home, there just isn’t any software available to recreate that experience. You want to watch the same Mammoth 4K demo material I saw? It’ll cost you $500 per minute; I kid you not. I think however that this year, we’ve turned a corner towards sanity and common sense.

Ultra HD is nothing new. You can get it in many flat panels today without paying a significant premium over 1080p. But front projection took a nice leap forward with the introduction of native 4K DLP from Barco, Digital Projection, Vivitek and Sim2. Not to be outclassed, JVC showed us its first native 4K light engine in the new DLA-RS4500. And as if that weren’t enough, many of these projectors use a laser phosphor instead of the traditional UHP lamp. Service ratings are now well into the five figure range; 20-30,000 hours rather than two or three thousand. Pricing was not announced for the Barco, Digital Projection and Vivitek models but Sim2 and JVC are both selling their Ultra HD projectors for $35,000.

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The other big thing appearing in projectors is High Dynamic Range (HDR). Now that Ultra HD Blu-ray is emerging with both players and software, Epson, JVC and Sony are supporting the HDR10 standard in order to work properly with the new players from Samsung, Philips and early next year, Sony. I also saw a new HDR format which is part of Europe and Japan’s Ultra HD broadcasts called Hybrid Log Gamma. That comes in Sony’s latest 4K models.

In the television department, I saw the usual stunning demos at LG’s booth running on their latest organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. Not only do they support all the latest UHD and HDR standards, they offering a new Signature Series with concierge service and lots of premium perks. Prices range from $8000 to $20,000 for the flagship 77-inch panel. Of course there are cheaper alternatives in the B6, C6 and E6 lines starting at $2800 (55-inch) which is less than I paid for my Pioneer Kuro plasma in 2009 (hmmm). I hope they won’t be the only manufacturer offering OLED forever but at least they’re sticking with it. Honestly it’s hard to imagine a better-looking television.

Sony panels have upped the game with a new type of full-array backlighting where each LED is individually controlled. Finally we have a shot at true HDR. With thousands of light sources manipulating contrast, the potential for this technology is huge. Their demos looked great but I don’t think we’ve seen everything these new panels can do just yet.

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For home theater buffs, it seems that every new receiver and processor includes support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X along with a full array of HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2 inputs and outputs. While it’s a bummer to have to upgrade the rack yet again, I think this time we might see a little extra longevity from the latest interface standards.

I think the past three Expos engendered more of a “wait and see” attitude. This year I saw many products that I think will motivate people to actually buy something new. 1080p and Rec.709 still look great on high-contrast displays like the Pioneer Kuro Plasma TV or JVC RS-20 projector, like the ones I enjoy every day. But I suspect my reference components’ days are numbered.

After conversations with several manufacturers, I have possible reviews lined up for JVC’s DLA-RS4500 projector and Epson’s new LS10500 along with a couple of their high-output value models. I also spoke to Stewart Filmscreen about its new light-rejecting material called Phantom. Seymour Screen Excellence has a cool new acoustically-transparent screen with a neat masking system that I will hopefully get to try. Screen Innovations also has a nifty roll-up system called the Zero G that will see coverage in these pages. And finally on the audio side, I’m looking forward to checking out the new Masters Series integrated amplifiers from NAD.

Thanks for reading Secrets’ coverage of CEDIA Expo 2016. As always, we try to bring you as much new product as possible and more importantly, it means cool new things for us to review! Watch these pages for more great content in the coming months.

Chris Eberle

Chris' passion for audio began when he took up playing the bassoon at age 12. During his third year at the New England Conservatory of Music, he won a position with the West Point Band where he served for 26 years as principal bassoonist. He retired from the Army in 2013 and is now writing full time and performing as a freelance musician in Central Florida. As an avid movie lover, Chris was unable to turn away the 50-inch Samsung DLP TV that arrived at his door one day, thus launching him irrevocably into an obsession with home theater. Dissatisfied with the image quality of his new acquisition, Chris trained with the Imaging Science Foundation in 2006 and became a professional display calibrator. His ultimate theater desires were realized when he completed construction of a dedicated cinema/listening room in his home. Chris is extremely fortunate that his need for quality audio and video is shared and supported by his wife of over 25 years. In his spare time he enjoys riding his recumbent trike at least 100 miles per week, trying out new restaurants, going to theme parks and spending as much time as possible watching movies and listening to music. Chris enjoys bringing his observations and discoveries about every kind of home theater product to as many curious and well-informed readers as possible. He is proud to be a part of the Team and hopes to help everyone enjoy their AV experiences to the fullest.