CE Week kicked off in Manhattan this week, and B&H was on hand to test out some of the latest and greatest products in home entertainment. Brands big and small were there to showcase the products we’re likely to see in the hands and homes of consumers sometime in the near future. Here are some the products that really caught our eye.
Epson projectors and Da-Lite screens
Epson and DaLite had shared displays at CE Week, at a booth and in the home theater room. The booth had the PowerLite 1985WU projector with Da-Lite’s new Parallax 0.8 screen. This was an impressive combination, because we felt as though we were watching an LED TV rather than a projector in an environment flooded with ambient light. The Parallax screen has a multi-layer design, where one layer has a “saw-tooth” pattern to block light emanating from above. The presenter had her flashlight pointed at the screen, on a downward angle, and the light didn’t affect the image. The screen is black, which further helps improve the contrast ratio in bright environments.
The Epson/Da-Lite display in the home theater room was just as impressive. They were using the Epson Pro Cinema 6040UB projector with a much larger Parallax screen. Colors were vibrant, details were distinct, and the image was bright. The Parallax screens range in diagonal size from 77 to 120" in 16:9 format, 84 to 109" in 16:10 format, and 96 to 148" in 2.35:1 format. Two frame options are available: 2.5" for the standard Parallax series and 3/8" for the Parallax Thin series. The UST 0.45 material is rated for ultra-short-throw projectors, which would mount below the screen, while the 0.8 surface is rated for standard-throw projectors, with 1.5:1 or greater throw ratios.
Samsung televisions
The Samsung KS9800-Series was out in full force at CE Week, with three models on display, one of which was displaying video-game footage with the company’s Atmos soundbar. The TV image was clear, and the curved design provided a more immersive experience, particularly with first-person video. Details were clear on these bright, high-contrast displays. We got to see the HDR calibration mode, which looked sophisticated yet is easy to use. There were many options for adjusting color, contrast, and brightness to optimize your HDR experience.
Pioneer home audio
We got to hear the Pioneer PL-30-K turntable through the company’s VSX-1131 receiver and SP-BS22-LR speakers. They combined to output clear sound that was surprisingly audible on the noisy expo floor. For a fully immersive sound experience, you can add on the SP-T22A-LR Atmos speakers along with center and surround speakers.
Astell&Kern home sound system
Astell&Kern was on hand to demo its uniquely designed AK-T1 sound system. Available in black or silver, it features a T-shaped design with the woofers mounted in the vertical bar and tweeters and midrange drivers in the horizontal bar. It comes in three pieces, which are easy to set up; the round base screws into the vertical bar, then you mount the horizontal speaker bar. Acoustic detail was clear at both low and high volumes, which was impressive on the noisy expo floor. It connects via DLNA, Ethernet, or Bluetooth with aptX technology.
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