The Severtson SAT-4K Acoustically Transparent and TAT-4K Titanium Acoustically Transparent make an appearance at CEDIA Expo 2016, both promising a seamless projection screen with "virtually no size limitations."

“The SAT-4K and the TAT-4K offer the professional installer and integrator two great options when deciding on a state-of-the-art acoustically transparent projection screen,” the company says. “The SAT-4K replicates the cinema experience in the commercial and home settings like no other projection screen on the market today. The TAT-4K offers the same innovative technology as the SAT-4K, but is designed specifically for installations with incoming ambient light, meeting and exceeding all industry standards for optimum acoustic performance.”

Being acoustically transparent, the screens allow installers to place the entire sound stage behind the screen at the same horizontal axis, providing vocals and special effects in sync with the on-screen images for an immersive audio and video experience.

Futuresource Consulting forecasts global projector volumes sales will fall by around 20% from 2015 to 2020.

However, market value is expected to move in the opposite direction-- and is set to experience double-digit growth over the same period.

This value will be driven by greater adoption of solid state solutions (which will retain their premium over lamp-based equivalents), replacement demand of digital cinema models and erosion of the bottom-end of the market.

Given their history of correctly predicting how the projector market will develop, Futuresource says the notion that value will grow as volumes decline can-- (and we are quoting here)-- "almost be considered a fact."

Despite the numerous and varied factors impacting the projector market, Futuresource shows it still continues to predict the development of volume sales with accuracy. For example, in Q1 2014, Futuresource forecasted the global projector market in 2015 was set to hit 7.6 million units – the actual number was 7.67 million units-- a difference of just -0.9% Y2Y. Pretty good forecasting. (We're not quoting here, that's us speaking. Less than 1% off is about as good as forecasting gets.)

Draper adds to the variety of screens featuring the ReAct high-brightness projection material-- now featuring both fixed and tab-tensioned electric models ideal for home cinema and media room installations.

As the company puts it, ReAct is an ambient light-rejecting fabric able to enhance colour and contrast in locations where a complete room blackout is either not possible or not wanted. It is a silver/gray screen with the same 1.0 gain as a matte white screen.

ReAct Clarion fixed screens are available in sizes ranging from 92- to 133-inch, while the Adaptive tab-tensioned electric versions range from 86- to 104-inch. Bespoke sizes are also available on special order.

Italian projector maker Sim2 launches an ultra short throw projector-- the xTV, a stylish number the company says turns any wall into a pixel-perfect screen.

Housed in a distinctive crystal-glass cabinet designed by Giorgio Revoldini, the xTV uses a hybrid laser light engine with a single-chip DMD device to project images between 85- and 110-inches in size. Customers can either place it on furniture or ceiling-mount it, and the near future should see a version one can build directly into bespoke furniture.

“The concept is not to compete with a flat panel, but create a new sales opportunity," the company says. "If you have an area with high ambient light, you can use the xTV with a screen that makes the picture brighter than a TV."

Epson announces a trio of home cinema projectors-- the EH-TW7300, EH-TW9300 and EH-TW9300W, all featuring 4K enhancement, UHD Blu-ray and high dynamic range (HDR) support.

According to the company the 4K enhancements brings "new level of finesse" to projected images, be it in native 4K resolution or digitally upscaled 1080p content. Further boosting images is the display of the entire sRGB and DCI colour spaces, contrast ratio of up to 1000000:1 (EH-TW9300/EH-TW9300W), 16-piece glass lens, frame interpolation and detail enhancement.

Brightness reaches 2300 lumens in the EG-TW7300, while the EH-TW9300 and EH-TW9300W offer 2500 lumens. Providing high white and colour light output are Epson 3LCD panels.

Optoma presents a successor to the popular HD141x home theatre projector-- the HD142x, a 1080p update promising better colour and contrast within a smaller form factor.

The HD142x adds an sRGB colour mode for accurate PC and Mac content and colour space. This complements the Reference Mode (reproduces accurate Rec.709 HDTV broadcast spec colours) to ensure content created for any source looks true and vibrant.