The 2014 CEDIA Expo was held in Denver last week and showcased some of the newest and most exciting technology available for home theaters, including projectors, in-wall speakers, and home automation products. Here are a few of the latest home theater products making waves:
4K Media Players and TVs
4K is the newest standard for picture quality, offering better image definition, better details, faster display, and larger projection possibilities. 4K refers to 4000 pixels, meaning it is four times the resolution of the old standard 1080p. Sony demonstrated a few different 4K projectors at the expo, the most anticipated of which was the FMP-X10 media player, a 4K-enabled player that has been updated to work with non-4K televisions. Sony also demonstrated its VPL-GTZ1 ultra-short throw laser projector, which projects an image as big as 147 inches.
OLED TVs
LG announced and revealed its highly anticipated 4K OLED TVs at the expo to the delight of many home theater tech enthusiasts. OLED (organic light emitting diode) is the latest in TV tech, giving LCD and plasma TVs a run for their money. OLEDs are curved and promise better picture quality than one gets with an LCD or plasma screen. Currently LG and Samsung have released OLEDs. The cost ain’t cheap: LG’s 65-inch model currently costs $9,999 and its 77-inch model is priced at $24,999. LG also unveiled a massive 105-inch LCD screen costing a cool $100K.
New Home Theater Projectors
A number of new home theater projectors were on display, including two new projectors from Epson that use blue lasers to create an image. Sony and Christie also revealed high-quality projectors of their own. Christie’s latest projector, the DHD555-GS model, runs at around $18K.
Dolby Atmos Surround Sound
Dolby Atmos, which delivers the highest level of theater-quality sound in home theaters, was a big hit at the expo. Many companies unveiled their Atmos-friendly wall, ceiling, or upward firing speakers. Atmos speakers are moderately priced, costing anywhere from a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars.
While several of the products on display at the 2014 CEDIA Expo are out of most people’s price range, it’s exciting to see how technology is enabling individuals to create their own high-quality home theater experience. Dallas-area home theater aficionados will have a chance to see the newest technology up close next year! The CEDIA Expo is planned for the Dallas-area in 2015.
Interested in learning more about the latest, greatest products to make your home theater cutting-edge? Talk to an Advanced Home Theater Systems professional today:(469) 656.4804.
