Audio Video News

Seymour-Screen Excellence, the joint venture between U.S-based Seymour AV and U.K.-based Screen Excellence, has announced an adjustable ratio, motorized masking system for screens up to 20 feet high that is designed to be built on the wall in sections rather than being assembled on the floor and lifted into place.

Designed with reference-grade home theaters in mind, the new Adjustable Ratio Theater (ART) system’s acoustically transparent screen accommodates almost any video format using either four-way masking with left/right and top/bottom panels or two-way masking incorporating left/right or top/bottom masking panels that move to create screens with different aspect ratios.

A “silent motorized masking assembly” with sheer black masking panels supported by rigid carbon fiber bars is mated to an aluminum frame built on the wall in sections and finished with a luxurious black velvet fascia.

The largest of Seymour’s three masking platforms, the ART system can be ordered with the company’s Enlightor Neo or PRO A.T. seamless screen surfaces and accommodates images up to 20 feet tall and between 13 and 30 feet wide — 8 feet wider than the company’s True Aspect Masking (TAM) systems — with “unlimited intermediate masking positions down to 4:3.” Prices start at $26,000 and scale up to $142,000, depending on screen size.

Nominated for a 2019 CEDIA Best New Product Award, the ART system is designed to work with all home control systems and features one-button aspect ratio control. Motor control cards/boxes and infrared (IR), 12V, and RS-232 control accessories are available at extra cost.

ART makes it easier for custom installers to deliver a commercial cinema-like experience at home, said managing director Chris Seymour, noting that high-end home theaters are on the rise with the advent of advances such as IMAX for the home and the increasing popularity of immersive surround-sound platforms such as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D.

For more information, visit seymourscreenexcellence.com.