Audio Video News

One of the most esteemed names in audio is teaming up with one of the most respected brands in video.

Sumiko has assumed North American distribution of Barco's CineVersum range of high-performance digital home cinema projectors. With three decades of experience importing and distributing high-end audio products (and, more recently, video products) Berkeley, CA–based Sumiko is "uniquely qualified" to handle the CineVersum line, according to a December 21 announcement.

"Sumiko's high quality approach to marketing in the specialty audio and video product marketplace is well known and made them the natural choice," stated Tom Vanthuyne, business unit manager for Barco Home Cinema. "Sumiko is widely acknowledged to be the best specialty distributor in terms of dealer support, product training, and after sales service." CineVersum products will be distributed through a network of specialty dealers in the US and Canada. Barco is headquartered in Kortrijk, Belgium.

The five models in the CineVersum line are aimed at home theater enthusiasts who demand the utmost in performance. Derived from Barco's professional digital cinema projectors, CineVersum projectors are claimed to offer "exceptional film-like video performance and advanced user-friendly features" in beautifully formed die-cast aluminum housings. Each model has been developed "to push the edge-of-the-art in video fidelity and to set a new standard as to what is possible in the home cinema environment," according to Sumiko president John Hunter.

The flagship model CineVersum 120 features a three-chip array of Texas Instruments' 16 x 9 digital light processors (DLP), a configuration intended to deliver "exceptional brightness and color balance" to 90–150" diagonal screens. Many lenses are available to optimize the projector for outstanding video sharpness, even if it is placed off-axis. Barco's Master digital video processor, which accommodates numerous analog and digital sources, interfaces with the 120 via a proprietary digital cable link for "unparalleled performance and installation convenience."

The CineVersum 110 is also a three-chip design; the CineVersum 80, 70, and 60 are all equipped with the latest high-definition single DLP chip.