SIM2 Italy Visit

By Gary Reber, Editor-In-Chief

August 15, 2006

During late June and early July 2006, I had the opportunity to visit SIM2 Multimedia (parent company of SIM2 USA), headquartered in the northern Italian town of Pordenone, near the Austrian border and not far from Venice. SIM2 is a leading high-performance video display manufacturer and was the first company to design, engineer, and build a DLP™-based projector specifically for performance and use in home theatre applications. The company has been at the forefront of front and rear-projection display innovation and has continued to evolve the projection technologies employed in their displays. Their award-winning Grand Cinema™ line is praised around the world as among the world’s finest display offerings. During the visit, I was treated to a tour of the factory and each of the departments. SIM2 is a manufacturer of displays with a fully staffed, in-house engineering department that designs and engineers each of the models in the company’s impressive range of displays. Precise engineering and quality parts ensure that the end product will exceed the expectations of the most demanding display enthusiast. I was impressed with the degree of engineering that drives this company and also with the extent of performance-testing of each and every display before it is carefully packed for shipment to SIM2 dealers worldwide—over 45 countries, according to the company. Every component is designed and tested in-house to assure optimum performance. As well, every projector is hand-assembled in the SIM2 factory. The Grand Cinema C3x is the company’s premiere three-chip projector, and as demonstrated during the trip, delivers exceptional 720p resolution and an addictive cinematic experience. I was most excited to view the final engineering tweaks being performed just prior to the release of SIM2’s first native 1080p (1920 x 1080) single-chip DLP projector, the flagship Grand Cinema HT3000. The HT3000 is capable of displaying 1080p source material, such as HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats, at full-resolution, and features a ten-bit internal deinterlacer and scaling engine for optimal performance with other video sources, including DVD, 1080i and 720p HDTV, and standard-definition cable or satellite transmissions. While at the factory, I also experienced the final tweaks and testing of the HT3000. The projector employs the newly introduced 0.95-inch 1080p DarkChip3™ DMD chipset and end-to-end ten-bit video processing in combination with SIM2’s proprietary Alpha Path™ light engine for true 1080p resolution (1920x1080). The Alpha Path design is truly innovative. A new seven-segment (RGBRGB + Natural Density Filter) color wheel and a 200-watt high-output lamp rated at a full 4,000-hour lifespan is employed. The specifications achieve remarkable color depth and fidelity with a contrast ratio stated to be > 5,000:1 (Full ON/ Full OFF). SIM2’s live color management and gamma control functions also are included and video performance is further enhanced with the company’s new Dynamic Noise Reduction and Spatial Noise Reduction processing. The company offers on all of their displays customizable video settings for each individual input for optimization with multiple source components in a home theatre system. The HT3000 features two HDCP-compliant HDMI inputs, as well as VGA, component, composite, and S-video inputs to accommodate a full range of video sources. RS-232 and IR input jacks are included to simplify integration with whole-house control systems, and there are two 12V trigger outputs to control motorized screens and other support equipment. I was impressed with the provision for three custom user settings for aspect ratio adjustments in addition to standard 16:9, 4:3, letterbox, and pixel-to-pixel settings. This feature can be used in conjunction with the company’s newly introduced CinemaScope™ System anamorphic lenses to generate full-resolution video at the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. This thrilled me, as this means the projector is capable of displaying the full impact and resolution of widescreen films. The supplied lens is high quality, with a throw ratio of 1.5-2.0:1. The recently announced suggested retail is $15,995, a perfectly reasonable price point for an extremely high-performance 1080p native projector. The HT3000 will also be available with an optional long-throw 2.0-3.0:1 ratio lens in October, at a suggested retail price of $16,995. We are scheduled to document these impressive features in a review of the HT3000 in an upcoming issue of Widescreen Review. Well, I have to say that my trip to Italy was a most memorable experience. Our hosts were very hospitable and gracious. Marlene and I were thrilled with the activities organized for the week-long trip, especially our day-trip to Venice and the tour of the beautiful northern Italian wine country. There is no doubt that SIM2 should be respected and acknowledged for their constant pursuit of excellence in video performance. But let’s not forget to also acknowledge the incredible beautiful Italian industrial design that all SIM2 displays exhibit on the outside shell and the cabinetry—design that can enhance any home theatre decor. I would like to thank publicly our hosts, Maurizio Cini, CEO; Giorgio Corazza, President; and Greg Nicoloso, Marketing Director. I particularly appreciated the extensive time allotted to get to know these gentlemen and others at the factory, and to discuss all things home theatre. Marlene and I also immensely enjoyed our time spent with Sabrina and Solitaire, the SIM2 women who graciously served as our guides throughout the trip, and with Barbara, Giorgio’s wife. This was one of the best factory tours I have ever experienced. For more information on the SIM2 display product range, please visit www.sim2usa.com.

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