Screen Excellence Introduces VistaCurve™ Curved Video Projection Screens

North American Distributor, StJohn Group, Inc., is now shipping Screen Excellence’s Highly Immersive Screen Technology

February 10, 2009

Screen Excellence, an industry leader in acoustically transparent, woven fabric projection screens for the home and commercial markets, has announced a new range of curved 1.78 and 2.37 aspect ratio models called VistaCurve™. Available in screen widths from 80 to 160 inches wide, and standard aspect ratios of 1.78:1 and 2.37:1, the curved design ensures a projection image without distortion while creating a cinematic impression of being surrounded by the projected image. All VistaCurve models feature Screen Excellence’s new Enlightor 4k (EN4K) screen material formulation. EN4K is the first and only acoustically transparent screen material that has been designed specifically for high-end Commercial D-Cinema and cutting edge residential high-end installations.   John Caldwell, StJohn Group’s Sales Director, asserted, “Screen Excellence has been positioned from the outset as a brand at the forefront for rectifying the worlds of video and audio performance. VistaCurve projection screens are the ideal match for today’s digital projectors with anamorphic lenses. The slightly curved screen corresponds exactly to the curve of the anamorphic lens. The image in 2.37 ratio is perfectly balanced. VistaCurve screens are a hand-in-glove fit with the growing movement of constant height 2.37 projection. “VistaCurve is an amazingly immersive experience in either 16:9 or 2.37, and a natural extension of Screen Excellence’s engineering expertise. It comes in response to the growing demand by our cutting-edge dealers who are pushing the envelope from home theater into ‘home cinema’ for their clients.” Key Benefits of VistaCurve Screen Excellence’s new VistaCurve offerings eliminate the pin-cushioning effects that may be present in short focal distance applications of some anamorphic lenses. Even with the widest VistaCurve models, the screen’s edge brightness for any viewer in the theater will always be with 95 percent of the brightness of the center of the screen. This level of performance can only be delivered by the high degree of precision engineered into every aspect of Screen Excellence’s products. Another major benefit of VistaCurve is its ability to eliminate the “audio hot-spotting” effect caused by solid vinyl or perforated vinyl, curved screens. Traditional solid or perforated vinyl curved screen becomes a large parabolic reflector in the room, thus focusing reflected acoustical energy into a narrow hot spot in the middle of the listening area. With VistaCurve, the audio passes right through the screen unabated and any reflected energy from the back wall of the theater can pass through the screen and be absorbed by acoustic treatment placed behind the screen.  VistaCurve fixed frame models start at $5,800 MSRP, and feature a substantial, luxurious velour-covered, 3.7-inch wide radiused frame; EN4K acoustically transparent projection fabric; and black backing fabric to eliminate light reflections from behind the screen. An advanced frame design provides for a sturdy and easy installation.  Screen Excellence’s line of HD and Widescreen models now includes hundreds of models of flat fixed screens, in many standard sizes. Custom sizes, aspect ratios and models are also available. What is Constant Height 2.37 Theater Architecture? Constant height 2.37 system architecture maintains the same vertical picture height at all times and uses all of the projector’s vertical array of pixels at all times. Besides increasing the vertical resolution of the image by 33 percent, constant height projection also enables a 33 percent wider viewing angle and a 33 percent increase in image brightness regardless of the source material’s aspect ratio. In combination with the proper video scaler and anamorphic lens that is accessed when Cinescope material is present, there will be no annoying grey bars at the top and bottom of the picture. For more information visit http://www.stjohngroup.com and http://www.screenexcellence.com

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