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Sony and Epson Booth Demonstrations at NAB Show® 2012 to Feature Screen Innovations Black Diamond Zero Edge and Reference Series Projection Screens

Austin, TX – April 16, 2012 – Screen Innovations (SI), a leading US-based manufacturer of projection screens for residential and commercial applications, today announces that two prominent exhibitors at next week’s National Association of Broadcasters Show will feature Screen Innovations projection screens in their exhibits. The NAB Show®, which runs April 16-19, 2012 in Las Vegas, NV, supports the broadcast industry and features products and technologies for the Broadcast and associated industries.

In Epson’s booth (#SL14710,) a custom 36”(h) x 120”(w) 3.33:1 aspect ratio Black Diamond Reference Series screen and a 39″ (h) x 68”(w) 16:10 aspect ratio Black Diamond Zero Edge screen will be used to demonstrate Epson’s PowerLite Pro Z8450WUNL and Pro Z8455WUNL multimedia projectors.

In Sony’s booth (#C11001), a custom 84.375”(h) x 160”(w) 1.89:1 aspect ratio Solar 1.3 gain 4K rated SI screen will be used to demonstrate Sony’s new VPL-VW1000ES 4K SXRD projector. A video of the VPL-VW1000ES paired with an SI Black Diamond screen can be found here: http://vimeo.com/39005610.

For their respective demonstrations, both manufacturers will use Screen Innovations screens to showcase not only the technological prowess of their newest projectors, but also that of the onscreen image. Furthermore, SI’s Black Diamond screens were designed for – and excel in – high ambient light conditions, which a tradeshow floor most certainly provides, thereby providing NAB Show attendees the opportunity to see for themselves how well they perform in such an environment.

About Black Diamond Screens
Designed to solve complex two-piece projection system installation challenges, SI Black Diamond screens essentially change the commercial landscape by enabling projection to work in almost any environment, anytime, day, or night. Featuring micro-seamed construction, Black Diamond delivers a stunning, flat panel-quality image for virtually any application imaginable.

Equipment from ADA, Kaleidescape, Screen Innovations, DPI, CinemaTech, D-Box Technologies, Leon Speakers and Tributaries used to showcase $250,000 home theater system at EHX.

By Jason Knott, March 19, 2012
It may have been the swan song for EHX, but exhibitors and attendees alike were not singing the blues and they were dazzled by a $250,000 home theater setup at the Orlando show.

The expansive 20 x 40-foot room included equipment from ADA, Kaleidescape, Screen Innovations, DPI, CinemaTech, D-Box Technologies, Leon Speakers and Tributaries. In such a large room, it’s difficult to get the audio perfect.

In the iPad-controlled demo using the concert Blu-ray of renowned trumpeter “Chris Botti in Boston,” ADA’s Richard Stoerger showed how the company’s Trinnov room correction in its Cinema Reference Mach IV Flagship pre/pro helps bring a fuller sound. It was noticeable.

Using clips from the Kaleidescape server, the DPI dVision Scope front projector automatically switched from 16×9 format to 2.35:1 format within 5 seconds. The projector automatically senses the letterbox format and fills the screen.

Later in the demo, the CinemaTech seats with D-Box motion chair technology were used in three clips, with the most riveting demo being an extreme car chase and pileup scene from “The Blues Brothers.” Audience members were first shown the clip with the motion activated, then shown the identical sequence without it off. “What was missing?” asked Mario Thibeault of D-Box Technologies. “It is just not the same without the motion once you have experienced it.”

Integrators got an in-depth demo that lasted nearly 20 minutes including other clips from “The Incredibles” and “Avatar.” (read more)

Screen Innovations Experiences Explosive Growth; Appoints Key Personnel and Expands Organization

Austin, TX – March 12, 2012 – Screen Innovations (SI), a leading US-based projection screen manufacturer, today announces that the company is experiencing explosive 40% growth, citing both domestic and international sales expansion and strategic employee appointments as the primary catalyst.

A relative newcomer to the projection screen category, SI has amassed a cult-like following that can be directly tied to the value and virtue of its innovative product offering. While much has been recently written about two-piece projection, unique, multi-purpose screen technologies such as those found in Screen Innovations’ Black Diamond screens represent a game-changing opportunity for integrators and designers worldwide.

SI attributes some of the explosive growth to the lack of margin found in traditional pixel-based flat panel displays. “TVs still have a place in the world for sure, but they are being replaced by larger, more energy efficient display technologies, and projection screens are now part of that equation” says SI President Ryan Gustafson. “We knew we were on to something big back in 2005 when we manufactured and sold our first screens to Gary Wermuth at WAVE Electronics in Houston, Texas. Since then, we’ve expanded the scope of our operation significantly, and continue to evolve our product line at a feverish pace in order to meet market needs.”

To support their explosive growth, SI has made several strategic personnel appointments:

Brandon Holmes and Dan Poirier join the SI Engineering team, providing needed skills and intelligence to further develop and expand the line.

Brandon Holmes brings more than a decade’s worth of engineering and technical sales experience in the commercial screen industry (LCD/Plasma/Projector) to the SI team. Culminating from many years as the principle Engineer for highly reliably outdoor LCD displays and Digital Signage Solutions architecture, Holmes demonstrates “solid design and testing fundamentals which lend well to SI’s commitment of delivering perfectly reliable and finished products.“

Dan Poirier possesses nearly 30 years of invention, manufacturing, engineering, product and process equipment development, plus precision machining and fabrication skills to Screen Innovations. Poirier’s prior creative accomplishments include the invention of processing equipment using linear servos, rotary servos, and piezo linear actuators, as well as Pneumatic Logic, Stepper and PLC controls. This, plus his background with consumer product development and custom thin film manufacturing process equipment design and build fits perfectly with SI’s initiatives, make him a valuable addition to the Engineering team.

Shannon Gustafson and Jay Biedermann join Blake Vackar in leading the Sales team, managing accounts for their respective territories, further developing the company’s network and reach through strategic partnerships.

Shannon Gustafson recently made her re-entry back into the SI workforce after a brief stint away to start a family. The proud mother of three-year old twins, Taylor and Austin, Shannon manages all aspects of the company’s international sales and marketing efforts. Living abroad for much of her life, Shannon has a unique ability to successfully manage a diverse international clientele. Boasting impressive double-digit growth figures during challenging economic times, Shannon has truly made her mark on the company and serves as an inspiration to those around her. “As a woman, wife, and mother, I appreciate the products we design and sell. As an employee, I am thrilled at the solutions we provide. By increasing our international presence, dealers and distributors worldwide now recognize that SI represents an unparalleled opportunity to provide their customers a superior entertainment experience.”

Jay Biedermann joined SI in January as the company’s Director of Commercial Sales Development. Formerly with DMX Music, where he won the Annual Circle of Excellence Award several years in a row, Jay brings a wealth of hands-on experience to the newly formed position. Already familiar with the SI line and market strategies, Jay has developed a keen strategy to expand SI’s reach into the commercial market. With a consultative approach and an eye for detail, he works closely with integrators and systems designers to ensure they have the tools and resources needed to properly design, specify, and install two-piece projection systems utilizing Screen Innovations screens. “SI’s technological prowess is virtually unmatched in the field. Revolutionary products like Black Diamond make my job especially fulfilling, as they allow me to demonstrate the innumerable ways these screens outperform the competition on a daily basis.”

Blake Vackar, who is now a well-known face for the SI brand, joined the company from D-Tools, and serves as the Director of US Sales. Managing all aspects of the company’s domestic sales strategy, Blake spends his time educating and inspiring others on the virtues and benefits of using Screen Innovations’ products. The face and voice behind many of the company’s educational videos that are showcased on the SI website, Blake utilizes his prior experience as an integrator to guide dealers to projection screen technology bliss, enjoying the fruits of his labor immensely. “To work with such a capable and creative group is just so cool,” he says, furthering “I get to show dealers how to reinvent themselves through two-piece projection, during the most expansive time the category has ever witnessed. To say our projection screens are life-changing may seem a little over the top, but there are times when it feels that way, based on the overwhelming response we get on a fairly regular basis.”

Screen Innovations’ trajectory from a garage-based business to a well-established internationally recognized projection screen powerhouse has been “a labor of love,” according to SI President Ryan Gustafson. “It has been incredibly fulfilling, and I am both proud and humbled at the same time whenever I think about how far we have come in such a short time,” said Gustafson. “Projection screen technology is finally hitting the mainstream now, and although we’ve been banging on this drum for many years, the technology has finally progressed to a state where it is truly a viable and appealing solution for many of today’s video-centric installations. In fact, this evolution is what motivates and drives us. While we understand and appreciate the world’s dependence on pixel-based displays, we believe that two-piece projection can -and will- justifiably surpass those technologies in both the residential and commercial spaces in the near future.

Bringing a lifetime of inspired innovation to the SI team, Ryan Gustafson is the grandson of an inventor and is a consummate innovator himself. Spearheading many of the design and engineering initiatives, Ryan works closely with his teams to ensure the unique needs of SI’s diverse clientele is being met with each product delivered. “We are returning profitability to our dealers by providing them the solutions they need at an affordable price, backed by the best warranty in the business, and supported by a great group of people who are truly dedicated to their success,” he says.

An insatiable force behind the enterprising young company, Gustafson works tirelessly to promote SI technologies, initiatives, and accomplishments, often finding inspiration from family, friends, or during his time spent in the field. “I see opportunity everywhere I go. Sure, I don’t sleep much, but then again, does any father of three-year old twins?” he jokes.

Black Diamond, SI’s flagship projection screen, stormed onto the scene last year, upping the category’s ante significantly. Zero Edge designs introduced at CEDIA Expo (2011) added a plasma TV-like viewing experience to the Black Diamond line. Because of their pencil-thin bezel, projected images seem to ‘float’ off the wall, as though not restricted by any bounds. Representing a unique opportunity for dealers and consumers alike, Black Diamond Zero Edge price-points rival -or often beat- traditional flat panel displays, and the screens work brilliantly in either light or dark, dedicated or multi-use spaces in either residential or commercial environments. They are currently the only native black projection screens on the market.

Not one to sit idle, Screen Innovations will announce new product designs in the upcoming months. In fact, several new residential and commercial products are set for unveiling at Infocomm, June 13-15, 2012 in Las Vegas, NV, and CEDIA Expo, September 5-8, 2012 in Indianapolis, IN. SI will make pre-show product announcements the week prior to each event.

Serving as Screen Innovations’ newly appointed PR firm of record, Katye (McGregor) Bennett of KMB Communications will spearhead SI’s communications efforts, working closely with Gustafson and the team to execute strategically targeted PR, marketing, and promotional endeavors. Bennett, who has been in the Consumer Electronics industry for nearly 20 years, brings hands-on experience with retail, distribution, light manufacturing, and supply chain and event logistics that not only complements, but also serves the diverse needs of the company well. “I started KMB Communications last year on the heels of my wedding and on the eve of CEDIA, knowing that I wanted to work with uniquely positioned, entrepreneurial innovators in the industry. It is an honor and an inspiration to work with the Screen Innovations team.”

About Screen Innovations
Screen Innovations (SI) is a leading manufacturer of projection screen technologies for residential and commercial applications. Delivering needed solutions, aesthetically pleasing designs, and competitive price points, SI screens provide unparalleled ambient light rejection and video image reproduction.

A highly innovative, industry-specific Screen Innovations design and engineering team works tirelessly, constantly evolving the category in order to effectively bring projection to the mainstream. Operating under the principle that, “No matter the budget, Screen Innovations has the best available screen solution to suit your needs,” SI aims to resolve the issues that have historically hamstrung the projection screen industry.(-MORE-)

Handcrafted in the USA, each Screen Innovations product carries a lifetime replacement policy, and is produced utilizing advanced custom robotics and green manufacturing practices. Dedicated to corporate and consumer responsibility, every SI screen is manufactured in the most efficient manner possible.

For more information about Screen Innovations, visit: www.screeninnovations.com/. To download product images, logos, videos and associated content, please visit: http://www.screeninnovations.com/downloads/.

Screen Innovations Media Contact:

Katye (McGregor) Bennett

KMB Communications

O – (425) 374 – 8930

C – (425) 328 – 8640

E – Katye@KMBComm.com

NBC series “Open House” features Screen Innovations Black Diamond Zero Edge projection screen in the show’s post-Super Bowl XLVI episode

Designed and installed by The Source Home Theater Installation and Design for NFL star Amani Toomer.

SEE VIDEO

Austin, TX – February 2, 2012 – Screen Innovations (SI), a leading US-based projection screen manufacturer, recently installed their Black Diamond Zero Edge projection screen in NFL star Amani Toomer’s New York City home, a project that will be featured on the NBC show “Open House.” Scheduled to air on NBC immediately following Saturday Night Live on February 4, 2012, and again immediately following Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, February 5, 2012, the episode will also run for three weeks on closed-loop television programming in New York City taxicabs.

In this episode, Screen Innovations dealer Todd Anthony Puma of The Source Home Theater Installation and Design in metro-NY transforms a portion of Amani Toomer’s home into an ideal man cave. Incorporating memorabilia from the NFL star’s storied career, Puma designed the room to be an aesthetically clean yet cozy space for Toomer to unwind with family and friends. The central focus of Toomer’s new man cave is its entertainment system, which is anchored by a 106-inch Screen Innovations Black Diamond Zero Edge projection screen that is backlit by a mirrored LED backlighting kit that intensifies the dynamic output of the screen. The system is made complete by a Wolf SDC-15 projector, Universal Remote Control MX6000 and MRX350 remotes, Marantz UD5005 Blu-Ray, Anthem MRX 700 receiver, Paradigm Studio Reference Series speakers and subwoofer, URC and Lutron lighting/control, Sony PlayStation PS3, Xbox, Nintendo Wii, Apple TV, Panamax Power and Bluebolt, and IXOS and Monster cable and connectors.

“Amani desired a room where he could go to get away from it all. A comfortable den that provides peace and quiet when he needs it, and a vibrant, visually explosive experience for movies and entertaining when he wants it,” said The Source Home Theater Installation and Design President Todd Anthony Puma. “We immediately thought of the Black Diamond Zero Edge screen when we started the design, as it provides an incredible image when on, and a clean, ‘barely-there’ profile when off. It is our ideal go-to projection screen solution.

SI President Ryan Gustafson added, “Black Diamond Zero Edge was designed to blend flawlessly with a room’s décor. Its pencil-thin bezel and thin, yet rigid construction, makes it a great solution for those seeking large-format plasma-like images in either residential or commercial environments. It is an honor to be part of Amani Toomer’s home theater experience.”

Designer Living: Tour Former “Giant” Amani Toomer’s Man Cave

Former Giant Amani Toomer shows us around his self-designed man cave. For more information on Amani’s home theater and the products used, please visit TheSourceHomeTheater.com

Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity

Screen Innovations Black Diamond Zero Edge Screen look expensive and high-end.

When designing a home theater, the screen is often the last consideration in the plan. After all, it’s much more interesting to research electronics and their associated specs than to look through screen material samples and frame designs. Other than size, few of us think much about our choice of screen. And what about aesthetics? Many theater designs hide the screen behind curtains so it isn’t even seen until movie time. And then there’s the lighting. Not everyone wants to watch movies in total darkness. And if you want to have a few friends over to watch sports, you’ll most likely want the lights on.

Enter Screen Innovations. SI has always been a company that pushes the envelope with projection screen technology. Their Black Diamond material helped put them on the map by making it possible to use a front projector with the lights on. Now with the Zero Edge, they’ve created a screen that actually looks great too. Whether in use or not, the Zero Edge is a guaranteed conversation piece and will make any media room (read more)

CE PRO 6 Best Demos of CES 2012

ADA, RBH, projectiondesign, SI

These companies have exhibited together for a number of years at the EHX custom electronics shows, but it’s a rare site to see an entire group of pure custom electronics companies in the Venetian. The companies showed how consumers can implement a great room/theater and secondary zones of A/V seamlessly. The two biggest takeaways from the joint exhibit: how cool looking SI’s Zero Edge Screen (pictured) was and how powerful ADA’s new flagship Cinema Reference Mach IV pre/pro is with its 16-channel Trinnov EQ system. (more info)

Pro Football Player Specifies his Dream Theater

July 06, 2011 | by Lisa Montgomery

Home theaters can be big, small, modest or elaborate. The owner of this medium-sized media space (a pro football player whose name we can’t mention) wanted his theater to reflect his football career and suit the unique needs of his family. First and foremost, the audio had to come through loud and clear, but not so it would disturb his newborn child or wife. Custom sound baffles were installed to keep the home theater’s audio isolated from the rest of the home, even when the volume is cranked.

The seating had to fit exacting requirements; he’s a defensive player, a.k.a. a big guy- too big for most standard seating. Instead, he wanted seats that could combine as a couch and recline individually.

The Black Diamond screen contributes through a design that’s maximized for high light output from a projector. The materials of the screen absorb the light so well that the projector’s high contrast can be effectively used; the blacks aren’t washed out, and the whites are crisp and clear.

Screen Scene: The Latest Projection Screen Trends and Challenges

Reflecting on what’s hot in the projection screen category for manufacturers is a little like casting their own footprints up on the wall. In opening themselves up like this, the top screen manufacturers have expressed both caution and opportunity for 3D screen technology, confirmation of the rise of multi-purpose media rooms, and a multitude of intriguing predictions for what types of changes this product class may go through.

Trending in Multiple Dimensions
The biggest trend in projection screens is a direct reflection on increase in 3D content and projector technology. Not surprisingly, there are a range of views regarding the viability for 3D screens to dominate the market long term and the views of the different types of challenges that the technology presents. read more

SCREEN INNOVATIONS ANNOUNCES THEIR NEW BLACK DIAMOND ZERO EDGE

Black Diamond Zero Edge available in 2.7, 1.4, and .8 screen gains up to 142-inch diagonal.

Austin, TX – August 18, 2011 – Screen Innovations (SI), the leader in projection screen technology, today announced its new Black Diamond Zero Edge projection screen, the first affordable large flat-panel alternative.

The Zero Edge ultra-thin, rigid panel sets a new aesthetic standard – with a pencil-thin bezel, the projected image appears to float off the wall. Among the multiple mounting options, the Zero Edge includes recessed (unframed), flush-to, projected off the wall, or flying from cables for an incredibly sleek appearance. There’s no assembly required—just unpack and hang.

According to Ryan Gustafson, President of Screen Innovations, “Our dealers have been telling us that they love the Black Diamond Big Screen experience but the problem is their customers don’t want a projection screen in the living room. Now with Zero Edge, you can have the same big screen experience with cutting edge aesthetic appeal. Black Diamond Zero Edge coupled with the new Black Diamond G3 screen materials offers the most stunning screen money can buy.

Standard screen sizes are available in 80 to 142-inch diagonal. Custom screen sizes are available as well. Screen materials include Black Diamond 2.7, Black Diamond 1.4 and Black Diamond 0.8. The Black Diamond Zero Edge will be shipping in October.

For more information about the new Black Diamond Zero Edge, visit http://www.screeninnovations.com/projector-screens/fixed/black-diamond-zero-edg/