8K, HDR10+ Headline Elsewhere, as CEDIA Expo Opens Minus Big TV Brands

TV makers improvised on September announcements for the CEDIA channel, having withdrawn from CEDIA Expo being held this week in Indianapolis due to COVID-19 concerns. Samsung and JVC introduced products Wednesday in news releases, while Sony held live online events Wednesday for integrators and the media, following LG, which had a prerecorded product wrap (see 2108310057) as part of a 10-company CEDIA Expo virtual preview tour.

In lieu of in-person dealer presentations at CEDIA Expo, Sony took the virtual route Wednesday, spotlighting products geared to the custom installation (CI) channel in live online sessions from a makeshift trade booth setting. Incoming Sony CEO Neal Manowitz opened the session, noting his 2003-2013 stint with Sony’s CI channel business. Manowitz, who became president and chief operating officer at Sony in April (see 2102150003) following the retirement of industry veteran Mike Fasulo, referenced a “challenging 19 months” for dealers due to COVID-19 health and safety concerns along with supply chain constraints.

A few dealers also referenced supply constraints in the chat accompanying the presentation. In response to one who asked about general availability of AV receivers, which have been particularly hard hit industrywide over the past year, Jeff Goldstein, head-CI sales for Sony, said, “Tight availability on AVR but steady supply.” Another dealer said he has back orders dating to October. One asked if AVRs are available from distributors, noting his business has had “a lot of problems” getting other manufacturers’ AVRs “in a timely fashion.” Goldstein said Sony is “no exception” to tight AVR availability “for the entire industry.” The company is working to handle dealers’ emergencies, he said.

Goldstein showed Crystal LED C-Series panels and a matching controller, which launched at CES. The Micro LED displays can be configured in multiple ways to create different-sized video displays. The company showed a 110-inch video wall Wednesday, calling it “just the beginning” of what’s possible with the technology.

Among premium TVs, Goldstein highlighted the 8K Bravia Z9J series of LED TVs; the A90J series OLED TVs; Sony’s best native 4K LED TV, the X95J series; and its 100-inch X92J. Responding to dealers’ questions, Goldstein said there’s no information on an 8K projector from Sony at this time and no plans for an outdoor TV. Executives didn’t comment on whether Sony is planning a digital art-based TV like Samsung’s Frame TV. Goldstein reviewed Sony’s flagship projectors, led by the VPL-GTZ380 4K laser projector with 10,000 lumens brightness and 16,000:1 contrast ratio.

Andrew Turner, audio video sales supervisor-ES, clarified a center-channel sync mode in the Z9J and A90J series TVs for installations where it’s not possible to use a sound bar or center-channel speaker. Installers can run speaker wire from an AV receiver to the TV to use the TV audio as a center-channel speaker, he said.

Samsung announced new size options for its flagship Neo QLED 4K and Lifestyle TVs, as well as a new iteration of The Wall MicroLED display. The company bowed 43-, 50- and 98-inch Neo QLED models, which join 55-, 65-, 75- and 85-inch versions. Samsung added an 85-inch version of The Frame and a 65-inch model in the Terrace line of TVs designed for installations in direct sunlight.

Samsung brought 8K 120 Hz technology to MicroLED displays for the first time in the latest version of The Wall, it said. The Wall’s screen can be configured to over 1,000 inches, said the company.

The TV maker revised its Platinum partner program for dealers, now offering regional distribution support and simplified access to consumer and commercial products under one umbrella to address the emerging crossover area of the custom market called “resimercial.” Combining access to both product segments will make it easier for integrators to “spec out jobs based on client need,” said the company.

JVC, another CEDIA 2021 no-show, launched a trio of laser projectors Wednesday said to be the first to offer 48 Gbps 8K inputs. The D-ILA projectors, due in October, are priced at $9,999, $14,999 and $24,999. The projectors use JVC’s Blu-Escent laser diode light source, previously found only in the company’s flagship DLA-RS4500 projector. The new projectors support 8K 60p/4K 120p inputs using JVC “8K e-shift technology” that achieves resolution “close to native 8K by shifting pixels in four directions rather than two.”

The JVC 8K projectors are the first to comply with recently completed HDR10+ technical and test specifications, said HDR10+ Technologies Wednesday. The specs for licensed products and certification support will enable viewers to watch 4K movies, concerts and TV shows the way creators intended, said the consortium. HDR10+ projector specifications address performance parameters including peak luminance level, color space, white point, color gamut and tone-mapping, and they allow HDR picture quality to be continuously adjusted, on a scene-by-scene basis, to ensure optimum brightness and contrast, said HDR10+ Technologies. The organization is in the process of authorizing test centers, including Allion Labs, it said.