InfoComm is, by far, the most important American trade show of the year for the projector industry, and it is made more so each year by the incursion of ever-larger panel displays and more affordable LED wall solutions into the spaces once wholly reserved for projectors. In this context, InfoComm, along with the ISE event that takes place in Europe earlier in the year, is the opportunity for projector makers to show off their responsiveness to market and technology trends and prove, for at least another year, that they continue to innovate and provide cost-effective solutions for an ever-evolving market.

This year's award-winning products follow trends that have emerged in recent years. The first of these is the movement toward higher brightness out of smaller and more energy efficient boxes, which continues in a variety of single-chip DLP and 3LCD models that offer impressively high lumen output for their specific imaging technology classes. Another trend for this year is a broader push toward delivering 4K-resolution to customers; one of our honorees is actually an 8K model. I wouldn't say the commercial market is ready to relegate WUXGA and 1080p to the status of a WXGA, but more 4K models in the brightness classes customers really want for high-ambient light commercial applications suggests a real migration has finally begun. Additionally, several new products are claiming wide color gamut, specifically full DCI-P3 or Rec.2020, typically delivered by an advanced multi-laser engine that offers either discrete RGB architecture or a dual-color red and blue+phosphor arrangement. As is typical, the few screen entries in this year's awards represent traditional, existing material options repackaged to be easier to order and work with for integrators, or new materials that provide advances over a brand's previous offerings.

Here are the 2024 ProjectorCentral InfoComm Best of Show Award honorees. —Rob Sabin

Barco I600-4K15 1DLP Projector

The I600-4K15, spec'd at 14,000 ISO lumens, is the brightest of three projectors in Barco's new I600 line of single-chip DLPs, with sister models offered at 10,000 and 8,000 lumens. The emphasis here was on developing a series of mid-brightness 4K installation projectors that could claim being the smallest and lightest in their class, leading to a chassis that's just 19.8 x 20.6 x 8.1 inches and 55.1 pounds without the lens. Barco's SuperShift pixel-shifting tech, along with late-gen Barco Pulse electronics, is said to provide for sharper images and lower latency, with up to 120Hz frame rate. A comprehensive range of swappable lenses offers a range of throw ratios from 0.37 UST up to a 7.4X long-throw zoom.

Christie M 4K15 RGB 3DLP Projector

Christie's M 4K15 RGB put in an early appearance at last year's 2023 InfoComm, and appears at the 2024 event as a full-fledged, shipping product eligible for award. The brand's long-running and popular M series of remarkably compact triple-laser, 3-chip DLP projectors was updated in 2021 with the M 4K25 RGB, offering 25,300 ISO lumens. This version with 15,750 ISO/14,000 ANSI lumens comes in a little lighter (83.8 pounds) with the same 10.6 x 20.7 x 24.3-inch footprint that makes the M series a darling with the rental/staging and theme park communities. It's also able to deliver full brightness on a single 120V power line. Of course, the RGB laser boasts 98% of Rec.2020 gamut for demanding entertainment or other applications where color fidelity is critical, and rated contrast is 2,700:1, or an impressive 6,000:1 when mated with one of Christie's Ultra High Contrast lenses. Christie's TrueLife+ electronics package provides the video processing and accommodates a robust connection panel that eliminates the need for optional I/O cards.

Da-Lite Myriad Electric Screen Series

The Da-Lite Myriad screen system is a re-imagining of the brand's motorized screen line-up, developed in response to integrator and end-user demands for larger screen options and more mounting flexibility. Most notably, it brings much-anticipated surface-mount wall and ceiling options to the company's Sightline cable-drop feature. Introduced in 2022, Sightline offers a sleek, floating screen aesthetic while eliminating the need to order custom black-drop, but it has till now only been offered with an in-ceiling cassette. The Myriad system offers a variety of screen materials, including Da-Lite's HD Progressive 16K-ready and Parallax ALR surfaces, in two canister options, one dubbed Myriad Reveal for flush wall and ceiling mounts plus a Myriad Conceal recessed screen, designed with ceiling trim already in place to conceal the rough opening. It's also designed as a global platform, with the same product and manufacturing processes intended for all of Da-Lite's international markets, which holds down shipping costs and ensures product uniformity across all regions.

Digital Projection INSIGHT 8K Satellite MLS Projection System

There's not much to add here that we haven't said before about the benefits of Digital Projection's MLS or Modular Laser System, which was launched back in 2020 after a long gestation and remains today one of the only, if not the only, split projection system for broad commercial use. By using an optical cable link from the laser to the separately mounted head, both noise and footprint are greatly minimized in the projection space while the hard work gets done out of sight. The heart of the system is a dedicated 10,000 lumen RGB laser module (Rec.2020 capable), stackable for up to 40,000 lumens depending on the compact, relatively quiet projection head selected. There are a good few of those at this point, which till now covered WUXGA through DCI-4K (4096x2160) resolutions. By adding its first 8K head, with the ability to max out the lumen count at 40K with up to four modules, DP has further broadened the system's appeal and offered a truly unique solution for ultra-high-res applications.

Digital Projection M-Vision 27000 WU 1DLP Projector

Digital Projection's M-Vision 27000 WU, with 27,000 ISO21118 and 24,000 ANSI lumens, rightfully claims the title (for now) as the industry's brightest single-chip DLP projector, and is a perfect example of the ongoing trend of squeezing more brightness out of ever-smaller boxes in each product class. It's a classic workhorse with WUXGA resolution, and no slouch when it comes to advanced features, including DP's ColorBoost+Red laser tech, which adds a red laser to a traditional blue laser+phosphor engine to deliver truer colors and a full range of red hues. The company's late-gen NEXUS chip electronics, meanwhile, provides for higher bandwidth processing and enables DP's Projector Controller II software for image warping and blending without external hardware. Seven lens options and a ridiculously thorough jack-pack provide ultimate flexibility for any application.

Elite ProAV Floor Riser Pro CineGrey 4D Portable Screen

Elite continues to spread the joys of affordable ALR screens to a variety of applications. The Floor Riser Pro CineGrey 4D combines an angular reflective material suitable for long-throw projectors with a new floor-resting cassette with a telescoping support bar and pull-up design. The ISF-Certified surface features a multi-layer matrix with reflective and absorbent micro-particles said to eliminate up the 63% of ambient light, and black masking all around helps further improve contrast. The cleverly-designed canister has a built-in mechanism on the roller to adjust the tab-tensioning for a taut screen, a rotating floor support to guarantee stability, adjustable cup feet to accommodate uneven floors, and a built-in carry handle. A convenient travel bag comes with the screen. Attractive street pricing of $736 for the 113-inch and $840 for the the 121-inch version make it an ideal portable for lit-up training rooms, boardrooms, classrooms, or even family rooms.

Epson EB-PQ2010B 4K 3LCD Projector

Epson's EB-PU series large-venue projector platform made waves when it first arrived in 2021 thanks to a shockingly compact profile; the 20,000-lumen EB-PU2220, which came the next year, remains the smallest and lightest model in its class. But while the PU series offers WUXGA resolution with Epson's 4K Enhancement to double its 1080p pixel count, the new PQ models utilize Crystal Motion technology for true four-phase pixel shifting that achieves full 4K UHD resolution on screen. The EB-PQ2010B, the 10,000-lumen model honored here, is the world's smallest and lightest 10K lumen projector on the market, with a footprint of 17.2 × 21.5 × 6.5 inches and weighing just 41.4 pounds. It also boasts all the featuers of its EB-PU series counterparts, such as built-in NFC funtionality to speed multi-projector setups, and compatibility with Epson's PixAlign camera for adding automated tools including blending assist, stacking assist, auto color calibration, and screen matching. There are 10 powered lens options ranging down to a 0.35:1 UST, and compatibility with the Epson Projector Professional Tool (EPPT) and Epson Projector Management-Connected (EPM-C) software packages for fleet management.

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Epson ELPCS01 Mobile Projector Cart

Simple though it is, Epson's ELPCS01 mobile cart puts an attractive and well thought-out spin on the classic rolling projection cart. Its industrial design is slick enough that it looks like a permanent install but it readily moves to the next location when needed. The drop-in projector well on top is made to hide the PowerLite 810E ultra-short throw (or its black counterpart), whose 5,000 lumens of brightness is more than sufficient to cast images of 100 to 160 inches on whatever light-colored wall you can roll it up to. The integrated user panel on the cart's top provides access to power on/off, AV mute, source toggle, volume, zoom and image shift. There's also a USB-C port up there that connects to an integrated USB hub inside the cabinet, as well as an HDMI port that's a direct extension off the projector's I/O panel. Inside you'll find power outlets, the USB hub for connecting PC peripherals, and another HDMI for a casting dongle or other source device. Sound is provided through the projector's own robust sound system, which emanates from behind the grille cloth.

LG Electronics ProBeam BU53RG 1DLP Projector

Last year's 2023 InfoComm Best of Show Awards honored LG's flagship commercial projector, the ProBeam BU70QGA, in good part for its innovative inclusion of the user-friendly WebOS Signage platform found in many of LG's commercial flatpanels. The integration of WebOS Signage not only provides a variety of included on-board signage servers and other applications, but also allows users to tap a wide range of third-party solutions. The big news at this year's InfoComm is that WebOS Signage has now been migrated across a broad range of LG's existing ProBeam line-up in re-christened models that include the BU53RG, a 5,000-lumen, 4K short-throw that replaces the similar BU53PST. Along with high brightness suitable for a variety of ambient-light venues, the new model carries along the 1.2X zoom, generous lens shift, onboard 25-point warping, and attractive pricing that made the BU53PST an outstanding value among 4K projectors. As a bonus, LG has added support for 21:9 and 16:6 aspect ratio to accommodate Microsoft Teams Front Row and other widescreen conference formats.

Optoma ZK810TST 4K 1DLP Projector

In 2020, Optoma was the first to slap a fixed zoom lens on a high-brightness 7,500-lumen laser projector, the WUXGA-resolution ProScene ZU720T. Till then, your only option in that class was an interchangeable lens and projector pairing that cost well beyond the ZU720T's $4,999 ticket. This approach was quickly copied by other brands, and has been now been repeated over several generations by Optoma, which added short-throw models while growing lumen outputs. Now the company is advancing the resolution as well with the ZK810TST, a 8,500 ISO lumen (7,500 ANSI) model that's said to be the only fixed-lens, short-throw 4K projector in its brightness class. The lens is a motorized 1.15X zoom with a 0.65 to 0.75:1 throw ratio able to throw images up to 1,000 inches diagonal; it'll do a 100-inch image from as little as 4 feet, 9 inches from the screen. Lens shift is also provided, as are keystone and corner correction. As with Optoma's prior fixed-lens installation projectors, it's loaded with features that include a IP5X dust-resistant DuraCore laser engine, robust connectivity including HDBaseT, and extensive control options via Telnet, Crestron RoomView, AMX, and Extron IPLink. Furthermore, it's compatible with Optoma Management Suite, the company's cloud and local platform to monitor, diagnose, and control multiple displays in real-time.

Panasonic Connect PT-RQ7 4K 1DLP Projector

Panasonic Connect is at InfoComm promoting this impressive new platform developed with an eye toward immersive experiences in theme parks and museums. The PT-RQ7 offers up 4K resolution alongside brightness of 7,500 ISO21118 lumens, plus other updated features, in a compact cabinet that's nearly 30% smaller and 16% lighter than Panasonic's existing RZ9790 models. Panasonic's Quad Pixel Drive pixel-shifting is applied to the native 1920x1080 DLP chip to achieve the full 3840x2160 UHD pixel count on screen, and you can project native 1080p signals with up to a 240Hz frame rate. The Solid Shine blue laser+phosphor light engine comes in an IP5X-rated, sealed chamber that makes the projector filterless and essentially maintenance free. Installation flexibility is further enhanced by multiple lens options and a connectivity panel with an Intel SDM slot. Of course, the PT-RQ7 supports a variety of Panasonic Connect software applications such as Geo Pro for control and calibration, and the Smart Projector Control app. Also available is the optional ET-SWR10 Real-time Projection Mapping System system, a super-cool interactive app that allows hookup of an IR sensor and camera to track and project moving objects with low latency. Another new feature, Remote Preview LITE, allows the operator to use a laptop to check the signal integrity and see a preview of the image for one or multiple projectors before taking the projection live.

Screen Innovations Zero G Pro CarbonBlack ALR Screen

CarbonBlack's remarkable ALR screen material is a stretchy, foldable fabric which relies on nanotechnology that causes the screen to light up in a big way in the brightest ambient light, while retaining super-deep blacks and 95% contrast. The catch? It takes a high-lumen, large-venue laser projector to really make it sing, which means entertainment staging and large auditorium or worship applications are the first-line target markets. When presented properly, it's a viable alternative to an LED wall. It's really a see-it-to-believe-it technology.

CarbonBlack has been demo'd at InfoComm since 2021, but now Screen Innovations has taken over distribution and packaging, and the first fruits are being shown in Vegas with two new products recognized with ProjectorCentral Best of Show Awards. This version of SI's floating cable-drop solution, the Zero G Pro CarbonBlack, is a rollable screen that can go up to 300 inches and be suspended 16 feet. It enjoys all the unusual benefits of CarbonBlack material, including a wide 160-degree viewing cone in both the horizontal and vertical planes, guaranteeing that audience sitting below the screen or far off axis still see a great image. CarbonBlack is also lens agnostic, so it'll work with long, short, or ultra-short throw installs. An acoustically transparent version of the material, said to retain all the qualities of the regular material, is available.

Screen Innovations CarbonBlack Holographic ALR Screen

Along with the Zero G Pro CarbonBlack motorized screen mentioned above, Screen Innovations is bringing out a CarbonBlack mesh screen for entertainment and marketing applications. Mesh screens are typically used to suspend a semi-translucent, laser-projected image, sometimes behind performers, sometimes in front. Mesh also allows two-sided viewing. The effect can be magical, but typical mesh screens come with caveats that are nicely addressed by CarbonBlack's properties. First, regular mesh is said to experience about a 90% light loss, which is countered by CarbonBlack's ALR properties that not only provide brighter images but also better contrast. Second, CarbonBlack Holographic has anti-static properties that minimize the collection of dust that can interfere with the function of other mesh screens. The material can be delivered seamless at up to 16 x 99 feet, and can be stitched to make even larger screens if needed. It's also available in three gains—0.8, 0.6, and 0.2—to accommodate different projector outputs and ambient light conditions.

Sharp XP-A201U 3LCD Laser Projector

This is the first and only LCD projector in the 20,000-lumen output class to deliver full DCI-P3, an obvious advantage for color-critical installations even at its WUXGA resolution. What makes it possible is the company's red+blue laser design that adds a red laser to the common blue laser+phosphor approach to broaden the color palate. The XP-A201U is also the new flagship in Sharp's LCD line, with its brightest output yet in that category, and comes with many of the features that have made its lower-tier 3LCD models popular—notably a 20,000-hour, sealed IP6X-certified light engine that makes the projector low-maintenance. Motorized zoom, focus, and lens shift capabilities with lens memory further enhance installation flexibility. On-board edge blending, stacking, and customer command (learning capabilities) are also available.

Sharp XP-X141Q 4K 1DLP Projector

This new single-chip DLP is one of two new high-output 4K models being introduced at InfoComm by Sharp to meet the demand for images with more detail and to faithfully reproduce the wide range of 4K content out there or being produced. In this case, the "4K+" resolution delivers 3840x2400 resolution to the screen, along with 13,500-lumen claimed brightness. Like some other Sharp projectors, the XP-X141Q offers a maintenance-free, filterless design, and a variety of features to aid installation including optional lenses with motorized zoom, focus, lens shift and lens memory, as well as a mix of digital inputs to accommodate various sources.

Stewart Filmscreen Harmony G3 Acoustically Transparent Screen

Stewart's newest acoustically transparent screen moves the needle with three key advances. First, it's weave is designed to reduce the acoustic impact on audio frequencies up to 15kHz for better overall sound transmission. Two, it supports close-coupling of speakers, with placement as close as 1 inch to the back of the screen, thus saving depth for the installation. And three, it's available in a single, seamless weave at up to 15 feet tall and 90 feet wide. The 0.7 gain material has a near perfect Lambertian profile that puts all viewers in the sweet spot no matter where they're seated. And Stewart took pains to preserve color neutrality, with no "blue bump" and support for Rec.2020 calibrations.

ViewSonic LS711HD 1DLP Projector

There's no ground-breaking technology in the 1080p-resolution LS711HD, but there's value aplenty in this work-a-day, 4,200-lumen unit that is, at $1,299, the least expensive short-throw laser projector we've seen to date. That may be good news for golf-sim enthusiasts seeking a solidly-bright short-throw for not a lot of money, or for institutions looking to deploy a short-throw fleet or a multi-projector immersive exhibit. The 0.65-inch DLP chip combines with the 0.49:1 lens to throw a 100-inch image from about 43 inches. Basic set-up assistance is provided in the form of horizontal/vertical keystone and 4-corner adjustment, and the usual laser benefits of 360-degree and portrait projection are included. The specs and feature-list may seem familiar if you know the predecessor model LS710HD, but what's changed in the update is a more advanced 3rd-gen laser engine that allowed for a 35% reduction in size and a 35% reduction in weight, bringing it in at 5.1 x 11.3 x 8.5 inches and a mere 6.9 pounds.

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