Menlo Park, CA–Pacific Media Associates, the global market information experts on large-screen displays, has announced the Buckaroo winners for best-of-show products exhibited at CEDIA 2007. The Buckaroo award is named for the pioneering cowboys of the Great Basin country of the American West, which includes portions of California, Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon. These cowboys were known for fancy gear that displayed lots of silver ornamentation.
The Buckaroo Awards recognize those products in the display industry that lead the herd in terms of technology and presentation. The inaugural winners are two products in each of four larger categories: flat panel displays, front projectors, rear projection displays, and display mounts.
Flat Panel HDTVs
Toshiba wins a Buckaroo for their new REGZA line of LCD HDTVs that have bezels less than one-inch wide. This allows a 40-inch model to fit in the same physical space as a typical 37-inch LCD or plasma set.
Sharp gets a Buckaroo for demonstrating 52-inch next-generation LCD HDTV prototypes that are less than 1-inch thick and weigh about 55 pounds. Not only are the physical dimensions smaller than traditional designs, but the sets are expected to use about one-half the power of a typical LCD of the same size, and one-quarter the power of a plasma set.
Front Projector
The Action! M80 from projectiondesign is a high-end three-chip DLP with gorgeous 1080p native resolution. Rated at up to 8,000 lumens, this light canon is available with a choice of five optional lenses. This is a Robb Report-worthy product not to mention Buckaroo-worthy from one of the best projector design teams in the business.
Runco earns a Buckaroo for their new Reflection line of projectors, including the RS-440. This 720p model is a new platform that offers optional CineWide 2.35:1 support. It also breaks new ground in terms of lower pricing for Runco products; the projector is slated to ship in December with an MSRP of $4,995.
Rear Projection HDTVs
Mitsubishi showed the new 833 Diamond Series of 1080p DLP projection HDTVs which deserve a Buckaroo. In addition to x.v.Color support and thinner cabinets, these models are also 3D ready. This means that they have built-in support for three-dimensional graphics to create an immersive experience, whether your watching a 3D-enabled movie, sporting event, or video game.
The new Olevia 665H rear projection HDTV from Syntax-Brillian combines the Brillian 1080p LCoS imaging technology with Olevias video processing, to create an affordable 65-inch display that will list for $1,999 when it ships in the fourth quarter of 2007. The combination of quality and value earn a Buckaroo.
Mounts
OmniMount worked with Samsung to create the Motion52 cantilever mount, with motorized tilt, pan, and swivel control. The mount will list for $799.95 when it ships in October, and wins a Buckaroo right now.
The next generation of In-Wall Swing Arm Mounts from Chief Manufacturing can handle flat panel HDTVs from 26 inches to 63 inches. Designed to be installed within a wall rather than on its surface, the mounts are less than 8 inches wide and no studs have to be cut to install them. It gets a Buckaroo for convenience and performance.
