Carmike Cinemas is a leading digital cinema and 3D motion picture exhibitor. Today, the company announced their brand new entertainment complex in the Apple Blossom Mall in Winchester, VA. The theater will include 12 new screens and can seat over 2300 guests. It will also include the company’s popular BIGD auditorium, which includes a Christie 3D projector, a custom QSC digital audio system, and a wall-to-wall screen. “We are very pleased with the tremendous, positive response we have received from moviegoers about their enhanced enjoyment while seeing films in our ’BIGD’ ultimate experience and have plans to open more entertainment complexes featuring ’BIGD’ auditoriums in 2013. Complexes currently under construction include Champaign, IL, Hickory, NC and Colorado Springs, CO. We also have plans underway for new entertainment complexes in Opelika, AL, Oak Grove, KY, Manitowoc, WI, Yulee, FL and Montgomery, AL. Whether it is a movie, concert, sporting event, motivational speaker or church service, Carmike guests will find ’BIGD’ placing them at the heart of the event,” notes Terrell Mayton, Carmike’s Director of Marketing.

[via Businesswire]

One of the new projectors to come from Runco recently is the LS-10HBd. This device features 3780 ANSI lumens, a 1200:1 contrast ratio, and HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. The projector joins Runco’s collection of home theater models. It uses DLP display technology and comes with a wide array of screen adjustment features. Runco also included a diverse connection panel that has HDMI, component, SCART, and a composite input. There are also an Ethernet connection for network capabilities and a 12V trigger in order to link motorized screens, automatic lighting, or other home theater electronics. The LS-10HBd is expected to release in September and retail for just under $30000.

[via Audio Video Revolution]

Acer is proud to announce today the launch of their first hybrid projector, the K520. This device features the new laser/LED lamp technology that has been spreading through other major manufacturers. The projector comes with 2000 ANSI lumens, a 100000:1 contrast ratio, and XGA (1024 x 768) resolution. The hybrid lamp was designed to provide low energy consumption, brightness, and color accuracy. The lamp has a lifespan of 20000 hours and is eco-friendly. “The K520 projector is ideal for business meetings and classroom environments with its long lamp life of 20,000 hours that provides years of usage with little to no maintenance,” said Chris White, senior director of product marketing, Acer America. “Its instant on/off capability enables users to power the projector on and off automatically without having to wait for it to cool down, which saves time and enables it to be packed immediately after use.” The K520 is available now through certified retailers and is priced at just under $1600.

[via Acer]

BenQ is an internationally renowned provider of digital lifestyle innovations and global DLP projector leader. Today, the company announced the release of their latest home theater projector, the W1500. This projector includes full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, a 10000:1 contrast ratio, and 2200 ANSI lumens. The device is equipped with world-leading 5Ghz wireless technology that can transmit 1080p content to the projector without the use of wires. BenQ has also included 3D technology although 3D glasses need to be purchases separately. Other key features include dual 10 watt speakers, a 1.6 zoom, and several screen adjustment features. “Believe there should be a home entertainment projector for every home and to have that vision come true, we have worked hard to tackle some of the fundamental challenges of purchasing, owning and enjoying a projector, ” said Peter Chen, General Manager of BenQ’s Technology Product Center. “The W1500 is our latest example of how we’ve overcome installation and maintenance hassles while delivering top-notch Full HD 1080p image quality not only in 2D but also in 3D, and all at an affordable price. We are extremely excited to announce this launch and hope that in the future, more can enjoy big-screen entertainment in the comfort of their home.” BenQ will release the W1500 worldwide in July 2013. They have not announced a retail price.

[via BenQ]

The AAXA P2 Jr projector is one of their smallest devices to date. It comes with 55 ANSI lumens, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, and HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. Today, the writers from Pico Pros published their full release from this projector. They were surprised that such a little device could provide images this bright and high quality. What is even better is that the device has a low retail price. The writers did think the speakers were underpowered, but that is understandable for a device this size. The writers were overall happy with the projector and concluded by stating, “Overall, the P2 Jr. is a very nice pico projector. Aaxa Technologies has done an incredibly good job of offering a well-equipped product at an extremely affordable price. With the P2 Jr., we can see just how exciting the future of pico projection will be. As cost comes down and performance goes up, devices like this will proliferate the market. Things are getting very exciting in the pico projection space!”

[via Pico Pros]

Ricoh is proud to announce this week the release of four new projectors. The models include the Ricoh PJ X3340, PJ WX3340, PJ X3340N and PJ WX3340N and they all use the latest in DLP display technology and have a 5000:1 contrast ratio and 3000 ANSI lumens. The PJ X3340 and PJ X3340N both have a native XGA (1024 x 768) resolution while the PJ WX3340 and PJ WX3340N have a native WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution. All of the projectors come with a diverse connection panel that includes HDMI, RGB, composite, and some audio ports. The PJ X3340N and PJ WX3340N also include a USB port and wireless technology. “We believe projection systems deserve the same design optimization that cameras, printers and smart phones are undergoing to provide higher-end functions in sleeker packages,” said Matt Sakauchi, Vice President, Visual Communications Group, Ricoh Americas Corporation. “In addition to delivering compelling presentations, these systems make a powerful statement about your business and how you want to treat the people you’re hosting.” The projectors are available now and retail between $1040 and $1500.

[via The Sacramento Bee]

One of the many business projectors from Epson is the PowerLite 1751. It comes with 2600 ANSI lumens, a XGA (1024 x 768) resolution, and 2000:1 contrast ratio. Today, the writers from PC Magazine released a review of this projector. They were very happy with the device’s image quality. Although they did notice some tinting while looking at data images. The projector is incredibly slim and light, which is good for travel purposes. The writers thought the sound system was only average though and could have been better. They would have also liked to have seen Wi-Fi connectivity. This feature is being integrated into a lot of portable projectors these days and would add to the projector’s portability. In the end, the writers stated, “The Epson PowerLite 1751 XGA 3LCD Projector is an appealing, lightweight portable data projector with very good video image quality for a business projector, and data image quality suitable for typical presentations. It provides a lower-priced alternative to several similar but WiFi-enabled thin-and-light data projectors. If you don’t need wireless connectivity, it could well be your projector of choice.”

[via PC Magazine]

Casio is happy to announce recently their latest advancement of projector lamp technology has been growing rapidly in popularity. Their LampFree technology features a projector that uses a Laser/LED light source instead of the common halogen lamp. These hybrid lamps have begun being used by several big, popular projector manufacturers. The lamp combines the brightness of a LED lamp and the accuracy of a laser diode to create a light system that surpasses either method individually. The lamp has a high lifespan and low energy consumption as well. “Casio is deeply committed to the projector industry, and has continued to evolve its LampFree technology to meet market demands, thus developing a number of projectors unmatched by competitive offerings,” said Matt Mustachio, general manager of Casio’s Business Projector Division. “This marks only the beginning of Casio’s long-term dedication within the lamp-free category, as we will continue to develop innovative new products.”

[via Casio]

Hitachi is displaying a lot of new projectors at InfoComm this week. Among them is a new projector called the CP-WU9410. The company fits this projector with 8500 ANSI lumens, 3LCD display technology and WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution. The main feature though is the new commercial HDBaseT technology. This input allows professional installers to connect the projector to the input source using an inexpensive CAT5e/6 cable. Not only that, but by using the Cat5e/6 cable, the projector can be positioned up to 100 meters (328 feet) away. Other connections for the projector include dual HDMI ports and a DVI-D connection. The company did not announce any additional details at the moment. But it can be seen at the convention at booth #3681.

[via Home Toys]

Hitachi is displaying some new products this week at InfoComm. Among them is a new trio of 3LCD projectors. The CP-X8170, CP-WX8265 and CP-WU8460 projectors all come with a 3000:1 contrast ratio and brightness levels between 6000 and 7000 ANSI lumens. The X8170 has a native XGA (1024 x 768) resolution while the WX8265 has a WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution and the WU8460 has a WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution. These three projectors are part of the company’s installation series and are ideal for large conference rooms, auditoriums, and houses of worship. The company has included a wide array of connection options that include two HDMI ports, a RGB, composite, s-video, component, and USB ports. Hitachi did not release retail prices, but all three models are available now.

[via Installation]