Home Entertainment, anamorphic, cinema flex, home theater, sim2, sim2 cinema flex

SIM2 Cinema Flex System Gives You True Cinemascope Pix, No Pixels Wasted

Here's an attachment for high-end projectors from SIM2 that will keep you from wasting pixels when you're displaying those ultra-wide letterboxed images. The Cinema Flex system uses a combination of lens and projector settings that let you see that whole 2.35:1 aspect ratio, using those pixels where they can do some good rather than wasting their time projecting those black bands at the top and bottom of the screen. Now you can use every pixel your projector is capable of displaying.

How does it work?

It does that by first electronically stretching the picture vertically, covering those pesky black bands at the top and bottom. So far, the image is distorted, so it takes it a step further and stretches out the image using an anamorphic lens. That way, it's the perfect 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Neat trick, but it's not cheap.

The SIM2 Cinema Flex is $3195, and $5995 for the motorized version, and it only works with SIM2 D80, Grand Cinema HT3000, and C3X projectors, starting at around $6000.

Plus, it's making that image wider and less tall for those glorious 2.35:1 images, and that might be the wrong shape for your screen. If that bothers you, you can get screens that automagically expand and contract with the aspect ratio. So this is a high-end endeavor, no matter how you slice it. But there's nothing quite like seeing a movie projected in a darkened room, perfectly replicating that cinema experience. – Charlie White

Product Page [Sim2, via Sci Fi Tech]

5:30 PM on Tue Mar 20 2007
By Charlie White
5,206 views
6 comments

Comments

Stumies at 04:24 PM on 03/20/07
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I've used a similar setup with a Sanyo projector and lens. It works really well until you need to change aspect ratios. Then it is bit cludgy.
stan_i_am at 05:04 PM on 03/20/07
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I see no point in buying one of these...

Every self-respecting high-end setup should have a dedicated scaler. The scaler will not only let you use up every pixel you're capable of displaying but will also do other tricks in order to enhance the overall output quality.
John Laur at 05:57 PM on 03/20/07
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This is completely different than what a scalar does. This actually takes the light output of the projector (at 16:9 or 4:3, let's say) and optically stretches it to another aspect ratio such as the mentioned 2.35:1. Thus you get the full number of pixels your projector can produce output in whatever physical format you need. It goes almost without saying that you also need an image scalar behind the scenes to preprocess the image so it looks right after the optical distortion.

I have really wondered why there hasn't been more (or any?) projectors that have this sort of thing built in from the start. The optics to change aspect ratio really aren't that difficult. Simply having a single projector that can do 4:3 and 16:9 would be a no-brainer and add marginally to the cost.
aec007 at 06:44 PM on 03/20/07
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John,

A no brainer would be to have a standard... say 16:9 or 2.35:1 sticking to it, and abandoning the rest.
From Cinematographers, to HD media content providers, to players, to displays, to projectors and TV's.

There... wouldn't that be easier? One format?
stevodude at 07:21 PM on 03/20/07
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wot a freaking rip off, these lense 'makers' are screwing everyone I tell you!... DOn't buy one...

I made mine from 2 x $40 prism lenses, boxing from aluminium and angles, no more than $200...

%2000 markup... I don't think so...

check diyaudio for DIY 2.35 lense system.
zarchitect at 09:20 PM on 03/22/07
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or get some electrical tape and shove it on the top and bottom of the lens to cover up the black bars... total cost? $.09... that's a savings of $5999.91!!!!