Picture Perfect Cinemascope
Most movies in commercial theaters that are released today are in 2.39:1 format, commonly referred to as Cinemascope. Enabling a true cinematic experience, Barco Residential is unique in offering true CinemaScope projectors for the residential market.
Our CinemaScope technology features a unique automatic aspect ratio detection function, which analyzes the incoming source and detects the "Content Aspect Ratio" to then automatically scale the image to fit the 5,120x2,160 resolution and change back to 16:9 3,840x2,160 resolution for content in that format. It will even change aspect ratio when a CinemaScope format movie has a menu outside the active picture frame. You can also manually switch between the different formats, and manually set the aspect ratio you would like to use.
Since 1934
Lucien Depuydt started the Belgian American Radio Corporation (BARCO). His ambition was to produce and sell the most high tech radio's that the world has seen. He promoted the radios that he manufactured in his workshop, in the Belgian town of Poperinge.
In 1949 we successfully make the change to TV technology and launch the first TV protypes three years ahead of other Belgian manufacturers. That same year, a receiver mast is installed near the office, which makes it possible to test different types of transmission signals from London and lille. This was our start into the display market where we in 1979 creates the first projector.
Certification that confirms our professionalism
Barco Residential is now, as the first projector manufacturer, certified by PVA (Professional Video Alliance). This means that we meet our claimed data specifications, and that our hardware can be accurately calibrated to a given standard. This confirms our trustworthiness as a manufacturer. During the factory visit, the certificators from PVA were especially impressed by our dedication to ensure that our products definitely meet the specs.
Proven calibration perfection for residential projectors
No two rooms are the same. Every environment has its specific ambiance: colored walls that reflect light back onto the screen will impact color accuracy, ambient light will influence contrast, … But also technical equipment, like signal paths, can create issues that require troubleshooting. That is why the installation of a Barco Residential solution is always done by professionals.
However, know-how alone isn’t enough: the equipment also needs to be designed to facilitate calibration. Barco has a long legacy when it comes to this. Did you know that we won a 1988 Emmy Award for our Color Video Scope monitor line, which featured the first microprocessor able to do automatic calibration? We further perfected this in our future visualization equipment – including projectors, healthcare displays and large video walls. Today, our projectors are the models that are the easiest to perfectly calibrate on the market.