Review: Invision ISE 2019 brand highlights

ISE 2019 provided distributor Invision with a high profile showcase for its many brands, covering home theatre and display technologies to system control.

Home theatre and audio systems were high-profile at this year’s ISE. The Trinnov and Procella cinema demo room proved a big attraction. It featured a 21.4.10 Dolby Atmos configuration, with deep base delivered by Procella’s V21 subwoofer “It gave real wow factor,” says Invision. “The long queues outside the room were testament to the excitement generated by this amazing system.”

AudioControl offered up a range of high-performance home theatre products and, for the first time in Europe, there was a chance to see the new CM series of 70/100V range of amplifiers, designed for outdoor audio systems, with separate zones and for light commercial use. The AudioControl two-channel Rialto 400 amplifier was also on display, now equipped with an additional sensing input to offer voice control.

The Origin Acoustics stand was awash with new audio products. Its Marquee Cinema Collection of in-wall, in-ceiling and subwoofer, was a major launch at the show. The new 100V in-ceiling speakers, D61T and D81T, and Bollard landscape speakers were also on display. The latter feature an anodised aluminium finish sleeve, available in a choice of three colours, and a 6.5-inch subwoofer in the base.

Acoustic control specialist Artnovion used ISE to introduce its Atlantic Flow hybrid absorber/diffuser panels (pictured below), available in a selection of natural wood and acoustic fabric finishes. Also on show was the Alpha Screen, a designer solution to the common problem of sound wave reflection in rooms with glass sides. The Alpha Screen is ideal for environments such as offices and restaurants and ultra-modern homes.

Control specialist RTI was offering hands-on with its T4X flagship remote control. It has a high-res capacitive LCD touch-screen with completely customisable interface, along with dual-RF and Wi-Fi capability, grip sensors and ‘instant on’ accelerometer.

Also showcased were its KA8 or KA11 models. Both feature a customisable touch-sensitive widescreen display (8-inch and 1280x800 for KA8, 11.6-inch and 1920x1080 for KA11), and can be wall- or stand-mounted. Automatic screen-brightness and backlight adjustment simplify use, while built-in gigabit Ethernet with PoE and dual-band wi-fi enables video intercom use and IP security camera monitoring.

For the bigger picture, SI demonstrated its Zero-G motorised 160-in screen. Made from 100 per cent opaque optical material (ensuring no light-bleed), it rolls away into a discreet cassette.

It also presented Solo, its zero-edge 80-, 90- or 100-inch screen. Supplied in a 2.75-inch clear anodised cassette, it can run for over two years on a single charge. Made to order, and available in a huge selection of powder-coat colours to make its cassette stand out or hide away as much as you want, there’s the Solo Pro in 80- to 106-inch screen sizes. It’s the first screen to offer a choice of motor drives (low-voltage or lithium rechargeable).

Elsewhere, Samsung showed The Wall Pro, its modular display technology. The Wall is configurable in a variety of sizes and ratios, from 73- to 292-inches. As with Samsung’s QLED TV range, an Ambient mode allows it to blend into its environment when not in use.