Daniel J SaitAt ISE 2019 Audio Excellence is planning to launch UFO, an out-of-this-world sonic concept for large TVs and solid film screens.
From Patrice Congard, CEO of Screen Excellence and Audio Excellence, whose mission since day one has been to, “achieve the suspension of disbelief,” by way of maximising dialogue and action directly through the acoustically transparent projection screen, comes a new sonic concept designed to create the illusion of sound coming directly from the centre of the hard surface video display whilst the speakers are actually placed elsewhere.
A solution that its creator hopes will provide an extra domination to large screen TV viewing.
Patented, and with licensing opportunities to manufacturers a potential consideration, the technology will be revealed at ISE 2019, Stand 1-Q110.
The solution is so unusual that the company has named it UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) as a tribute to the local RAF Bentwaters, England extraterrestrial incident of 1980, close to where the company is based in the UK.
Audio Excellence says its UFO is in keeping with the professional cinema practice of placing the centre, left and right channel speakers on the same horizontal plane and behind the acoustically transparent (A.T.) film screen. This allows dialogue and action be experienced as intended by the movie makers, further contributing to ‘the suspension of disbelief.’
Recognised as an originator of today’s modern A.T. film screen, Screen Excellence CEO Patrice Congard has also designed and developed audio products that have set industry benchmarks. Embodying his expertise and philosophy of audio technology, including his patented approach to layout logic and signal routing known as The Congard Code.
Audio Excellence home cinema sound systems consist of compact yet high-sensitivity, high-SPL on/in-wall loudspeakers, amplifiers and DSP controllers. Earlier in his career, working under Dr. Christian Heil at L-Acoustics, Patrice played a major role in the development, design and commercial launch of the legendary V-Dosc and ARCS systems which transformed the landscape of loudspeaker design for live sound reinforcement.
“In 1996 I left the sound reinforcement industry to focus on what I perceived as the main issue facing home cinema installations: the conventional solid projection screen was a physical barrier to the proper appreciation of a movie’s sound track,” says Patrice. “This has been solved with a new breed of woven acoustically transparent projection screens.”
Patrice adds, “However, today as flat screen TVs grow in size, they become a trending alternative for the drop-down projection screens traditionally used in a media room. Yet, this immediately presents a problem. How can the sound come from the image displayed on a large rigid solid screen, like a flat panel TV?”
The big reveal
While Patrice prefers to wait for the ISE event to completely reveal the solution to this problem (Stand 1-Q110), he offered the following facts about UFO
– Audio Excellence completely developed and holds the patent on the technology.
– Audio Excellence will market the solution as UFO.
– UFO will be limited-range speakers with frequency response ranging from 100 Hz-20 kHz.
– UFO is completely compatible with ‘classic’ speakers that will be used as surrounds, subs, etc.
– Audio Excellence will potentially consider a limited number of licensing opportunities.
– The technology is scalable therefore licensees can achieve price points in-line with the segment of the market they serve.