Last year's CEDIA Expo showed promise that classic home theater projectors were not yet at risk of extinction thanks to inexpensive lifestyle models. This year, there's still a lot to love from our leading brands, as well as their "companion" projector screens and video processors at the show, and we will certainly get a better sense of the vibes for classic home theater projectors during our tour of the exhibits in the Colorado Convention Center September 4-6, 2025.

Here's our list of 2025 CEDIA Best of Show Award winners, but be sure to check our after-show video report for a full accounting of everything on the floor. —Jeremy Glowacki

---

Christie Eclipse G3 RGB Pure Laser Pprojector

Christie continues to push the boundaries of what's possible with projection technology with the introduction of Eclipse G3. The third generation of Eclipse technology, Eclipse G3 is designed for the most immersive applications that demand no compromises and only the pinnacle of display performance, including ultra-high-end home theaters, planetariums, and themed attractions. Its true HDR performance produces the deepest, darkest on-screen blacks imaginable and up to 20,000,000:1 sequential contrast ratio. With ˜98% of the Rec. 2020 color space, colors are rich, saturated, and lifelike. The combination of Eclipse G3's true HDR performance, expansive color gamut, and native 4K resolution delivers a breathtakingly realistic experience.

---

Da-Lite Parallax Thin Fixed-Frame Projection Screen

Priced at $2,000-$4,000 depending on size and configuration, the Parallax Thin was re-engineered in direct response to integrator feedback that identified logistical pain points with traditional rigid screens—such as high costs and delivery challenges—that are associated with freight-shipped, fully assembled units. Integrators require a projection screen that can deliver the same premium performance and aesthetics as rigid screens but ship in a more compact, manageable format that reduces freight costs and simplifies on-site logistics and installation. The growing demand for UST-compatible ALR solutions that can perform reliably in rooms with uncontrolled lighting was another issue that drove the innovation. The Parallax Thin combines advanced ambient light rejection technology with an ultra-compact shipping design to solve two of the biggest challenges in high-performance projection: maintaining image integrity in bright rooms and reducing installation complexity. The use of the Parallax Pure UST 0.6 surface enables exceptional clarity, brightness, and contrast with UST projectors, thanks to a layered optical lens structure that rejects ambient light while preserving on-axis brightness. This allows the screen to function like a high-end flat panel display—without the glare or higher cost. Equally innovative is the reimagined form factor: rather than shipping pre-assembled in bulky crates, Parallax Thin ships disassembled via standard parcel delivery, reducing both shipping costs and the labor required for installation. Combined with Da-Lite's clean 1/2-inch bezel and expanded ultrawide format options, the Parallax Thin provides a compelling display solution that balances form, function, and logistics.

---

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 4K HDR 3LCD Laser Projector

Rounding out Epson's professional home entertainment lineup, the new Pro Cinema LS9000 with 4K Display Technology and HDR10+ is a direct response to the growing interest in custom home theater spaces and increased integrator challenges, including cost restrictions, smart system integration, specialized installation requirements, and various lighting environments. Under $4,000, a feature-set of this caliber stands out at this price within its category. This includes a virtually maintenance free, 20,000-hour solid-state laser light source, stunning 4K UHD picture quality, high picture brightness, and smart home control for seamless integration with home automation and remote monitoring systems. The ZX Picture Processor handles real-time color, contrast, HDR, frame interpolation and resolution enhancement to faithfully reproduce the source material the way it was intended to be shown. Making installation simpler, you can precisely shift the lens up to +/- 96% vertically and up to +/- 24% horizontally without any loss in picture distortion or clarity and set the zoom and focus, then store all the settings in one of ten lens memory presets. Plus, epic for gaming, the new projector supports up to 4K at 120 frames per second, along with input lag times below 20 ms. View Projector Details

---

---

EPV Screens DarkStar UST 3 Elevate Series Electric Floor-Rising Screen

Electric Floor-Rising Ultra-Short Throw Ceiling Ambient Light Rejecting Projector Screen Ultra-Short Throw projector sizes are growing beyond the initial diagonal sizes up to 120 inches. Newer UST projectors are now brighter and capable of producing larger diagonal size images. The need to keep up with the growing sizes pushed EPV Screens to develop a new ultra-short throw front projection material with ceiling ambient light rejecting technology in an electric floor-rising screen up to 150" that is non-invasive. The DarkStar UST 3 Elevate Series features seamless large-size ceiling ambient light-rejecting material with a lenticular sawtooth structure that is not as delicate as previous-generation material. The screen has a non-invasive design that appears and disappears with the push of a button. The DarkStar UST 3 ceiling ambient light rejecting technology absorbs up to 85% of overhead light. Programmable rise positions via remote control accommodates the UST projector location for a perfect installation.

---

---

JVC DLA-NZ700 Native 4K Projector

The release of JVC's DLA-NZ700 Native 4K Projector ($9,999.95 MSRP) completes a gap in the market that addresses a variety of features encompassed into one projector at a price point that reaches a wider market. The features address: size (world's smallest native 4K projector), ease of calibration (auto calibration), installation flexibility (redesigned airflow), longer laser life expectancy (20,000+ hrs.), superior resolution (newly designed fully motorized 4K lens) and deeper blacks (80,000:1 native contrast ratio) and higher brightness (3,100lm) and Native 4K options (proprietary 0.69-inch native 4K D-ILA device). A new fully motorized 80mm (11 group, 15 lenses) 4K Lens offers 1.6x zoom, 70% vertical and 28% horizontal shift ranges and the ability to resolve true 4K resolution. The projector's redesigned front air intake and back exhaust allows for more flexibility with installation spaces. It was also designed to automatically analyze HDR10 content in real time per scene or per frame for tone mapping that offers higher definition of HDR content, with brighter, more colorful, and wider dynamic range images. The new Deep Black Tone Control enhances Frame Adapt HDR to further subdue tones in dark areas to achieve realistic black tones. View Projector Details

---

Kaleidescape Strato E Movie Player

With its standalone option, Strato E provides a lower cost of entry to the Kaleidescape platform, with an MSRP of $2,995, while maintaining the performance customers expect from Kaleidescape. Along with the lower cost of entry, Strato E is also scalable and can grow with the needs of the customer. Should the customer want to store more content or add more viewing zones in their house, they can add up to four Terra Prime movie servers and any number of Strato movie players. Strato E enhances our movie player lineup, with Strato M as our reference 2K player, Strato E as our entry 4K player, and Strato V as our flagship 4K player; Strato C remains the best player for compatibility with our legacy products.? The goal is to bring Kaleidescape to more customers by offering a range of movie players that fit the needs of a variety of projects. Strato E is perfect for new customers and those who have a TV or projector with Dolby Vision support, or older audio equipment that does not decode Dolby TrueHD or DTS:HD.

---

---

madVR Labs Envy Core MK2 8K 48G Video Processor

madVR Labs identified a growing demand for a high-performance video processor that delivers uncompromised image quality, AI-driven features, user-friendly menus and operation, with true 48Gbps 8K support—at a price point ($5,995 thru 12/31, $6,995 thereafter) accessible to entry- and mid-level home theaters and multi-purpose media rooms. Until now, this segment lacked a solution that combined professional-grade tone mapping, aspect ratio automation, AI-based upscaling and deinterlacing, dynamic subtitle handling to automatically reposition subtitles from the black bars into the image area, bi-directional non-linear stretch to increase immersion of sports and concerts on both 16:9 and scope screens, and full 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, without stepping up to significantly more expensive flagship models. The Envy Core MK2 8K was developed to bring these advanced capabilities—previously reserved for top-tier installs—into a broader market. It addresses unmet needs around ease of setup, installation flexibility, subtitle visibility on scope screens, and support for projectors and TVs lacking exceptional HDR processing. It also fills the gap between DIY-level options and ultra-premium processors, delivering best-in-class performance with integrator-friendly tools and a dramatically better value.

---

Magnetar UDP900MKII Universal, High-Performance Media Player

When Oppo exited the universal media player market, it left a significant void for audiophiles, cinephiles, and integrators who relied on a single, high-performance device capable of handling every media format with uncompromising quality. This gap left many discerning customers searching for a solution that could deliver reference-level performance across physical formats like 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and SACD, as well as stored and networked media. Magnetar takes the widely acknowledged bar set by Oppo to the next level, offering a purpose-built, premium solution that supports all formats under one roof with the craftsmanship, reliability, and performance that customers demand. The $3,299,99 MKII Series—UDP900MKII and UDP800MKII—was developed directly in response to feedback from customers, dealers, and professional integrators. Upgrades include dual ESS 9038 PRO DACs, TMDS retiming for improved HDMI audio quality, advanced USB 3.0 with isolated power, expanded networking capabilities, and a proprietary new video processing engine.

---

Screen Innovations KAOS Motorized High-Wind Outdoor Projector Screen

SI's new projector screen was designed to solve outdoor projection's biggest problem: motion blur from wind. Outdoor projection has always been challenged by screen instability. Even a light breeze can cause traditional screens to ripple or sway—instantly pulling the image out of focus and ruining the viewing experience. The KAOS Outdoor Projection Screen ($5400) changes that. Engineered with a patented high-tension retention system, KAOS is 10x more wind-stable than conventional outdoor screens. It maintains a perfectly flat viewing surface—even in windy conditions—preserving sharp focus, crisp detail, and a true cinematic experience that was never possible outdoors until now. KAOS features acoustic transparency without losing clarity thanks to a 1.1-gain woven acoustically transparent Optic material. The screen is All-Weather Engineering Rated to withstand winds up to 110 mph. Its sleek, retractable design ensures the system disappears when not in use, preserving clean sightlines and modern outdoor design.

---

Sony Bravia Projector 7 / VPL-XW5100ES SXRD Projector

The $9,999 BRAVIA Projector 7 fills a key gap in the market by offering another high-quality, mid-range priced option from Sony. Powered by Sony's cutting edge XR Processor for projector, the BRAVIA Projector 7 is the latest Native 4K SXRD laser projector from Sony delivering up to 2,200 lumens. It projects bright, high-contrast images, generated by a long-lasting laser light source, for vibrant images even on a large screen, while maintaining a clean, minimal aesthetic. The BRAVIA Projector 7 features a revolutionary compact design and the XR Processor enables four powerful picture features—XR Dynamic Tone Mapping, XR Deep Black, XR TRILUMINOUS PRO, and XR Clear Image to deliver a professional-grade cinematic experience. XR Dynamic Tone Mapping analyses peak brightness frame by frame, and delivers optimal tone mapping, showcasing images with rich gradation, high brightness, and brilliant colors. Additionally, XR Deep Black controls powerful laser dimming in dark scenes, bringing deeper blacks while maintaining tone and color expression. XR Deep Black improves power efficiency by optimizing laser output frame by frame. Plus, over a billion colors are brought to life by the XR TRILUMINOS PRO feature and refined by XR Clear Image technology, which upscales all imagery to 4K quality by using a vast database to intelligently recreate lost texture and detail, all while minimizing noise. Advanced features like lens shift, keystone correction, and aspect ratio control are presented in a straightforward way, so users can fine-tune the image to fit their space perfectly. For gamers, the 4K 120fps at up to 12ms input lag, plus Auto Low Latency Mode via HDMI 2.1 inputs provide the necessary smooth and clear movement for responsive and immersive gameplay. The new aspect ratio scaling node allows users to seamlessly switch between 2.35:1 and 16:9 content on Cinemascope screens with no lens adjustments needed, providing greater viewing flexibility with just a tap. View Product Details