Tag Archives: home cinema

Why Not Laserdiscs In The 2020’s?

In this, our new high tech world, a lot of people may think I’ve gone decidedly crazy.

I’ve always wanted the man cave ‘aka’ cinema room to have a nostalgic feel to it. I started collecting videos at the tender aged of 11. All my friends growing up called me videoboy lol because I was the go-to-guy to get films from on vhs videotape but one format that always intrigued me was laserdisc.

A Little History

LaserDisc (often abbreviated as LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978.  No one can say for sure if the disco craze at that time was responsible for its early name or if it was simply a play on the word ‘disc’. Whatever the reason, the early DiscoVisions have distinct cover designs which make them quite collectible and they have a certain unique retro-funk all of their own.

Although the format was capable of offering higher-quality video and audio than its consumer rivals- VHS and Betamax videotape, LaserDisc never managed to gain widespread use in North America, largely due to high costs for the players and video titles themselves and the inability to record TV programs. It was not a popular format in Europe and Australia when first released but was popular in the 1990s. By contrast, the format was strongly embraced in Japan and in the more affluent regions of Southeast Asia, such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, and was the prevalent rental video medium in Hong Kong during the 1990s. Its superior video and audio quality made it a popular choice among videophiles and film enthusiasts during its lifespan. The technologies and concepts behind LaserDisc were the foundation for later optical disc formats including Compact Disc (CD), DVD and Blu-ray (BD).

A Little Boasting

LaserDisc had a number of advantages over VHS (and Beta) videotape. It featured a sharper picture with a horizontal resolution of 425 TVL lines for NTSC and 440 TVL lines for PAL discs, while VHS featured only 240 TVL lines in NTSC (VHS HQ offered 260). It could handle analog and digital audio where VHS was mostly analog only (VHS did have PCM audio in professional applications but was uncommon), and the NTSC discs could store multiple audio tracks. This allowed for extras such as director’s commentary tracks and other features to be added onto a film, creating “Special Edition” releases that would not have been possible with VHS. Disc access was random and chapter based, like the DVD format, meaning that one could jump to any point on a given disc very quickly. By comparison, VHS would require tedious rewinding and fast-forwarding to get to specific points.

Please be kind! Rewind!

LaserDiscs were initially cheaper than videocassettes to manufacture, because they lacked the moving parts and plastic outer shell that are necessary for VHS tapes to work, and the duplication process was much simpler. A VHS cassette has at least 14 parts including the actual tape while LaserDisc has one part with five or six layers. A disc can be stamped out in a matter of seconds whereas duplicating videotape required a complex bulk tape duplication mechanism and was a time-consuming process. However, by the end of the 1980s, average disc-pressing prices were over $5 USD per two-sided disc, due to the large amount of plastic material and the costly glass-mastering process needed to make the metal stamper mechanisms. Due to the larger volume of demand, videocassettes quickly became much cheaper to duplicate, costing as little as $1 USD by the beginning of the 1990s.

LaserDiscs potentially had a much longer lifespan than videocassettes. Because the discs were read optically instead of magnetically, no physical contact needs to be made between the player and the disc, except for the player’s clamp that holds the disc at its center as it is spun and read. As a result, playback would not wear the information-bearing part of the discs, and properly manufactured LDs would theoretically last beyond one’s lifetime. By contrast, a VHS tape held all of its picture and sound information on the tape in a magnetic coating which is in contact with the spinning heads on the head drum, causing progressive wear with each use (though later in VHS’s lifespan, engineering improvements allowed tapes to be made and played back without contact). Also, the tape was thin and delicate, and it was easy for a player mechanism, especially on a low quality or malfunctioning model, to mishandle the tape and damage it by creasing it, frilling (stretching) its edges, or even breaking it.

My NTSC/PAL hybrid player.

LaserDisc players also had several advantages of VHS and other format playback machines. Some models, such as my Pioneer CLD-1850 are able to playback both NTSC movies and PAL movies. Since I live in the UK- this means that I can buy Laserdiscs from America or Japan (or anywhere in the world that uses NTSC video) and they will play in my machine. Try doing that with VHS or DVD. Another important innovation for Laserdisc was the fact that it was the very first home video format to offer Dolby Digital Surround Sound- often referred to as AC-3 on Laserdisc jackets and hardware. Many fans of Laserdisc are still enjoying this feature because some movies such as the Alien AC-3 LD were released with their original cinema surround mix on the AC-3 Laserdisc and those mixes are unavailable on today’s modern formats such as Blu-ray or UHD Blu-ray. Many early LD players can even be modified to turn them into AC-3 LD players.

The Death And Re-birth Of Laserdisc

By the time of the advent of the DVD, LaserDisc had declined considerably in popularity, so the two formats never directly competed with each other. In fact, combination LD/DVD players were introduced into the marketplace and continue to be quite popular with collectors as these players tend to be flagship models with advanced features such as digital 3D comb filters and digital frame memory and effects. It’s too bad that I couldn’t afford the format at the time , and I really don’t know why I’ve decided to pull the trigger now as Jez would put it lol.

Prices on the used market are still quite high on these combi players but other machines are affordable and the LD’s themselves can usually be found at affordable prices with exceptions for the ultra rare and more obscure releases.  I can’t say exactly

Some of my LD collection.

what has me so excited again about Laserdisc and why I’m back in the hunt but I really like the way the discs are packaged in big vinyl like slips, they look so cool. The artwork has totally sucked me in. I’ve started my journey, but I don’t know where it will end. And of course that journey has to begin with Schwarzenegger LD’S. “Get to da choppa! Hurry!”  

For the Silo, Anneal Butt- member of Laserdiscs & Hardware Enthusiasts on Facebook.

Featured image via highdefdigest.com

Combining Bass Loudness & Decay Times To Improve Stereo Quality

Research from acoustics scientist Dr. Floyd Toole indicates that bass quality accounts for about 30% of your system’s sound quality.  So, I’ve experimented with target curves that raise the bass loudness relative to other frequencies and added bass traps to reduce its decay times to improve my system performance and satisfaction.  My experiments are on top of already “perfectly time aligned” and EQ’d subs and main speakers via FIR convolution correction filters using Audiolense software.  OmniMic software is used to measure decay times and frequency response.    I’ll summarize my experience below.

Room Layout and Bass Trap Types

My living room layout (25′ x 11.25′ x 8′) is open on the left and right sides to a dining room and foyer and long hallway respectively.  At the back of the room on the right side it’s open to a den.  While these openings may act like bass traps allowing bass waves to escape before bouncing back with less energy, there is still much that can be done to improve the overall bass quality.  I use 25 bass traps, most in the listening room but 4 in a foyer/hallway, and 1 very large DIY in the dining room and den.  Six traps are “pressure” types that use a membrane to absorb bass, while the rest are “velocity” type traps that use insulation and friction to turn bass waves into heat.  Typically, pressure bass traps work below about 100Hz while velocity traps work above it.  Therefore, they are complimentary and both are needed when a system plays to the lowest bass notes.  Pictures of my room and trap locations follow.

Front Wall Trap Placement

Sept 27 Front wall2.jpg

Picture 1 above shows large bass traps in each front wall corner extending upwards to the ceiling.

Left Side Wall Trap Placement

sept 27 Left side wall1.jpgPicture 2 above shows black membrane traps on the floor against the wall (with boards atop) and a black velocity trap on its side on the far left.  Additional traps are behind the couch.

Back Wall Trap Placement

sept 27 Back wall1.jpgPicture 3 above shows the back wall with alternating white RPG Skyline diffusion and GIK Monster Bass Traps with FlexRange elevated above and behind the couch, while more GIK traps sit behind the couch on the floor.

Bass Loudness

It’s worth noting my preferred target curve to boost the bass frequency loudness is as follows:
250Hz is XdB
125Hz is X+1dB
63Hz is X+3dB
30Hz is X+6dB
This is a gentle almost logarithmic increase to partially-match our hearing’s “equal loudness curves.”

Bass Trap Positioning Affects Decay Times

If bass wavelengths are long and omni-directional, then traps can just be spread around the room I thought.  Well, in my room, it turns out that placing traps in the adjoining rooms and hallway helps to reduce bass decay times but not by as much as when the traps are moved and placed closer to the mic or speaker positions.  The membrane pressure bass traps for <100Hz were more effective when placed in a three-surface corner and in front of rigid concrete support walls where bass pressure is highest, and less effective in front of less rigid drywall etc.  The insulation filled velocity bass traps for >100Hz were sensitive to air space depth behind them, and I was surprised to find some places where they made little effect – not every wall is equal.  Trial and error and measurements helped find their best positions.

Calculating Decay Times

If your room is enclosed (and not open to the rest of the house), then one of the theoretical equations may work for you:
Decay Time = 0.3 X [(Cubic Room Volume/3532)(1/3)]
Divide your cubic room volume by 3532, then take the cubed root, and then multiply it by 0.3 which equals the average decay time based on room size.

However, if your room is an “open concept” or “great room” open to other rooms and hallways like mine, then the theoretical equation may not be best.  I prefer to measure decay time in 1/3 octave intervals and take the average from 20-20khz and then add/subtract 15% to represent an upper/lower limit respectively.  Each channel is measured separately to spot any anomalies and then their averages are combined as a single average decay metric.

Bass Ratio and “Warmth”


Perceived bass warmth is its loudness and decay times relative to mids/high frequencies and is a personal preference.  Perceived bass warmth factors include:
> frequency response (e.g. desired target curve to boost bass frequency loudness)
> decay time (e.g. absorption amounts)
> room acoustics (e.g. dimensions, materials, furnishings & acoustic treatments)
> personal preferences (e.g. preferred musical genres)

Musical genres seem to influence how much bass warmth we enjoy.
> Genres with More Bass Warmth: jazz, blues, R&B, soul, classical, reggae, folk
> Genres with Less Bass Warmth: electronic dance, rock, metal, pop, hip-hop

In attempts to quantify perceived bass warmth, I borrowed the “Bass Ratio & Warmth” metric found in F. Alton Everest’s book “Master Handbook of Acoustics” used for large spaces like auditoriums and concert halls.  It uses 2 bass octaves (centered at 125Hz and 250Hz) and compares it to the 2 midrange octaves above them (centered at 500hz and 1KHz).    Because it’s based on a ratio, it should work for smaller domestic rooms also I recon.  While large spaces use the RT60 metric for decay time, I prefer the T40 for domestic rooms.  It’s calculated as:
Bass Ratio & Warmth = [T40(125hz)+T40(250Hz)] / [T40(500hz)+T40(1khz)]  =  should be from 1.1 – 1.4

This means that the 2 bass octaves used in the formula have decay times 10% – 40% longer than the 2 midrange octaves (i.e. a 1.4 value is warmer than 1.1).

At one point I managed to get my bass ratio down to 1.2 which sounded a tad thin based on what I was used to hearing previously.  To compensate, I boosted the sub’s volume a bit.  Today’s ratio is 1.3 which sounds better to my ears likely because it is closer to how I’ve always had it but  I no longer boost the sub’s volume.  I might experiment with shifting the entire equation down one octave as I suspect my music with synthesized bass lines run deeper than an orchestra, so the calculation would be:
Bass Ratio & Warmth = [T40(63hz)+T40(125Hz)] / [T40(250hz)+T40(500Hz)]  =  maybe 1.2 – 1.5?

If bass warmth is affected by relative loudness and decay times, then how do we combine them into a workable ‘model?’  One way is to recognize that I can get bass warmth under two opposing situations: (A) short bass decay times but louder bass frequencies, and (B) longer bass decay times but with attenuated bass frequencies.  

The downside of (A) Short Bass Decay Time with Louder Bass Frequencies
> thin sounding as if harmonics are missing
> lacks a certain fullness
> possible listening fatigue from having the bass volume turned higher

The downside of (B) Long Bass Decay Time with Attenuated Bass Frequencies
> muddy or boomy sound where individual bass notes are not defined resulting in reduced clarity
> less clear midrange
> bass modes may be triggered for an unsmooth frequency response

And in between these two opposing situations is a continuum of possible situations that I attempt to show in Chart 1 below.

Tips

  • For starters, the subwoofers need to be perfectly time aligned with the main speakers as a minimum.  Use measurement software and impulse responses or get equipment like miniDSP or with DIRAC or ARC capabilities. or Audiolense to generate FIR convolution files.  If you only have analog sources then pull the subs ahead of the mains due to the sub’s group delay until they sound lockstep with the mains.
  • EQ bass peaks using FIR filters ideally or use DSP within JRiver/ROON or miniDSP, or graphic eqs as a last resort.  Measurements are a must.
  • Install both types of bass traps to augment each other and extend the absorption down to 40Hz or lower.  I’ve found that open concept rooms will naturally have lower high frequency decay times so you’ll likely need more bass traps to try and bring the bass decay times down and in line with the mids/highs compared to an enclosed room.
  • Take decay measurements as you move bass traps from one location scenario to another – it’s tedious work.  Try and achieve different Bass Ratios to hear how different they sound and take notes so you can revisit your best sounding scenario.  You want to strive for as flat a decay line through mids/highs with the bass about doubling the mids’ decay time.  Aim for 200 – 500ms decay time with the high end for stereo and the low end for Home Theatre.  Each speaker should have about the same decay times across the tested frequencies (i.e. little inter-speaker decay variance).
  • Try and preserve your mids/high decay times through reflections of hard surfaces like diffusion, or bass traps that have a membrane of sorts that reduce its absorbency of mid/high frequencies (e.g. GIK Monster with FlexRange).  Air acts as a natural absorber from +2KHz, and so does an open concept room that doesn’t allow the highs to reflect back with much energy. 
  • Experiment with different Target Curves that boost low bass frequency loudness.  

Want Less Bass Boom/Warmth?

If you want less bass warmth then: (i) move the starting point of the bass loudness boost from 250Hz to 150Hz or 100Hz (ii) use a less steep target curve to reduce the amount of boost at the lowest frequencies (iii) move speakers away from walls that reinforce bass (iv) add bass traps to reduce decay times and modal ringing (v) move your listening chair (vi) EQ out bass peaks.  

When assessing the perceived warmth of bass, consider frequency response loudness levels across bass and midrange frequencies and their decay times.

Chart 1 above shows how bass loudness and bass decay times can be combined to provide good bass quality from subtle to pronounced warmth.  For the Silo, Kevin Fielding.

Kevin Fielding offers acoustic measurements services and serves the greater Toronto area in person and will consult remotely with people farther away.  He is reachable at kevinfielding@hotmail.com

First Affordable True 4K UHD HDR Home Cinema Projector Debuts

CineHome HT2550 Makes Stunning 4K Picture Quality Available to Any Home With Exclusive CinematicColor™ Technology
COSTA MESA, Calif. — November, 2017 — BenQ America Corp., an internationally renowned provider of visual display solutions, today announced the launch of the CineHome HT2550 DLP® projector, offering movie aficionados 4K UHD HDR cinematic quality right at home and at an incredible value. The HT2550 comes fully loaded with true 8.3-megapixel UHD 4K resolution, 96% Rec 709 CinematicColor™ accuracy and projection-optimized HDR for stunning true-to-life image quality.

“Homeowners today want to replicate the magic of the big-screen 4K digital cinema at home,” said Lars Yoder, President, BenQ America Corp. “The HT2550 makes that possible, delivering striking 4K resolution for spectacular movie nights. Engineered with advanced audio and video enhancements and HDR capabilities, it’s an incredible value for the finest home cinema experience.”

Stunning 4K Comes to Life
Producing 8.3 million distinct pixels for true 4K UHD performance, BenQ’s HT2550 projector uses 0.47″ single-DMD-chip DLP technology. This minimizes the projector’s profile for a sleek, compact design that fits modern lifestyles. Its pure, 4K-optimized optical system produces ultimate image precision and color accuracy without artifacts that are known to plague LCD projectors. In addition, it employs exclusive BenQ CinematicColor technology and a RGBRGB color wheel to meet the film industry’s highest standards of color accuracy. With over 96% coverage of Rec. 709 color gamut with precise Delta E<3 performance, it faithfully reproduces exactly what filmmakers intended.

Advanced Technology for Uncompromising Entertainment
The HT2550’s pristine 4K video quality is supercharged by high dynamic range (HDR10) support, offering greater brightness and contrast with auto image optimization to bring out every lifelike detail and breathtaking realism for cinematic enjoyment. Powered by the same durable 2015 Academy Award of Merit Oscar®-winning DLP technology used in 90% of the world’s digital cinemas, HT2550 delivers long-lasting picture quality with precise colors and razor-sharp clarity without maintenance or degradation. Its performance is further enhanced by motion-adaptive edge pixel enhancement, sophisticated color algorithms, accurate flesh tone rendition and proprietary CinemaMaster Video+ and CinemaMaster Audio+ 2 technologies, giving even modest spaces the likeness of world-class cinemas. With full support for the latest HDCP 2.2 copy protection, it allows users to enjoy all the fast-growing choices for 4K content.

Contemporary Design and Easy Setup to Fit Any Space 
Blending beautiful aesthetics with flawless function, HT2550’s lightweight design, sleek profile and compact footprint blend perfectly into any décor. It’s designed to set up fast with auto keystone correction and powerful 1.2X big zoom, overcoming any installation hassles with ease. In addition, the HT2550 quickly becomes a smart projector by simply connecting an HDMI dongle, such as Google Chromecast, Roku, or Amazon Fire TV Stick, to instantly stream TV shows, movies, sports, and even video games to the big screen.

The BenQ HT2550 will be available in North America in Jan. 2018 for under $2,000usd retail. To find out more, please email: contentproducer@thesilo.ca or visit http://www.benq.us/product/projector/HT2550

 

About BenQ America Corp.
The BenQ digital lifestyle brand stands for “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” fusing lifestyle with technology, ease of use with productivity and aesthetic design with purpose-built engineering. It is this mantra that has made BenQ the No. 1-selling projector brand powered by TI DLP® technology in The Americas(1). BenQ offers an extensive line of visual display and presentation solutions that incorporate the latest technologies. The company delivers a broad range of CinematicColor™ projectors, ZOWIE eSports gear and monitors, interactive large-format displays, mobile audio products, cloud consumer products and lifestyle lighting for any application and market — education, home, gaming, enterprise, government, house of worship, digital signage, A/V and IT — with cutting-edge models that lead the industry in performance, reliability, environmental sustainability and aesthetics. Whether it’s interactive projectors or digital whiteboards for conference rooms or classrooms, high brightness projectors for auditoriums or houses of worship, short-throw projectors for schools, 4K UHD projectors for home cinema, interactive flat panel displays for collaboration, or digital signage screens for public spaces, BenQ continues to defy the limits of digital displays. The company’s products are available across North America through leading value-added distributors, resellers and retailers. More information is available at
www.BenQ.us(1) Based upon CY2016 data from the Quarterly Projector Shipment and Forecast Report from PMA Research

About BenQ Corporation
Founded on the corporate vision of “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” BenQ Corporation is a world-leading human technology and solutions provider aiming to elevate and enrich every aspect of consumers’ lives. To realize this vision, the company focuses on the aspects that matter most to people today — lifestyle, business, healthcare and education — with the hope of providing people with the means to live better, increase efficiency, feel healthier and enhance learning. Such means include a delightful, broad portfolio of people-driven products and embedded technologies spanning digital projectors, monitors, interactive large-format displays, audio products, cloud consumer products, mobile communications and lifestyle lighting. Because it matters.

BenQ’s Flagship Home Theater Projector Delivers Breathtaking Picture

COSTA MESA, Calif. — BenQ America Corp., an internationally renowned provider of visual display solutions, today announced its new professional-grade home theater projector, the HT6050. The Colorific™ HT6050 leverages the Rec. 709 HDTV standard to deliver best-in-class color accuracy at native full HD resolution — right out of the box — to give movie enthusiasts and discerning videophiles a stunning entertainment experience.

Rec. 709 is the international HDTV standard that guarantees the accurate reproduction of HD cinematic color as the director intended. With a 6X speed RGBRGB color wheel, the HT6050 is calibrated for cinematic quality to deliver refined colors that are the truest possible reproduction of the original video palette. Generating industry-leading levels of contrast ratio performance, the HT6050 produces deep, true blacks and its high native contrast clearly resolves subtle layers and fine details in dark scenes for a truly awe-inspiring visual experience. Furthermore, BenQ has taken extreme measures to guard against stray light leakage from the light tunnel affecting contrast and obscuring fine details with a special black paint that seals the projector’s light engine to boost contrast and render all dark scene details superbly. Featuring class-leading high fill factor, the HT6050 shines more light into each pixel, improving definition for small text and fine details, while eliminating the “screen door effect” for stunning image realism.

Pass the Popcorn!
                                                   Pass the Popcorn!

“The new HT6050 projector uses the latest DLP DarkChip3 technology and a unique color wheel design to deliver HD cinematic color right out of the box,” said J.Y. Hu, vice president at BenQ America Corp. “Customers no longer have to settle for a less-than-cinema-grade experience and can enjoy excellent video quality and accurate colors just as the director intended — right in the comfort of their own home and at an affordable price point compared to models that cost two to three times more.”

Along with HD cinematic color quality, the HT6050 uses BenQ’s exclusive CinemaMaster™ advanced audio and video processing suite to enhance video content with smoother motion, more true-to-life color saturation, sharper pixel detail and improved flesh tones. It boasts stunning 1080p resolution with 2,000 ANSI lumens and a 5000:1 contrast ratio. It’s equipped with five optional big zoom lenses from 0.77:1 to 5:1 with -20~60% vertical and ± 5% horizontal lens-shifting. Along with its flexible placement design, integrators have more image-adjustment settings for faster setup.

Featuring a newly designed cooling system, the HT6050 delivers whisper-quiet operation without distracting fan noise interrupting the viewer’s movie-going experience. Its dual HDMI connectivity (HDMIx1, HDMI/MHLx1) means one cable can stream video and audio to the HT6050 without multiple wires cluttering the space. Customers also have even more content options. With a simple MHL cable or dongle, customers can directly stream full HD content from any MHL-enabled smartphone or tablet to the big screen. Its auto power on/off with HDMI-CEC option helps customers save power by allowing them to turn off a Blu-ray player through the HT6050 remote.

The HT6050 is ISFccc-certified by the Imaging Science Foundation® (ISF®), enabling viewers to enjoy a professionally calibrated picture with two optimized modes — ISF Day and ISF Night. The projector also features BenQ’s renowned SmartEco™ energy-saving technology to automatically adjust lamp brightness based on content to project richer blacks and increase contrast for tiny text and subtle details. The HT6050’s full HD 1080p optical system uses only the highest-grade glass for superior light penetration and realistic image quality. Proprietary low-dispersion lens coatings minimize chromatic aberration, so viewers can enjoy their favorite HD content in brilliant clarity.

NetflixSuperHDStream1080The HT6050 also offers an optional full HD wireless kit, which is a perfect add-on to stream uncompressed 1080p content, including 3D from a central location to the projector. Easy setup pairs with the projector automatically, while zero latency performance gives viewers smooth video and gaming with virtually no lag. Four powerful antennas provide up to 100 feet of wireless coverage and Dynamic Frequency Selection switches channels for smooth, sharp streaming, even through walls.

The HT6050 home theater projector is now available via BenQ Integrators’ Choice distribution partners and retails for $3,799 USD. More information about BenQ’s full line of professional projectors is available at www.BenQ.us.

 

About BenQ America Corp.
The BenQ digital lifestyle brand stands for “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” fusing lifestyle with technology, enjoyment with productivity and aesthetic design with purpose-built engineering. It is this mantra that has made BenQ the No. 1-selling projector brand powered by TI DLP® technology in The Americas(1). BenQ America Corp. offers an extensive line of visual display and presentation solutions that incorporate the very latest technologies. The company delivers a broad range of Colorific™ projectors, ZOWIE eSports monitors and gear, monitors featuring Eye-Care technologies, interactive large-format displays, mobile audio products, cloud consumer products and lifestyle lighting for any application and market — home, gaming, eSports, education, enterprise, government, house of worship, digital signage, A/V and IT — with cutting-edge models that lead the industry in performance, reliability, environmental sustainability and aesthetics. Whether it’s interactive projectors or flat panels for classrooms, full HD 3D projectors for home theaters, short-throw projectors for boardrooms, digital signage in retail spaces or LED backlit monitors for eSports, BenQ continues to defy the limits of digital displays. The company’s products are available across North America through leading value-added distributors, resellers and retailers. More information is available at
www.BenQ.us(1) Based upon 2016Q1 data from the Quarterly Projector Shipment and Forecast Report from PMA ResearchAbout BenQ Corporation
Founded on the corporate vision of “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” BenQ Corporation is a world-leading human technology and solutions provider aiming to elevate and enrich every aspect of consumers’ lives. To realize this vision, the company focuses on the aspects that matter most to people today — lifestyle, business, healthcare and education — with the hope of providing people with the means to live better, increase efficiency, feel healthier and enhance learning. Such means include a delightful broad portfolio of people-driven products and embedded technologies spanning digital projectors, monitors, interactive large-format displays, audio products, cloud consumer products, mobile communications and lifestyle lighting. Because it matters.
About BenQ Group
The BenQ Group is a $22+ billion powerhouse comprised of nearly 20 independent companies operating in over 30 countries across numerous industries with a combined workforce of over 100,000 employees. Each Group member is a recognized leader in its own field, contributing to the BenQ Group’s vast resources, broad R&D and distinct strategic strengths. By leveraging each company’s vertical specialization to create true scale across horizontal markets, the BenQ Group controls a highly efficient value chain with the unrivaled ability to deliver critical components and world-class solutions in the following industries: TFT-LCD, green energy, fine chemicals and advanced materials, lighting, IC design, precision components, system integration, branded business and service. The Group is committed to profitable and sustainable businesses that share its long-standing vision of Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life. The BenQ Group companies are: BenQ Corporation, AU Optronics Corporation (world’s top manufacturer of large-size TFT-LCD panels), Qisda Corporation, Darfon Electronics Corporation, BenQ ESCO Corp., BenQ Materials Corp., BenQ Guru Corp., BenQ Medical Center, BenQ Medical Technology Corp., BenQ AB DentCare Corp., Daxin Materials Corp., Dazzo Technology Corp., Forhouse Corp., Lextar Electronics Corp., LILY Medical Corp. and Raydium Semiconductor Corp.