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Runco making it to CEDIA after all

by Steven Kim posted Aug 5th 2009 at 4:39AM

Runco logoThe CEDIA picture for Runco is finally clear, and we're thankful it's good news for the longstanding high end marque and CEDIA founder. Runco will indeed be at the CEDIA show next month, with more than a dozen new products in the company's booth and two dealer training rooms in play as well. Even though we can only dream of affording Runco gear, it's good to see it will be at the show -- given the nature of its product line, CEDIA really is the best fit. Apparently, the company agrees, and is tailoring its booth activities to address dealer needs. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Runco making it to CEDIA after all

Crestron makes room in its CEDIA booth for Runco, Planar (update: Runco not in Crestron booth, CEDIA plans forthcoming)

by Steven Kim posted Jul 29th 2009 at 6:12PM

Runco's CEDIA 2008 booth
Those shopping for a 100-inch VideoWall or say, a $20,000 projector will be pleased to know that Runco will be at September's CEDIA tradeshow, after all. Although the Planar/Runco presence at the custom-oriented show was in doubt, Crestron made room in its huge CEDIA booth for the brands will be at CEDIA -- which sounds like a good match to us, especially if Runco delivers on its promise to show off a new "benchmark" front projection product. No doubt it'll be something beyond our tax bracket (ditto for the Crestron gear), but we'll try to get a look at what Runco's cooking up when we go through the exhibition hall.

Update: The original source article has been pulled, but a check with Crestron confirms that there is no formal CEDIA collaboration between Crestron and Runco/Planar. For its part, Runco plans to make an official announcement regarding its CEDIA plans in the next few days. Stay tuned!

Tough economy sidelines D&M Holdings, Planar at CEDIA Expo 2009

by Steven Kim posted Jul 4th 2009 at 2:31PM

CEDIA Expo 2009, no D&M, Planar
If you thought the well-to-do crowd wasn't feeling the pinch from the rotten economy, consider this -- D&M is not going to be at CEDIA Expo 2009 in a couple of months. You know, the show that features pricey, high-end custom install toys. Not being able to get our paws on the latest toys from Denon, Marantz, McIntosh, Boston Acoustics, Snell and Escient breaks our hearts, but D&M has decided to commit its resources to dealer training (and promotions, we hope); all the better to drive new customer sales. To be clear, D&M will have a presence at CEDIA, it just won't be on the Expo floor -- meetings will be by appointment only. We're just keeping our fingers crossed that similar measures won't have to be taken at CES in January. Planar (and by association, Runco) may take a similar CEDIA approach, not entirely surprising given its recent performance.

Planar's fourth quarter sales slip 32-percent

by Steven Kim posted Feb 11th 2009 at 8:45AM

Runco display at CEDIA
Even the high end of home theater gear is feeling the pinch this year. And we don't mean the Kuro kind of high end, we mean the world of high end projector setups that really put the "theater" in "home theater." It's been a couple of years since Planar snatched up Runco in an effort to grab a piece of that rarefied air, and its Q4 2008 sales are down a whopping 32-percent compared to Q4 2007. So much for the safety at the luxe end of the market, eh? Certainly, Planar's nosedive isn't all the fault of Runco, but a look at both the exorbitant price tags on both Runco and Planar gear for specs that aren't leaps and bounds beyond the competition make it hard for anyone to justify. Unless, of course, you've got so much money that $15,000 (and up) projectors are an impulse buy that don't need any justification.

Planar announces Viper DLP HD projector

by Darren Murph posted Aug 21st 2008 at 10:28AM


Planar has remained mostly quiet since CES, but given that CEDIA is within spittin' distance, it's no shock to see it making waves once more. Today, the outfit has revealed its first 3-chip HD projector, the DLP-based Viper. Other specs include a native 1,280 x 720 resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 2,000 lumens and 10-bit independent dual image / motion adaptive processing. You'll also find an RS-232 port, twin HDMI 1.3 sockets and a jaw-dropping $15,495 price tag. It's shipping immediately for those with the requisite coin. Full release after the break.

Continue reading Planar announces Viper DLP HD projector

Planar's PD8150 and PD8130 1080p DLP projectors shipping in March

by Darren Murph posted Jan 29th 2008 at 9:07PM


If Mitsubishi's polite pair of projectors weren't enough to satisfy those impeccably high standards of yours, we've all ideas that Planar's duo won't let you down. First spotted at Runco / Planar's zanily themed booth at CEDIA, it seems that Planar is just now getting around to giving us a ship date that we can dutifully pencil in. The flagship PD8150 -- which checks in with a glorious 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, 1,000 ANSI lumens and a 15,000:1 contrast ratio -- will finally ship in early March for $7,999. As for the $5,999 PD8130, which also hits the road in March, you can expect the same resolution with a slightly lower 10,000:1 contrast ratio. Pretty tempting, no?

[Via AboutProjectors]

Planar introduces 70-inch 1080p m70L LCD monitor

by Darren Murph posted Jan 25th 2008 at 11:31AM

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Yeah, 70-inch LCDs may still make one swoon, but they're far from revolutionary. Still, Planar's managing to teach an aging dog new ways to be important by labeling its upcoming m70L the "first full-featured commercial-grade, high-definition 70-inch LCD monitor." A proud member of the m-Series lineup (pictured), this unit is entirely more comfortable in control rooms and fashion stores than in anyone's home theater, but still, it's a pretty impressive beast on paper. Reportedly, you'll find 178-degree viewing angles, 1,500:1 contrast ratio, a full 1080p resolution, 600 nits of brightness and HD-SDI connectivity. Also of note, this thing was built to run 'round the clock, but also boasts an integrated timer for scheduling events (source switching, on / off, etc.), landscape or portrait orientation support and compatibility with VESA mounts. The only real rub, however, is the price, and considering the $30,000 sticker it'll be rockin' when it lands next month, we'd say you're better off elsewhere.

[Via DigiTimes]

Runco sets up camp with outdoor LCD

by Erik Hanson posted Oct 24th 2007 at 4:32AM

Runco WP-42HD outdoor weatherproof LCDHigh-end manufacturer Runco is headed for the great outdoors with a 42-inch LCD panel that's ruggedized and weatherproofed for use outside the home. The 1366 x 768-native WP-42HD flat panel sports a cabinet design to minimize exposure to the elements, and has a "Winter Mode" to allow it to operate down to -4° F -- low enough to want to watch it through the window instead of beside it. As is usual for Runco, the set includes RS-232 automation, a custom high-gloss bezel, and a $8,995 price tag to match, leaving us to wonder if we can instead pick up eight Vizio sets and just replace one every winter.

Planar / Runco's CEDIA booth tour

by Darren Murph posted Sep 8th 2007 at 1:57AM


Considering that Runco and Planar are like family these days, it wasn't exactly shocking to find the two booths located side-by-side. Interestingly, Runco and Planar chose to erect a golf-themed exhibit, complete with a putting green, Player's Club, and an HT clubhouse. Aside from the decorations, we found a variety of LCDs (like the 1080p PD470) on display, as well as a number of new home cinema projectors including the 1080p DLP trio more commonly referred to as the PD8150, PD8130, and PD8120. Go on, check out the gallery below -- greens fees are on us!

Gallery: Planar / Runco's CEDIA booth tour

Planar dives head first into high-end home theater market by acquiring Runco

by Darren Murph posted May 23rd 2007 at 5:14PM Breaking News


Joining the growing array of recent acquisitions is Planar and Runco International, as just today Planar has written a check for $36.7 million to take on the assets of privately-held Runco International, Inc. Planar, while not a household name in the home theater biz, managed to hold its own amongst competitors in the HT market, and while the majority of its products catered to the mid-range consumer, we suspect that picking up Runco was the easiest way to launch into the high-end realm. As expected, it looks like the Planar, Runco, and Vidikron brand names will remain as they are, and just as Planar will continue to sell through its current network of distributors, it sure sounds like Runco will remain a niche offering rather than bleeding over towards the mainstream.

Planar @ CEDIA - Three new 1080p LCDs

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 13th 2006 at 7:54PM

We don't talk about Planar's HDTVs here a lot, but they are one of the many exhibitors at CEDIA 2006, and are showing off their entries into the ever-crowded arena of 1080p LCDs. Available in 37-, 42 and 47-inch sizes, the PD370, PD420 and PD470 bring the requisite 2 million-plus pixels to the table, plus 10-bit Faroudja DCDi image processing with motion-adaptive deinterlacing, 1200:1 contrast ratio, 500 nits of brightness, 6.5ms refresh rate and 24-bit color. One HDMI, two component and one RGB jack take the supported 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p and 480i inputs. These tunerless displays have integrated bottom-mounted speakers as seen on the 32-inch above, continue on for a pic of the 42-inch model. No word on pricing just yet but they'll need to provide a good value to compete in this market.

Continue reading Planar @ CEDIA - Three new 1080p LCDs





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