Wolf Cinema Targets High-End Custom Video Market

Wolf Cinema is entering the high-performance video market at a time when consumers are pulling back on their spending.

Luxury sales, however, are driven by well-heeled consumers -- a group that most economists recognize as a stable source of sales opportunity.

Founded by industry veteran Jim Burns, Wolf Cinema has put itself in a position to target this market.

Burns says he and his partners, John Hunter and Donald Brody, examined what they perceived to be problems within the category, and they have focused their resources to address these shortcomings.

"As a category, high-end video is not as robust and reliable as it should be. There's never been a company that manufactures what an integrator truly needs," says Burns.

"When starting Wolf Cinema, I looked at how the projectors were being used. They are placed in the middle in the room in soffits or projector rooms. It's done so the room looks nice, but they [projectors] are also large and bright, and they can be heard in the room.

"Good integrators will place them in a soffit, but then they need to become thermal engineers to figure how to keep that projector cool," he says.

"The No. 1 failure of projectors is from heat in these installs."

According to Burns, Wolf ships with 60 feet of inlet and exhaust ductwork along with a thermostatically controlled exhaust fan so that hot air will be carried air away from the projector.

Custom Dealers Need Custom Support

In addition to addressing heat issues, Burns and his company felt installers needed specialized support. It started, Burns says, with a strong partnership with respected San Francisco-based distributor Sumiko.

Additionally, Burns says Wolf planned for dealer support measures, ease-of-install features and, of course, consistent picture quality throughout the line. "We had to make sure the products are good," Burns explains.

"Our DNA is also to keep the products simple to install and operate." He adds that, for dealer support, Wolf Cinema ships a complete arrangement of spare parts.

Through Differentiation, Benefits Emerge

While today's hurting economy could suggest that high-end products will be handicapped, Burns sees distinctive benefits to his line.

"Our picture quality is better, our features are what the installers need and our products are more reliable," he says. "When you install a Wolf Cinema product, you won't need to go back to spend time fixing it."

In fact, Wolf Cinema seems to be raising the bar when it comes to giving forethought to its products' installation.

The company's proprietary multiple-aspect solutions, as Burns puts it, "simplify the logistical scenarios that installers face in the field." VariScope addresses 16:9, 1.85, 2.40 and 2.67:1 applications. It is included in all Wolf Cinema's products.

According to Burns, Wolf's products offer a VariScope 2.35:1 anamorphic lens option, which he calls "a higher-end version with a motorized lens." The option "makes the installation more flexible because we don't need to rely on the prime lens for all the zooming."

Wolf Cinema has also brought to market its Reference Analog line, a series of 35-mm projectors. "In home theater, we're trying to copy film," Burns says.

"So, why not give installers a chance to provide the opportunity to install a real film room?"

Burns adds that Wolf offers two-day training classes for its Reference Analog line. "They will grow to three days," he says, "and all our reference dealers will have to go before they get the product."

Burns says he, personally, will teach the classes. Dealers will be ISF-certified upon completion.