In April 2020, Forbes called home theaters “the perfect pandemic escape.” A little more than one year on, the custom integration industry – and projector companies, which play a big part in home theater designs – considers private theater a top business opportunity.
People have a newfound appreciation for the experiences they can enjoy at home with their loved ones, having spent much more time indoors. There is better availability of high-quality content, a trend accelerated by the pandemic.
These and other elements are driving what Sam Cavitt, a veteran CEDIA instructor and founder/CEO of Paradise Theater – a firm that designs, engineers and provides project management for home theater builds – recently called a residential cinema “renaissance,” with home theater poised to take its rightful position as a prized possession in a new “hierarchy of needs.”
At Barco Residential, this integrator opportunity is “the moment we have been training for,” states managing director Tim Sinnaeve.
“From the start, our focus was on bringing a new level of performance to private theaters to create those unique cinematic experiences for clients to share with loved ones,” Sinnaeve explains.

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Barco Residential Roster Features Freya, Njord, Bragi & More
Powered by professional cinema and post-production technology platforms, Barco’s new Freya projector is a prime example, Sinnaeve cites.
He describes the high-performance, versatile Freya as being infused with unique residential features to meet and exceed the requirements of not only professional premium exhibition, “but also the most demanding professionals at post-production facilities where our clients’ favorite movies are graded.”
Other recent additions to Barco lineup include the Bragi and Bragi Cinemascope, the latter featuring the company’s unique native cinemascope capability for an unparalleled cinematic experience.
Additionally, the Njord model brings a new level of power and performance for larger private theaters and even outdoor theaters, Sinnaeve comments.
“These new additions couldn’t come at a better time, giving integrators unprecedented options to deliver a level of quality, performance and cinematic experience that not only provides a perfect ‘pandemic escape’ but delivers that prized possession for your clients,” he says.
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