Barco Residential is demonstrating what the company says is a cinema-grade LED home cinema installation at ISE 2026, in collaboration with ASCENDO Immersive Audio, StormAudio, PrimeTheater and Technology Integration Partners.
The Luxury Immersion Cinema, on stand 2J500, features Barco Residential’s Runar LED video wall, which is designed for luxury home cinema applications. The display, which is scheduled for Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) certification under HDR standards, features a 0.9mm pixel pitch and native DCI 4K resolution of 4,096 x 2,160 pixels. DCI sets the technical standards for digital cinema projection used in commercial movie theatres.
Engineered with Micro LED in Package technology, Runar delivers 100,000:1 contrast, 0.005 cd/m² black levels and full DCI-P3 colour coverage. The system provides cinema-grade HDR at 300 nits and consumer HDR at up to 500 nits.
The demonstration addresses what the partners say is a key challenge in LED-based home cinema: the inability to place speakers behind the screen. The installation features a 14.8.8-channel ASCENDO immersive audio system engineered specifically for LED cinema applications.
Making its debut at ISE is ASCENDO’s THE8 PRO PASSIVE LED WEDGE speaker, designed for LED environments. Six of these three-way speakers are used for the front channels, with THE10 Passive WEDGE 30, THE10 Passive On Wall and THE10 Passive LED Phantom speakers deployed for side, overhead and rear channels. Eight THE28 SUB PRO SQUARED subwoofers deliver low-frequency output, amplified by eight ASCENDO AIA2-10K2 IS amplifiers.
StormAudio’s Elite 32 Analog processor provides calibration and spatial mapping, using the company’s centre shift feature to maintain AV coherence despite the physical displacement of front channels. The system is powered by StormAudio’s Impulsion 8 amplifier, which is making its world debut at the show.
The theatre has been designed and constructed by PrimeTheater.
Bart Devos, business development manager EMEA at Barco Residential, said: “Whether watching consumer content or digital cinema packages, ultra-deep black levels and high brightness provide exceptional contrast performance, whilst DCI-P3 coverage and colour precision provide a truly reference cinematic experience.”
Geoffrey Heinzel, co-managing partner of ASCENDO, added: “For LED applications, audio must be perceived as coming from the vertical centre of the wall without exception. Our design approach, as always, is to use point source speakers for seat-to-seat performance consistency in multi-seat home theatre environments. Because our speakers are direct-radiating, they are capable of extremely high-performance results.”
Olivier Thumerel, chief executive at StormAudio, added: “An LED video wall creates a massive, solid visual surface that challenges traditional theatre audio design. The processor must work harder to ensure the audience believes the dialogue and action are coming directly from the actors on screen. This is where StormAudio’s centre shift feature is essential. With the ISP Elite 32 and our new Impulsion 8 amplifier, we provide the precise steering and dynamic power needed to ensure the audio is as impactful and localised as the video, creating a seamless sensory experience.”
Helder Martins, owner of PrimeTheater, added: “This is more than a technology demo. It is a masterclass in modern residential cinema, giving integrators a clear vision of how cinema-grade LED video and immersive audio designed for LED, in concert with a room built for performance, raise expectations for what luxury home theatres can—and should—deliver.”
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