At CEDIA Expo 2022, Screen Innovations (SI) introduced a host of problem-solving new products in the motorized shade and screen category. Always striving to make integrators’ jobs simpler and more profitable, SI drew inspiration from its network of systems integrators to develop technologies, products, and systems that overcome common challenges in the field effectively and efficiently, while bestowing end-users with beautiful, convenient, and fun smart home environments.
Whether it was an integrator’s wish for a simpler means of programming, a line of sleeker, smaller motorized shade and screen cassettes, or more affordable installation hardware and software, Screen Innovations listened, quickly pivoting to engineer and design the ideal shade and screen solution.
“Despite a rocky, pandemic-ridden 2020 and ongoing supply chain issues, we never stop listening to our integrators and innovating products that make a real difference in their livelihoods,” said Screen Innovations CEO Ryan Gustafson. “They are the reason we do what we do, and our top priority has always been to develop the types of shading and screen products they want. They tell us what we can do to improve, and we take their suggestions to the design and engineering drawing board.”
A focal point of SI’s CEDIA 2022 exhibit was Solo 3, a re-envisioned line of design-centric motorized projection screen cassettes that discreetly blends into surrounding environments. The clean, sharp lines of the self-contained Solo 3 cassette complement trending contemporary and minimalist home designs.
Unlike most other motorized projection screen cassettes, Solo 3 is manufactured as a visually flawless unit without typical demarcations of the end caps. Units come powder-coated in white, black, or painted to match the surrounding surface. Alternatively, when mounted above the ceiling, the entire cassette vanishes into the structure of the room.
The new Solo 3 — available in 375, 575, and 675 cassette sizes — replaces Screen Innovations’ legacy 3 and 5 Series motorized projection screen lines. The design attributes of Solo 3 help systems integrators appeal to the discerning tastes of clients who want to enjoy an immersive, dynamic entertainment experience on a big screen without compromising room aesthetics.
Screen Innovations’ Moab “Mother of All Boards”
Screen Innovations showcases within its 575 and 675 Solo 3 models a newly designed 485-based control board to facilitate faster programming of set points, rotation, and motor reset, automation of discovery and programming of keypads and remotes, and seamless integration with third-party control systems. This “Mother of all Boards,” Moab features numerous inputs and outputs to support a wide range of 485-based automation and control configurations and simplifies the commissioning of screen settings with other control devices such as SI keypads.
Built into the translucent housing of Moab, which may be purchased separately from Solo 3 for programming assistance, are 485- and dry contact ports, 12-volt triggers, and IR receivers. All programming can be accomplished using Moab without a computer or software.
Zen 2 Design-Inspired Outdoor Motorized Shade Cassette
The first décor-minded outdoor shading solution, Screen Innovations’ Zen 2 boasts a customizable, architecturally friendly design that can help transform decks, gazebos, patios, and other outdoor areas into comfortable, stylish living spaces, expanding the usable space of any home. Zen 2 gives architects and designers an option that blends into today’s home designs, as well, thanks to a custom paintable, primed option for color matching.
Accommodating popular outdoor shading fabrics to 25 feet wide and 16 feet tall, Zen 2 includes everything needed for a complete installation. Another perk: Zen 2 installs in half the time of other outdoor shading systems, thanks to its unique snap-in tube and hidden bracket attachment.
Nano 2 Decorative Features for Motorized Shading
Screen Innovations’ next-generation Nano 2 embodies a suite of revolutionary new features in direct response to requests from dealers, yet maintains the same modern aesthetic that made the Nano line a favorite among systems integrators, designers, and end-users.
Nano 2’s removable front cover which provides easy access to the motors, technology, and shading fabric inside the cassette. This feature enables any necessary leveling adjustments, maintenance, and fabric swaps to be handled easily without detaching the cassette from the window.
The Nano 2 motor, power, and control cables can be removed from the mounted shading cassette for service. Other refinements enable smoother, quieter raising and lowering of the shade and quicker programming and integration with other 485-controlled devices and systems.
