HISTORY

Back in 1996, Patrice Congard founder and Owner of U.See Ltd. discovered Home Theater and became passionate about it. Being an engineer in Acoustics, he perceived a major flaw in the technology of these times : Most of the screens, unlike in commercial theaters, were solid. This was implying that the centre loudspeaker could not be located behind the screen, where it is supposed to be, but above or below.

Patrice decided to quit his involvement in professional sound reinforcement and to jump into this emerging technology, aiming to bring a solution to what he perceived as a serious limitation.

He soon realized that the perforated screens used in commercial theaters were not suitable for Home Theater : The perforations were too large and visible, and the transparency to sound waves was appalling.

He tested some woven fabrics as projection surfaces and found this to be an interesting solution. In 1997 he founded Avance Technologies, and presented a prototype comprising an assembly of three shallow loudspeakers having the total front area of a 100 inches wide screen, with a 1.78 aspect ratio. A white woven fabric was stretched on the loudspeakers, making it a front projection screen with incorporated loudspeakers.

The results were stunning in terms of audio quality (it have received an excellent review by Adam Rayner in HCC), but there were some inherent commercial limitations.

In 2001 the company was renamed Avance Engineering when it was decided to separate the manufacturing of loudspeakers from the A.T. screens.

In 2003 a new woven fabric was discovered, providing significant improvements in terms of video imaging : The gain was (slightly) higher and the colour was totally neutral. This was exactly the time when high concerns about moiré effects produced by micro-perforated projections surfaces were about to doom the A.T. screens. The new fabric was discovered exactly at the right time.

This was also the time when Patrice sold Avance Engineering. The new owner moved the company to Nantes, France, and renamed it Screen Research.

In 2005, once his non-competition agreement expired, Patrice founded U.See Ltd. in UK. A period of intensive R& D started with the aim to develop and produce the ultimate A.T. screens.

In early 2008 most of the products were ready for being launched. Sharlene Dodd joined the company as managing director and the Rendlesham premises were hired. The brand name SCREEN EXCELLENCE was chosen with the kind advice of Adrian Blundell.

In 2009 the Enlightor 4K was finalized and production could take place. After a successful launch at the ISE, it has established a reputation of being the very best Acoustically Transparent projection surface.

The SCREEN EXCELLENCE brand has gained an enviable reputation, and U.See Ltd. is proud to have established it in over 20 countries worldwide.

Still, the best is to come…