Scott Wallace has been part of the Definitive team since 2001 — which means he's spent over two decades sitting in some of the finest listening and viewing rooms in the Pacific Northwest, watching the technology evolve in real time. He's installed more home theater systems than he can count, and his opinion on what actually matters in a projector is one that's been earned, not assumed. In this piece, Scott breaks down what makes the all-new Barco Heimdall unlike anything he's put in a room before — and why, after 23 years in this industry, it still managed to surprise him.
In the Fall of 2024, Barco took the stage at CEDIA’s annual trade show to debut a product that would come to redefine what’s possible in high-end residential projection. A short time before, Barco paid Definitive a visit to provide us a sneak preview of the first prototype. On the strength of that demonstration alone – and the buzz amongst the sales staff that followed – a handful were pre-sold before the product had even been formally announced.
This kind of access is not unique to us here and is indicative of the kind of partnership we expect with a long-term vendor. And while this partnership may be recent by our standards, already we see the signs that point to success: A dedication to performance. A commitment to the end-user’s experience, best achieved when you have a manageable network of expert dealers who can showcase the virtues of the products and the brand to their customer base. Barco has a vision of where high-end residential projection needs to go. They have entrusted us to share that vision with you.
Definitive proudly presents – The Barco Heimdall.
Named for the Norse God “who illuminates the world”, this platform’s intent is to bring the virtues of true cinema-level performance to a projector that does not require a separate projection booth (as is the case with, for example, all IMAX digital projectors, which are made exclusively by Barco).
Fast forward to the Spring of 2026. We have installed nearly a dozen Heimdall’s in the intervening nineteen months (and its higher light output stablemate, the Heimdall+). One location that did not yet have the Heimdall? The Definitive Showroom. But in those nascent days when demand exceeded supply, our client’s needs came first.
Now, the wait is over. The Projector Shootout Lab has integrated the Barco Heimdall+ into the system for all to bear witness. We believe you’ll see that it was worth the wait.
Here's what the field — and now the room — has taught us.
The Heimdall and Heimdall+ are not simply brighter versions or an evolutionary spec upgrade from an existing model. They represent a completely new platform philosophy — built from the same RGB laser architecture Barco deploys in commercial cinema, domesticated only by virtue of compatibility with your favorite video sources. True cinema for you and your family, minus the expensive snacks and doomscrolling cell phones tarnishing the experience. Curating a movie-watching experience that takes the best aspects of the best commercial cinemas, but that you can enjoy in your own home is a fundamentally different ask than meeting the needs of a commercial auditorium. With the Heimdall and Heimdall+, Barco address this need differently than anything else we've put in front of a screen.
Forty-five hundred lumens or six thousand… but the story isn't only about brightness. It's fidelity. Lifelike color reproduction. Clarity and depth that hit differently than any consumer-level video you’ve ever seen. And enjoying all this performance comes with anything you choose to watch, whether it’s reality TV or your favorite film. But perhaps what surprised us most wasn't the image… It was the silence.
Here at Definitive, when discussing the virtues of an audio system we talk a lot about lowering the noise floor to better hear the detail waiting to be discovered. In the realm of video, historically, the more powerful the projector, the louder the fan to keep it cool. Now with the Heimdall? Twenty-nine decibels. For some context to that specification, the typical noise level in the average home is between forty and fifty decibels. So, this level of performance with a projector that vanishes like this sonically is a big deal.
We look forward to you seeing – and not hearing – all that the Barco Heimdall has to offer.
We’ve documented our first completed install — the images speak for themselves.
View the gallery and our first install here.
— Scott Wallace, Definitive Sales since 2001
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The Return Of A Classic, But Even Better Than Before