Hitachi has expanded its line of projectors with the CP-X3010N. The device offers the same basic features as the CO-X3010, but adds an Ethernet port and 802.11g/n connectivity. The device features integrated 16W speakers, 3,000 lumen brightness and a contrast ratio of up to 2,000:1.
Samsung and Kinyo/ArtDio have unveiled pocket-sized projectors using competing technology. Samsung's MBP 200 uses DLP technology, while Kinyno chose LCOS, or Liquid Crystal On Silicon. Both models are capable of displaying images up to about 50 inches, but the similarities end there.
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America on Wednesday announced the release of two new 500-series projectors with the wide-format WD510U and WD500U-ST. Both have 1280x800 native resolution and 16:10 aspect ratios and are meant for use in education and business industries. The WD510U has a brightness rating of 2,600 lumens, with the WD500U-ST rated at 2,100 lumens.
Optoma has announced that its Pico PK-101 projector will be sold through Amazon and BestBuy.com. The company will also offer the device through the Japanese Apple stores, as reported earlier this week. The projector uses Texas Instruments' Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology to deliver a contrast ratio of 1,000:1 at 480 pixel by 320 pixel resolution. All of the internal components fit into a case that measures two inches by 4.1 inches by 0.7 inches, with a weight of four ounces.
Digital device company Aiptek has unveiled the Pocket Cinema V10, a compact projector featuring an integrated media player. The V10 can be used as a stand-alone player or connected to an iPod, DV, DSC, game console, or mobile phone with an AV-out connection. Users can project a screen size of up to 50 inches, with a range of focal distances from 21cm to 180cm. The device supports a resolution of 640 by 380 pixels, using a white LED light source and 3M technology in a housing that measures 125mm by 55mm by 23mm.
At a recent product showcase held in Japan, Toshiba showed off a prototype projector about the size of Apple’s iPhone that is capable of throwing up images up to 50 inches in size at 480x320 resolution. The projector’s DLP Pico chip was sourced from Texas Instruments and the optical module uses red, green and blue LEDs for the light source. There is a price to pay for the diminutive size, as the brightness, at just 7 lumens, makes the projector usable only in very dark environments, while the built-in battery’s life is rated at less than an hour when fully charged.
Epson on Thursday unveiled three new LCD projectors, all sporting 1080p resolution, at the CEDIA expo. The PowerLite Home Cinema 6100, PowerLite Pro Cinema 7100 and use the company's 3LCD imaging technology. The two Pro Cinema projectors are ISF certified, giving custom installers a standard to work with when integrating the units into customers' home theater set-ups. The flagship Pro Cinema 7500 UB, for UltraBlack, projector sports one of the highest dynamic contrast ratios found in commercial projectors, at 75,000:1. To enhance HD images further, Epson employs its C2Fine software in the 7500UB, while judder is decreased or eliminated thanks to the company's FineFrame technology. The use of a 12-bit 3LCD driver gives the projector a wider color range to work with, and Silicon Optix' HQV Reon-VX scaling and de-interlacing video processor enhances 1080i HD signals. An optional lens gets rid of the black bars above and below a picture, allowing for 2.35 or 2.4 aspect ratio viewing.
Toshiba on Tuesday announced details and specifications on its newest projector, the TLP-XE30U. Capable of 1024x768 resolution, the projector features a blackboard function that allows it to correct for green, black, brown, blue or beige colored walls and surfaces to display a color-correct image. Setting it up is also straightforward, with automatic vertical keystone correction that can throw up a square image on the wall despite the projector’s orientation of up to 30 degrees from horizontal.
Sanyo on Monday took the wraps off its newest home theater HD projector, the three-LCD PLV-Z700. Capable of projecting 1080p images, Sanyo is nevertheless marketing the PLV-Z700 as an entry-level projector. The company touts the new product as using the most advanced shift lens technology available, capable of shifting three entire screen sizes vertically and two screen sizes horizontally. It also sports a variable iris that adjusts the amount of light projected on the screen 60 times a second, or twice as fast as 30 frames per second tV.
Planar on Thursday announced it is now shipping its first 3-chip HD projector based on DLP technology. Called Viper, the projector features a 1,280x720 native resolution and can throw up images in excess of 110 inches. It was designed with custom home theater applications in mind and uses one of Texas Instruments' higher-end DLP chipsets.
News comes on Wednesday that Fuchitek will soon launch its ultra portable pico projector, the PEP01. The small projector features a native resolution of 640x480 and measures 4.5 inches long, two inches wide, and one inch thick. The PEP01 will support NTSC and PAL video systems and connect to sources via a VGA and component input.
Ölens Technology on Tuesday announced the release of its affordable projector, the XPJ Personal Entertainment Projector, meant for use in the home and at school for standard-definition applications such as gaming or presentations. The unit is capable of throwing up images up to 70 inches in size and features a resolution of 640x480 pixels. The 270W lamp is based on a proprietary design, and the company ships the projector with a spare.
InFocus on Wednesday introduced the X10 Full HD 1080p projector in the UK. Part of the company's Home Theater range of offerings, the X10 features a 16:9 native aspect ratio, and a contrast ratio of 2500:1, which can be boosted to 7500:1 via the active iris built into its lens. The DarkChip1 DLP chipset was sourced from Texas Instruments.
Hitachi on Thursday unveiled its newest LCD projector, the second in its line-up to offer 1366x768 (WXGA) resolution. The CP-WX625 LCD projector (not pictured) is being shown at InfoComm 2008 and features a 4000 lumens brightness rating along with a 16:10 native aspect ratio. The business-grade projector was designed with ease of maintenance in mind, including a 2000-hour side-mounted hybrid filter and a 3,000-hour Whisper mode lamp that is accessible via a top panel door.
InFocus on Thursday introduced the X10 Full HD 1080p projector in the UK. Part of the company's Home Theater range of offerings, the X10 features a 16:9 native aspect ratio, and a contrast ratio of 2500:1, which can be boosted with a button push to 7500:1 via the company's Active Iris in the lens.
Samsung on Thursday unveiled the P400 "pocket" projector for the North American marketplace, a lightweight, miniscule device designed for mobile professionals. The device, unveiled at InfoComm, offers a miniature DLP projector in a tiny, glossy black finish, displaying a resolution of 800 by 600 at a contrast ration of 1000:1. Samsung claims the projector bulb is rated at 150 ANSI lumens, bright enough to display a 30- to 40-inch image in a well-lit office setting.
Sony this week at InfoComm unveiled its new lineup of business-class LCD projectors, some of which feature the company's BrightEra imaging technology. BrightEra provides a higher aperture ratio to deliver brighter images than the previous High Temperature Poly-Silicon-based LCD systems, with a high resolution and low fan noise. Most of the models are currently shipping, with two set to be available in November this year.
Sanyo today announced it will release its new ultra-short throw projector, the PLC-XL51. Capable of projecting an image up to 80 inches in size from about 3 inches away at 1024x768 (XGA) resolution, the new projector features some upgrades over the PLC-XL50. These include a higher brightness (2,700 lumens vs 2,000), an SD memory card slot for PC-free presentations and network capabilities.
NEC on Tuesday announced details on two network projectors ahead of their debut at the InfoComm 2008 show in Las Vegas which kicks off tomorrow. The NP905 offers 1024x768 (XGA) native resolution, while the NP901W features WXGA (1280x800) resolution, but both max out at 1600x1200 (UXGA). Either of the identical-looking units is compatible with Windows Vista via the Windows Network Projector support, allowing for wired or wireless network connections with laptops or PCs without the need for any specialized software.
Toshiba on Tuesday announced the release of its latest mobile projector, the TDP-SP1U. Weighing in at 4.8 lbs, the projector is among the lightest portable offerings in its class, and offers a native SVGA (800x600) resolution along with a 2,000:1 contrast ratio. Unlike typical projectors that make do with four colors, Toshiba's DLP BrilliantColor technology uses six separate colors for a brighter and more vivid picture.
Canon this morning launched two new projectors to add to its flagship REALiS line that make use of liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) technology with the REALiS WUX10, and REALiS SX80. The WUX10 becomes the company's top-of-the-line offering in the category; at just 0.7 inches, the WUX10's three LCoS panels are the smallest in any projector with a 1920x1200 (WUXGA) native resolution.
At the High End trade show today in Munich, Pioneer announced its return to the projector market with the KURO KRF-9000FD home theater projector. The Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) KRF-9000FD is capable of displaying 1920x1080 pixel progressive video at sizes up to 14.5 by just over 8 feet. This translates to a TV screen size of 200 inches, with the minimum projected image equivalent to a 60-inch TV screen. A 2x motorized zoom lens allows a large image to be displayed in smaller rooms. The contrast ratio, at 30,000:1, is one of the best in the industry.
Sanyo on Tuesday announced the addition of two new portable multimedia projectors to its T-series line-up, the PLC-ET30L and PLC-XT21/L. With 1400x1050-pixel (SXGA+) resolution and 4200 lumens brightness, the ET30L offers consumers a less costly alternative to pricey 1080p projectors. The XT32/L, meantime, is a value-priced 1024x768 (XGA), 4,000 lumens unit that replaces the company's volume XT20. Both are meant for use in classroom, boardroom or other areas where significant ambient light might be necessary.
After earlier reports of its ultraportable PLC-XW60 launching in Japan, Sanyo announced it on Wednesday for the North American market. Sanyo claims that at 3.6 lbs and with 10.4- by 2.17- by 7.4-inch dimensions, the XW60 is the industry’s lightest and smallest XGA (1,024x768) resolution LCD projector. Designed for traveling businesspeople and light-duty office use, the XW60 attains its size thanks to a lamp that is 39 percent smaller thanks to a smaller reflector while a plastic aspherical plastic lens is 44 percent lighter than a glass one.
NEC announced the release of two mobile projectors on Monday, the NP100 and NP200, aimed for use in small or home offices and developing businesses. Both look nearly identical and feature Texas Instruments’ DLP technology that allows for a 1,300:1 contrast ratio. The NP100 has just SVGA (800x600) resolution, while the NP200 increases that sharpness to XGA (1024x768) for computers and other high-resolution sources.
Leggett and Platt has unveiled an iPod-compatible bed at the Computer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 'Starry Night Sleep Technology Bed' features a built-in iPod dock Wi-Fi connectivity, and a surround sound speaker system. An LCD projector, dual temperature controls, and DVR functionality also treat users looking to lounge around in bed. The high-tech furniture is priced between $20,000-$50,000, according to Macworld UK.
Smart Technologies today unveiled the Smart Board 685 interactive whiteboard, and also re-issued its Smart Board 600i, featuring improved performance over its earlier incarnation. The 685 provides a large 87-inch surface area when measured diagonally, and uses a 16:10 aspect ratio. Smart says this offers 20-percent more working space than its 680 model, catering to a growing number of 16:10 laptops and projectors in schools. The pen try has an expansion slot that allows teachers to upgrade their hardware with other Smart products. Although pricing has not been announced, Smart said the Smart Board 685 will see distribution in April, with costs available at that time.
