Sharp has released a new line of “microportable” projectors: the NotevisionM20 Series, which includes a M25X wireless version and offers a range of presentation options, from high-impact corporate sales pitches to personal video viewing.
They’re compatible with virtually any computer source, including Macs, PCs and workstations, via their DVI-I input. The projectors are also compatible with video sources such as DVD, HDTV, VCR and video game stations.
The NotevisionM20 Series is a pair of slim DLP projectors in slim, compact packages targeted to sales/marketing professionals, small business owners, corporate trainers and anyone needing a high performance projector with a small form factor. The NotevisionM25X uses IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN technology and a new image compression algorithm to permit real-time data transmission over a wireless network. Both models weigh 5.8 pounds and feature native XGA resolution and 1900 ANSI Lumens brightness. And both sport multiple inputs, Fujinon zoom lens and new imaging technology.
The NotevisionM20X will be available later this summer at a list price of US$4,395. The NotevisionM25X will also be available this summer at an estimated suggested price of $5,295.
The NotevisionM20 Series delivers superior image quality due to a number of technology innovations, including the exclusive CV-IC System II, a Sharp-developed video-processing chip, said Jerry Ganguzza, associate director of marketing for Sharp’s Professional LCD Products Division. The CV-IC System II chip cleans up jagged edges, minimizes image noise and implements keystone corrections, he added.
The NotevisionM20X’s straight-path optical system features fewer mirrors than previous systems, resulting in improved brightness, Ganguzza said. A new RGB color management feature sharpens the NotevisionM20X’s color output, contrast and gradation, he added. In addition, the M20 is powered by Texas Instrument’s latest DLP engine, with DDR circuitry and produces an 800:1 ANSI contrast ratio, up to 1000:1 in full-on/full-off mode.
In addition to the CV-IC System II and straight-path optical system, the NotevisionM25 features “Wireless Reality Presentation” technology, which was developed by Sharp and is based on the IEEE802.11b industry standard and newly developed vector quantization (VQ) technology. The VQ technology makes it possible to compress and decompress still images with high compression rates and high image quality, Ganguzza said.
The wireless NotevisionM25 will allow users to transmit from multiple computers to a single projector, or a single computer to multiple projectors, without having to plug and unplug connecting cables. What’s more, the M25X’s memory card slot is compatible with a variety of memory cards, such as Compact Flash, SD, ATA Flash card or SmartMedia via an adaptor. This lets users deliver high-quality presentations directly from the projector, without a desktop or laptop computer. The M25X also features Sharp’s GyroRemote, which eliminates the need for line-of-sight remote control, letting users operate the M25X from any angle within a 100-foot radius.
Both models are designed with Sharp’s PresenterPAK feature set. Computer connectors are color-coded to simplify setup for users when connecting cables to a Mac, Wintel machine or workstation. PresenterPAK has such built-in features as a customizable start-up screen and break timer for meeting control.