This week’s INFOCOMM trade show in Las Vegas, Nev. has certainly been the place for vendors to show off new digital LCD projection systems. Panasonic has thrown its hat in the ring with a new projector that it describes as “cinema quality”: The PT-D9610U HD Cinema projector. Panasonic also took the wraps off the PT-L711XNTU, which it describes as “the industry’s smallest wireless projector.
That’s not all, either. Panasonic also unveiled updates to its ultra-portable and portable projector series, unveiled a HD resolution 50″ high-contrast plasma display, and showcased new projectors twinned with a low cost DVD-RAM based system designed for HD commerce point of sale solutions.
The PT-D9610U HD Cinema projector sports up to 12,000 ANSI lumens and a contrast ratio of 1000:1. Powered by an 1800 watt Xenon lamp with a double reflector optical system, the projector utilizes three 1.1-inch Digital Micromirror Device panels. It displays images at a native 1280 x 1024 (SXGA) resolution, utilizing 10-bit digital signal processing.
Panasonic noted that the PT-D9610U HD Cinema projector has been selected by companies for digital cinema, staging and rental applications. This is no simple presentation projection system. Pricing isn’t available for the new projectors.
The PT-L711XNTU projector is a wireless model that weighs about eight pounds. The projector is “Wi-Fi” compliant — it utilizes 802.11b, the same wireless networking standard used by Apple in its AirPort-enabled Macs.
Panasonic also added two new portable models into its mix, the PT-L759XU and PT-L759VU. The new models deliver 3,100 lumens and 2,400 lumens respectively, both with a contrast ratio of more than 450:1. They support a native resolution of 1024×768 (XGA), with a maximum input resolution of 1600 x 1200.
Five new models of Panasonic ultraportable projectors are also up to bat — the PT-L701/501XU series. The five new models are the PT-L711XU XGA (with Microlens Array) delivering 1600 ANSI lumens, PT-L701XSDU delivering 1200 ANSI lumens plus SD Memory Card for unattended presentations capabilities, the PT-L701XU XGA delivering 1200 ANSI lumens, the PT-L511XU SVGA delivering 1500 ANSI lumens, and the PT-L501XU SVGA delivering 1200 ANSI lumens.
Another new display product from Panasonic is the TH-50PHD3U, a 16:9 aspect ratio high definition plasma display. The unit features 1366 x 768 resolution, a set brightness of 300 cd/m2 and a contrast ratio of 3000:1. The display carries a $14,995 price tag.
Want more? The PT-L6600/6500 series are fixed-installation ultra-bright projectors featuring native SXGA and XGA resolutions, respectively. Panasonic has four models which all produce brightness of up to 3600 ANSI lumens.
More info on Panasonic’s project products can be found on their Web site. Visit the HD Cinema Web site if you’re more interested in the high end product.