Canon USA has introduced a Mac-compatible “microportable” LCD (liquid crystal display) projector with enhanced brightness and resolution features and targeted to the business and the small office/home office (SOHO) markets. The LV-5100, the company’s first such projector, provides image projection capability to a screen size of up to 200 inches.
Weighing in at 5.95 pounds, the LV-5100 measures 7 1/2 x 3 x 12 inches (excluding legs). Extra options are provided through a ceiling function and a rear function that reverse the projected image accordingly for either ceiling mounting or for use with a rear projection screen. It projects 700 ANSI lumens, the highest in the SVGA microportable class.
The microprojector, due late this month at a suggested retail price of US$2,999, supports HDTV and DVD component inputs, reproduces images with minimal blurring of colors, and supports regular and wide screen aspect ratios (regular for a 4×3 aspect ratio; wide for a wide screen 16×9 aspect ratio, or keystone to smoothly compensate for trapezoidal distortion in the projected image). The LV-5100 sports manual zoom and manual focus. A digital zoom can be used to enlarge any portion of the presentation screen. The subsequent screen can be cued without pausing or projecting an unnecessary screen operation, according to Canon USA.
Digital Keystone smoothly compensates for trapezoidal distortion, producing a square picture for images projected at an angle of up to +/-15 degrees, according to Yukiaki Hashimoto, VP and general manager of Canon USA’s Photographic Products Group. Rapid increases in fan speed reduce noise to permit quieter operation than conventional projectors, he said.
“LCD projectors are a popular and important presentation tool at large conferences and other major events, but we see the demand for microportable LCD projectors growing dramatically,” Hashimoto said in a press release. “Businesses are requiring smaller, lighter and less expensive projectors. Microportable LCD projectors are providing companies and consumers with these requirements along with advanced projection features.”