High-End Projector Blog
(5000+ lumens)

Hitachi Announces New Installation Projectors

February 21st, 2012

Hitachi America has introduced two new 3LCD installation series projectors, the CP-WX8240 and the CP-X8150. The WXGA CP-WX8240 is 4000 lumens, and the 5000 lumen CP-X8150 is XGA resolution. Both projectors offer motorized focus, zoom and lens shift. Options include a wireless adapter and three optional lenses.

In addition, these projectors offer extensive connectivity options including two HDMI inputs, two computer inputs and a monitor out, two USB inputs, and an RJ-45 Ethernet jack. A/V connections include component, S-Video, three audio inputs and audio out. Double the brightness can be achieved using Versa-Stack which enables 2 projectors to be stacked via an RS-232 connection. The CP-WX8240 and the CP-X8150 are network capable and offer PC-Free presentations.

Finally, the CP-WX8240 and the CP-X8150 feature a DICOM (Digital Imaging & Communications in Medicine) simulation mode designed for viewing grayscale medical images. These projectors also have a template function, which will display white or black lines to make writing on a blackboard or whiteboard easier.

Recent Pacific Media Associates projector market research surveys show that users prefer feature packed projectors, so these Hitachi units should do well.

New High-End “360-Degree” Projectors from Mitsubishi

February 17th, 2012

Mitsubishi has announced three new projectors in their high-end performance series. The XL7100U is 6000 lumens with XGA resolution. The WL7200U is  5500 lumens with WXGA resolution. Finally, the UL7400U is 5000 lumens with WUXGA resolution.

All three models offer 360-degree projection and geometric warping so images can be displayed on curved, bent or arched surfaces. These units can be used in front or rear projection mode…and on the floor or ceiling. They also offer multiple lens options, power zoom and focus, and have horizontal lens shift. In addition, they employ a new roll-up filter feature, and the filter can be set to roll automatically every 500, 700 or 1000 hours.  Stand-by mode and an auto power-off setting help keep the cost of ownership down.

The XL7100U and WL7200U have begun shipping and the UL7400U will be available in March.

Pacific Media’s projector market research has shown high-end units continuing to out-perform the overall projector market, so these units should be well received.

Panasonic Europe Announces New 20,000 Lumen Projectors

February 10th, 2012

Panasonic Europe announced 3 new projectors for large-venue and rental & staging applications. The series consists of two 3-chip DLP 20,000 lumen units –  the PT-DZ21K with WUXGA resolution and the PT-DS20K with SXGA+ resolution. These two units incorporate four new 465w UHM lamps, have a 10,000:1 contrast ratio and can be equipped with 3D capabilities via an external emitter. The 3D option will handle both active and passive 3D viewing. They also have edge-blending capabilities and a lens memory feature. They configure easily for curved screen applications and can handle projection to unique shaped screens via bitmap masking. Also  announced was the PT-DW17K which is WXGA resolution with 16,500 lumens of brightness.

All three projectors boast a 2,000 hour lamp life, have a 12,000 hour maintenance free Eco Filter and a low power consumption of 2500w. Panasonic boasts that these projectors are the smallest and lightest in their category, making them ideal for large-venue and rental & staging installations. No pricing is available yet and they are expected to start shipping in June.

Pacific Media’s projector market research shows that the high-end projector segment (5000+ lumen projectors) continues to out-perform the overall projector market, so it’s likely that these units will be successful.

You can learn more by visiting http://panasonic.net//projector/

 

 

 

 

 

Barco Shows Newest HDX Series Projector at ISE

February 1st, 2012

Barco announced their latest large-venue projector, the HDX-W18, at the ISE trade show in Amsterdam this week. The 3-chip DLP WUXGA  unit boasts a whopping 17,500 lumens in brightness and uses Xenon lamps. The HDX-W18 utilizes Barco’s ImagePro technology for on-board signal processing and has flexible scaling capabilities. It also has a high-contrast optical engine. The compact modular design makes it easy to set up and service and features control through a built-in color LCD screen, which includes a preview mode. This large-venue projector can also be controlled via a smart phone or tablet computer.

Pacific Media’s quarterly analysis of the projector market has shown that the high-end product segment has consistently outperformed the overall projector market for the past several years with solid double-digit growth. The new Barco product is positioned to do well with rental & staging and large-venue customers.

Visit http://www.barco.com/en/product/2503 to learn more