SIM2 DOMINO D60 DLP Front Projector Breaks $5000 Barrier, Now Shipping
SIM2's high-end but high-priced projectors are among the best on the market and the new DOMINO D60 DLP front projector is no exception. Oh, but wait, it is. Because at $4995, SIM2 has finally introduced a projector into the sub-$5000 category reaching a whole new group of potential customers with their amazing projection technology.
The D60 features a Texas Instruments DarkChip3 0.95-inch DMD chipset with BrilliantColor and Dynamic Black technologies, enabling a wide range of colors, greater than 10000:1 contrast and full 1080p imagery projection. Depending on what you're projecting, the D60 has three preset modes-Cinema, Dynamic, and Standard-and three customizable memories that can be calibrated for three more specific projection environments. Available in a Black Shadow matte finish, the SIM2 D60 sports dual HDMI inputs, component, RGB-HD, vertical lens shift, variable Iris, and a 50-200 inch picture size. Apparently the DOMINO D60 is now shipping, although a quick look at their website yields no info regarding this projector.
Texas Instruments' DLP Pico Projector Caught On Video
The folks over at CrunchGear managed to get their hands on the newest prototype of Texas Instruments' DLP pico projector, crammed into a stripped down Blackberry Curve. Despite the fact the Curve was gutted, the newest rendition of the DLP Pico is the smallest yet, less than half the size of previous prototypes.
Panasonic's PT-DZ12000 DLP Projector Displays Images On Curved Surfaces, Cooled By Water
Projector's can display images on curved surfaces? Run on water? No way. But wait, yes they can. Just ask Panasonic whose PT-D12000 and PT-DZ12000 get a big checkmark on both counts. Both projectors can display images on curved surfaces thanks to dedicated LSI. Unlike other models that display on curved surfaces, the new Panasonic models require no extra external components. Believe it or not the PT-DZ12000 is cooled by water too. Not entirely surprising given some of the projectors' heat-generating specs. Both projectors run on three DLP chips, and feature four 300 W built-in lamps resulting in a combined 12, 000 lumen brightness rating. Amazingly the PT-DZ12000 features 1920 x 1200 resolution and can project a massive 600-inch image from a minimum distance of only 12.4 meters. Both projectors are looking at an August release, both carrying a rather large $69, 000 price tag.
Planar's Clarity Margay II DLP Cube: 8 50-Inch DLP 1080p Displays Put Together
Rear-projection TV's may not be too hot for living room use these days, but when it comes to DLP cubes, they're all the rage. Check out the Planar Clarity Margay II DLP Cube, display at InfoComm 2008. It features 8 50-inch DLP rear projection displays, 2 across and 4 down, each 1920 x 1080 pixels, displaying a total pixel count of 3840 x 4320. All of the screens work in tandem with one another and the displays are close enough together so the edges don't irritate the eyes. Look for these DLP cubes to feature prominently in commercial displays.
Dolby 3D Digital Cinema The Future For Movie-Goers
The only hope the movie theater has of existing in any fashion in the future is to go 3D in our opinion, and Dolby Laboratories is making that a whole lot easier with their Dolby 3D Digital Cinema technology. The technology enables cinema operators to use standard white screens to playback both 2D and 3D films when using DLP projectors, nixing the need for separate and expensive silver screens. Now they've announced a new Dolby 3D playback compatibility program that'll simplify and standardize the technical requirements for digital cinema manufacturers. Dolby 3D technology uses dual channel, real-time color correction technology, and to be Dolby compatible servers/projectors will be tested for their accuracy in this area. XDC's CineStore Solo G3 server line has been the first to receive approval from Dolby.
Dell's Del 1609WX DLP Projector-Dell's Latest WXGA Japanese Offering
Dell's Del 1609WX DLP WXGA projector, suitable for both home and commercial uses has been announced in Japan. The Del 1609WX projector features 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, 2500 lumens of brightness, 1900:1 contrast ratio, and a load of connectivity options including DVI, S-video, composite, and PC inputs. The 1609WX also features Dell's proprietary BrilliantColor technology and an 8 Watt speaker. It'll cost 105, 000 Yen in Japan, about the equivalent of US$969.
projectiondesign's F10AS3D The World's First Active 3D Stereoscopic DLP Projector, F80 WUXGA DLP 3-Chip Has The Highest Resolution Around
High-end projector maker, projectiondesign, will be showcasing an impressive array of DLP projectors at the upcoming InfoComm show in Las Vegas. The definite showstopper will be the F10 AS3D single-chip DLP projector, so far the only high resolution active stereoscopic 3D projector on the market. The F10 AS3D has SXGA+ 1080p compatibility, a 120 Hz refresh rate, BrilliantColor and RealColor technology and IR remote control. The brand new F80 WUXGA 3-chip DLP projector is set to be the highest resolution 3-chip projector available, with a 1920 x 1200 pixel count and projectiondesign's new Advanced Color Optical Processing technology that calibrates images for the best picture quality possible The F80 also features an enhancement to the projector's dynamic contrast that the company claims surpasses all other 3-chip projectors as well. Two more WUXGA projectors, the F10 and F30, will see North American shores for the first time. The F10 not only has a choice of WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution, but also 1080p, plus a range of lens options and RealColor. The F30 has both resolution options, or an SXGA+ option, plus six different lens options, and both BrilliantColor and RealColor technologies.
The NEC NP100 DLP projector is a good choice for the budget-oriented shopper looking for a portable projection solution suitable for both home theater use and business presentations. Lightweight at only 2.4kg, the NEC NP100 features native 800x600 pixel SVGA resolution, can kick out 2000 ANSI lumens, and is suitable for use in small to medium rooms with low lighting. For those interested in the presentation side of things, tests revealed a crisp 64-inch image from a projector placement of 3 meters away from the screen. Text and graphics were sharp and color rendering was good when connected to both a laptop's VGA port and a DVD player's composite video output. The projector also features a built-in 2 watt speaker perfect for presentation audio, but not so much for home theater use.
Business Projectors: What You Need To Know Before You Buy
While you can find business projectors for a few hundred dollars these days, looking for the cheapest price around may be selling yourself, and your audience, short. Many lower cost business projectors only work well in completely darkened rooms, and when's the last time you gave a business presentation in the dark? The optimal price range for finding good value and great features? In between $1500-$2000, says Peter Knaak of the German consumer testing organization Stiftung Warentest in Berlin. Knaak adds that he has yet to see a projector priced at less than $1500 that is worth recommending for business presentations.
Okay, so we've nailed down price, but what about features?
Projection Design Launches Three Avielo DLP Projectors In Munich
Projectiondesign debuted 3 new DLP projectors at the High End home cinema event in Munich. Dubbed the Avielo series, the 1080p Avielo Spectra, 1080p Avielo Optix and 720p Avielo Prisma, are the first of 5 Avielo DLP projectors to launch in 2008. The two higher-end projectors use Signature-series lenses and the Optix, which comes with 6 different lens options, uses projectiondesign's proprietary dual lamp system. The Spectra is suitable for screen sizes up to 120 inches, while the Optix is suitable for screen sizes up to 180 inches.
BENQ CP220c DLP Projector Perfect For A Fast-Paced Business Lifestyle
The new BENQ CP220c DLP projector, tailored to the fast-paced business market, is the high-end projector manufacturer's latest Japanese offering. Available March 5 in Japan, for the expected price of 99, 800 Yen (US$941), the BENQ CP220c is a compact, super-lightweight DLP featuring 1024x768 XGA resolution, 2000 lumen brightness, and a 700:1 contrast ratio. Bulb lifetime is an expected 3000 hours in Economy mode and 2000 hours in normal mode, and built-in cooling fans continue to operate after the power source is removed from the projector. That means after a business presentation, a busy presenter can quickly pack up and move on without worrying about any lasting damage to the CP220c from excessive heat. The CP220c uses high-end German Zeiss lenses and comes with a lens cover to protect the lens during transportation and 9 preset modes allows the display to be optimized to any lighting or presentation conditions. For an extensive listing of features, check out the BENQ Japan website.
TV design trends in the past year or so have dictated that thinner sets are better. DLP TV's use a rear-projection lamp that makes it virtually impossible for them to be as thin as plasma, LCD, or OLED displays, and that's probably why DLP revenue fell 21% between the third quarter of 2006 and the third quarter of 2007. Nobody wants a thick TV anymore. But the maker of DLP chipsets, Texas Instruments, won't give up on the high-definition technology.
Not only is Texas Instruments working to improve the quality of DLP technology, they're also promoted the benefits of DLP projectors to entirely new markets like churches and schools. The most interesting thing the company is doing with DLP though, is developing a handheld video projector.
The company announced plans at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to release the DLP Pico, an ultrasmall projector, later in 2008. Targeted for the mobile phone market, the DLP Pico has been shown in the past as a prototype but Texas Instruments has never announced plans to actually release the technology to the consumer market.
The DLP Pico is composed on an ultrasmall DLP device and both DDP1500 and DDP1505 control processors. It also employs proprietary "DarkChip technology" for an improved contrast ratio. Whether or not the idea of a mobile handheld projector will be accepted by the buying public remains to be seen, we'll definitely know more in the latter half of 2008.
Rear-Projection DLP TV: Texas Instruments Argues New DLP Chip Will Keep Rear-Projection TV Alive
Rear-Projection TV Alive And Well?
Despite the fact that monolithic giants in the TV manufacturing world such as Sony are leaving rear-projection TV's behind to focus on LCD's and plasma's, Texas Instruments is holding out, betting on smaller digital light processing (DLP) chips and other technological advancements to revive the rear-projection sector.
Definitely a brave move by Texas Instruments though, as their third quarter revenues last year dropped 21% from third quarter 2006 and research firm iSuppli forecasts a 25% drop in rear-projection sales over the next 2 years culminating in a paltry 1% market share by 2010. But Texas Instruments argues....
Mitsubishi's 27 Million Pixel, 340 Degree DLP Panoramic Display
Mitsubishi has designed a 2 meter tall, 7.5 meter diameter, 340 degree panoramic display. Built for a private customer the display boasts a pixel resolution of 27 million pixels (which only works out to 720p) and utilizes synchonized rear-projection displays in each of 17 panels. The system uses Texas Instruments Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology and the buying price is 150 million yen or about $1.3 million. Wow! Although the company won't reveal the customer or the intended use of the display, they hope to market it to museums as a virtual reality display or to be used for traffic simulations.
SIM2 DOMINO D60 DLP Front Projector Breaks $5000 Barrier, Now Shipping
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