Comments by Projector Reviews staff:
More Infocomm announcements from Panasonic follow. I think they have a typo on the date... they must mean 2011! Read on for info on two very different product releases, the PT-D9610U and PT-L711XNTU, as well as many more upcoming additions to their product line.
P R E S S R E L E A S E
PANASONIC SHOWCASES INNOVATIVE NEW PROJECTORS AT INFOCOMM 2001
Introduces Cinema-Quality 1000:1 Contrast Ratio Projector, Industry’s Smallest Wireless Projector, New HD resolution 50” Plasma
LAS VEGAS, NV (June 13, 2001) – Here at INFOCOMM, Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Company (Los Angeles, CA) has unveiled the PT-D9610U HD Cinema™ projector with a 1000:1 contrast ratio for cinema applications and the PT-L711XNTU, the industry's smallest wireless projector. Panasonic also announced significant upgrades to its ultra-portable and portable projector lines, debuted a HD resolution 50" diagonal high-contrast plasma display, and showcased its new fixed-installation SXGA/XGA projectors with a prototype low-cost DVD-RAM based server for HD Commerce point-of-sale applications.
The PT-D9610U HD Cinema™ projector offers brilliant picture quality up to 12,000 ANSI lumens and a cinema-quality contrast ratio of 1000:1. The DLP™ projector utilizes three 1.1" Digital Micromirror Device™ panels and a power-efficient 1800 watt Xenon lamp with a double reflector optical system to deliver 1280 x 1024 SXGA resolution images with 10-bit digital signal processing. The PT-D9610U has recently been selected by inTheater Entertainment, a division of privately-held WorldStage, LLC., for digital cinema applications, and by Video Applications Inc. for staging and rental.
The ultra-portable PT-L711XNTU XGA projector heralds a new era in interactive presentations. Weighing just 8 pounds, the PT-L711XNTU's wireless capabilities allow for an easily setup, continuous, cable-free presentation from multiple PCs while overcoming the limitation of too few inputs and too short cabling. By simply inserting an optional wireless LAN card into their PC, users can transmit data using the industry-leading Wi-Fi™ (IEEE 802.11b Wireless Networking transmission protocol standard) at a transfer rate of 11Mbps at up to a 125-foot distance from PC to PT-L711XNTU. The PT-L711XNTU can also be teamed with new 802.11b-equipped notebook PCs from Panasonic and other leading laptop manufacturers to provide customers with a wide variety of wireless-enabled mobile computing solutions.
"The introduction of these enabling products illustrates Panasonic's emergence as a leading innovator in the presentations market. The PT-D9610U projector is our exciting entry in the cinema projection arena. Theatergoers will be amazed by its pristine image quality and theater owners will be excited about the new revenue possibilities it delivers," said Stuart English, Vice President, Marketing, Panasonic Broadcast. "Without the nuisance of cumbersome wiring, the PT-L711XNTU is a liberating tool, providing presenters the confidence to be at their very best when making their presentations."
At INFOCOMM, Panasonic is also adding two new portable XGA LCD models, the PT-L759XU and PT-L759VU, to the company's extensive lineup of lightweight projectors. The PT-L759XU and PT-L759VU deliver 3,100 lumens and 2,400 lumens respectively providing crisp, clear images even in ambient room-lighting conditions. The projectors display a native resolution of 1024 X 768 XGA, with a maximum input resolution of 1600 x 1200 UXGA. The units feature a contrast ratio of more than 450:1, and a remarkable center-to-corner uniformity ratio of 95%.
The new PT-L701/501XU Series of ultra-portable projectors offers higher brightness, higher contrast ratios, and longer lamp life. 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.
Panasonic has also announced availability and pricing for its latest high definition Plasma Display panel, the TH-50PHD3U. This 16:9 aspect ratio display, which will be available in June at a suggested list price of $14,995, features 1366 x 768 resolution, a set brightness of 300 cd/m2 and the industry's highest contrast ratio of 3000:1.
The new PT-L6600/6500 Series of fixed-installation, ultra-bright SXGA and XGA projectors feature the company's exclusive BriteOptic™ built-in dual lamp system. The Series' four projectors -- the PT-L6600U SXGA, PT-L6500U XGA and PT-L6600UL SXGA and PT-L6500UL XGA (both UL models without lens) produce an exceptional brightness of 3600 ANSI lumens.
At INFOCOMM, Panasonic demonstrated the PT-L6000 Series projectors and various plasma display panels operating with a prototype high definition DVD-RAM video server. This server, designed to offer very low cost HD video delivery for point-of-sale and micro cinema applications, is expected to be formally introduced during fourth quarter, 2001.
Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast, professional video and presentation products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit company of Matsushita Electric Corporation of America, the principal North America subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC), one of the world's leading producers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business and industrial use.
For more information on Panasonic projector products, phone 1-800-528-8601 or access the company's web site at www.panasonic.com/projectors, or for the company's HD Cinema products, www.panasonic.com/hdcinema.
