news archive
Panasonic
Introduces HD LCD Front Projector with 3-Layer RGB Structure
Secaucus, New
Jersey, December 17 - Panasonic announced today its new
PT-AE500 LCD front projector that "achieves a level of
image fidelity and impact that rivals the movie theater
experience." The new home-cinema projector incorporates
high-definition wide-screen LCD panels, integrated
"cinema quality" circuitry, full 10-bit digital
processing and gamma correction, and new smooth-screen
technology. Many of these features are the result of
research and development at the company's facilities,
including the Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory in Hollywood,
California, where Hollywood studio colorists participated in
the development process to ensure a high level of color
fidelity. The PT-AE500 will be available December 2003 with
an MSRP of $2499.95.
The
PT-AE500's images are produced by a high-definition
(1280x720-pixel), wide-screen LCD panel. Its three-layer RGB
structure realizes an effective total of 2.76 million
pixels. "That translates into a beautiful picture with
extremely clear detail and fidelity when reproducing
high-quality video source material such as high-definition
digital terrestrial or satellite broadcasts," a company
announcement said. A new optical system developed
specifically for high-definition LCD panels delivers 850
lumens and a contrast ratio of 1,300:1.
The PT-AE500
"can produce a 100-inch-diagonal, 16:9 wide-screen
image from a relatively short distance of about 10
feet," said Ed Wolff, Vice President of Panasonic's
Display Group. "Our newly developed unified high
picture circuit, known as Cinema Works, is a technology
derived from high-end professional projectors. The
performance and picture quality this technology provides
allows consumers to achieve a movie theater atmosphere right
in their living rooms."
The PT-AE500
also features a quiet fan that uses twin blades to lower
operating noise while reducing light leakage. The fan
operates at only 27dB. The projector is equipped with HDCP
compatible DVI inputs that directly accept digital signals
from DVD and other digital sources. Component video input
terminals allow the user to enjoy the full quality of images
from progressive-scan DVD players, while the PC IN terminal
can be used to connect video game machines and PCs. The
PT-AE500 also includes composite video and S-Video
connections. A trigger terminal is also fitted, so opening
and closing a screen can be accomplished by simply powering
the projector on and off.
Information: www.panasonic.com.
Gyricon
Unveils SyncroSign™ Message Board
Ann Arbor,
Mchigan, December 10 - Gyricon, LLC has announced release of
its first commercial application of SmartPaper™
technology, the SyncroSign™ Message Board. The product
launch took place at the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), a
subsidiary of Xerox Corporation, where SmartPaper™
technology was developed.
SyncroSign™
Message Board is a battery-powered Wi-Fi network sign
incorporating SmartPaper™ technology, a reusable display
medium. A key feature of the sign is that it requires no
power to display an image. Power is required only when the
sign content changes, enabling the sign's long battery life.
Messages and sign content can be updated wirelessly using
Gyricon's SignSync™ software. The software enables remote
message scheduling and the management of sign content, and
is scalable from an individual sign to a large enterprise
installation.
The primary
application of the SyncroSign™ Message Board is as a
dynamic information display. Locations such as hotels,
convention centers, banks, corporate lobbies, and athletic
facilities can utilize and control these displays throughout
a large venue, via a wireless network.
While working
at the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), inventor Nick
Sheridon developed the Gyricon technology. The basis of
Gyricon's products is a paper-like alternative to
liquid-crystal display screens and cathode-ray tubes.
SmartPaper™ is a thin, flexible medium that weighs only a
few ounces. Made of millions of tiny bi-chromal wax beads
encased in a flexible sheet of elastomer, SmartPaper™is
easy to read, uses less power, and is more portable than
conventional displays, a company announcement said.
The
SyncroSign™ Message Board will be available for purchase
through Gyricon's channel partners in January, 2004, with an
MSRP of $1,295.
Information: www.gyricon.com.
