Sony Bows LCoS Front Projector in Move to Outdo DLP, LCD
DENVER -- Sony, seeking to steal the march on rivals with DLP- and LCD-based 1080p front projectors, used the CEDIA Expo here to debut an SXRD LCoS model ($4,999), priced about $2,000 less than its closet rival. The VPL-VW50 continues with three 0.61” SXRD panels with 1,920x1080p resolution, marking a big advance in LCoS technology, historically disadvantaged in price compared to DLP and LCD.
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The new model will ship to retailers this fall at half the price of the VPL-VW100 ($9,999), which Sony introduced in 2005 and will keep marketing. The savings came via improved SXRD panel production, Sony executives said, declining to give yield rates at Sony’s plant in Japan. The VPL-VW50 is smaller than the VPL-VW100 --15.5"x6.83"x18.5” vs. 19.5"x6.78"x22.5” -- and lighter -- 24.2 lbs. v 41.1 lbs. It moves to a 200-w Philips UHP lamp from a 400-w Perkin Elmer Xenon model and delivers 900 lumens, against 800. A replacement 200-w UHP lamp costs around $300 vs. $999 for the Xenon model. Sony doubled the number of HDMI connectors to 2 and dropped DVI.
“This will bring the benefits of SXRD to a wider audience and it shows the benefits of moving into 3rd- generation displays,” TV Product Mktg. Vp Phil Abram said. Sony will collaborate with Stewart Filmscreen to promote and demonstrate the VPL-VW50 at retail and at Sony Style stores. Sony debuted the technology in 2004 with a 1.55” panel, moving that fall to a 0.73” panel for the $30,000 Qualia 004. Sony continues to produce the 0.73” panel, but only to support the Qualia 004, Projection TV Product Mgr. Hideaki Yamaguchi said.
Sony’s VPL-VW50 move was bolstered by JVC’s introduction earlier this week of a D-ILA-based front projector ($7,000) containing three 0.7” panels with 1,920x,1080 resolution, 800 lumens and 10,000:1 (CED Sept 11 p5). The D-ILA panels are based on LCoS technology.
A DLP camp response could be found from Optoma, which in Aug. shipped the HD81 at $6,999, down from a $7,999 price it quoted at Infocomm in June (CED June 8 p1). The HD81 uses a Texas Instruments 0.95” DLP chip with 1,920x1,080p resolution and Gennum’s VPX video processor. It has a 300-w lamp that puts out 1,400 lumens, 6-segment 10,800 rpm color wheel, 17- stop active iris, 2 RS232 connectors and 3 HDMI outputs. Most projectors based on TI’s 0.95” chip, available in one- and 3-chip configurations, are priced at $10,000. Sharp bowed the $11,995 XV-Z20000 at CEDIA with 1,920x1,080p resolution, 1,000 lumens and 12,000:1 maximum contrast ratio. The projector, which ships in Oct., has a 1:1.35 manual zoom lens and CV-IC III video scaling circuitry. There are no immediate plans to lower the price of the XV-Z20000 in response to Sony’s introduction, Sharp sr. VP-group mgr. Robert Scaglione said.
On the LCD front, Panasonic showed 2 models -- the PT- AX100 and PT-AE1000U -- with 0.7” and 0.74” Epson panels of 720x1,280 and 1,080x1,920 resolution, company officials said. The PT-AX100U ($2,999) and PT-AX1000U, to ship in Oct. and Dec., respectively, have 2,000 and 1,100 lumens and 6,000:1 and 11,000:1 maximum contrast ratios. Panasonic is among Epson’s first customers for its 0.7” 1080p chip, but hasn’t set a price, Engineering Mgr. David Wiswell said. Panasonic added features like an internally developed “pure color filter” that can be disabled for a brighter picture and a “light harmonizer” designed for better daylight viewing.