Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On January - 17 - 2010ADD COMMENTS
LG have been very busy this year releasing 39 new HDTVs. Along with these TVs comes the LG CF3D, the worlds first Full HD 3D projector using a single lens.
2010 has been a year for 3D HDTV, with many of them joining the market, including a number from LG (LG LE9500). But the LG CF3D stands out from the rest as being the only Full HD projector.
LG call the CF3D versatile, and say it has an amazing brightness of 2,500 ANSI-lumens along with a high 7,000:1 contrast ratio. It also brings TruMotion 120Hz, a technology previously seen on their HDTV line.
We’re not exactly sure how the 3D effect works, but LG say it provides a life like viewing experience, joining both Duel Engine and 3D audio picture calibration technology. HDMI upscaling is also supported.
The LG CF3D features a 0.61-inch SXRD, Full HD 1080p, XR-3D, Real Cinema, ISFccc, along with 3x HDMI 1.3 inputs, VGA, Ethernet, and a USB 2.0 input.
LG say that the CF3D will be consumer aimed and will cost around $10,000 when its’ released in May 2010.
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Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On January - 15 - 2010ADD COMMENTS
“Get ready for a true theatre-like 3D experience!” shouts Acer as it intros its new H5360 projector with HD ready resolution and Nvidia 3D Vision tech.
The boasts for Nvidia’s 3D Vision technology is that it can transform the flat surface of your living room wall into a 3D screen – thanks to a combination of a PC with a compatible graphics card and special 3D shutter glasses.
Here comes the science: “The 3D shutter eyeglasses with two lenses synchronized by the PC are an essential part of stereoscopic Nvidia 3D Vision technology. Every image is rendered twice, once for the right eye and once for the left, so that it is offset in relation to its ‘double’”.
“The GPU sends this information to the Acer H5360, which works at a frequency of 120Hz, and shows even-numbered frames to the left eye and odd-numbered frames to the right eye. The 3D glasses open and close each lens in synchronicity with the projector, so as to create the illusion of observing a scene with real depth. The battery-powered glasses work via a special infrared transmitter”.
The projector itself offers 720p resolution, 2500 ANSI Lumens brightness and a 3200:1 contrast ratio.
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Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On November - 26 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
New Panasonic PT-AE4000U just lowered the bar, on price, but not quality. This LCD projector retails for $2499, though some say it can be found for less, even from authorized dealers for hundreds less. Consciously designed for smaller home theaters, the PT-AE1000U can project a 120-inch image from as little as 11 to as much as 24 feet away. You sure can’t get that in a flat panel display for a mere $2.5k.
Panasonic incorporated the new Red-Rich Lamp, which increases the luminance efficiency of the projector, to achieve 150% brighter Cinema Picture modes compared to the previous PT-AE3000. Prior to the development of the Red-Rich Lamp, much brightness was lost to attain the desired color purity/balance for the rich color reproduction of Cinema Picture modes due to the lack of red luminance. The newly engineered lamp successfully adds red luminance, and enables the projector to produce brighter images with excellent colors. Rated at 1,600 lumens, the PT-AE4000 is plenty bright for the average home theater.
For maximum clarity and sharpness of full-HD images, the PT-AE4000U was outfitted with an advanced optical system employing a full-HD-optimized lens unit comprised of 16 lens elements in 12 groups, including two large-diameter aspherical lenses and two high-performance ED (extralow dispersion) lenses. Each lens is carefully aligned to assure a uniform focusing balance from the center to the edges of the screen.
The double-speed display (120 Hz or 100 Hz) greatly improves the clarity of motion images. Panasonic’s Frame Creation interpolates one new frame for each existing frame by analyzing the characteristics of the adjacent frames to reproduce sharp and clear images for fast moving scenes in sports and action movies. For 24p signal input, three frames are calculated and interpolated for each existing frame, to enable 4x speed (96-Hz) display. There are four modes (mode 1, mode 2, mode 3, and off) to choose from.
The Point Color Correction mode allows you to pick a point in the image and adjust that color without affecting the neighboring colors, so it is easy to get just the right color equalization in hue, luminance and saturation. The Six Color Correction mode enables independent adjustment of red, green, blue, cyan, magenta and yellow. Making adjustments on the fly has never been easier either. You can freeze any scene you wish, and then make adjustments while easily comparing the original image and the adjusted image side-by-side.
The PT-AE4000U features the Pure Contrast Plate, which uses a newly engineered crystalline material that is carefully matched to the characteristics of the LCD panels to effectively correct the passage of light exiting the panels. This enables the projector to block unwanted light leakage and successfully increases the dynamic range. It works together with the dynamic iris to achieve a remarkable contrast ratio of 100,000:1. The advantage being the PT-AE4000U works well in environments with high ambient light such as a living room.
To achieve a wide dynamic range, a fifth generation intelligent iris system was placed in the PT-AE4000U. It analyzes the brightness level of each image using a histogram, then adjusts the lamp power, iris and gamma curve accordingly to create the ideal image. The adjustments are made virtually frame by frame.
In the past, projector installation was considered a serious downside. However, as projectors become more affordable it’s less likely consumers will pay to have them installed. So, manufacturers are looking at ways they can make projectors virtually plug and play. Well, not quite but certainly far more flexible with simplified set up procedures. For instance, the PT-AE4000U provides wide lens shift for easy mounting almost anyway – the back wall , the ceiling – and it can even be a little off center.
Perhaps, the most advanced feature in the PT-AE4000U, which is something you won’t even find in many projectors for thousands more, is the Intelligent Lens Memory. Up to six settings can be stored in the Lens Memory, including zoom and focus positions for projecting in the normal 16:9 or 4:3 image ratio, and wide cinema projection settings. These memories can be recalled manually or can be set for automatic switching. The projector is able to detect 2.35:1 and 16:9 source and retrieve the stored setting automatically. This Lens Memory function lets you easily enjoy images with different image ratios on the new wide 2.35:1 screens for an immersive movie theater-like experience.
Own other Panasonic gear? When you have other Panasonic VIERA Link-ready equipment, projection can be started by using only the remote control unit of the PT-AE4000, regardless of whether the source is a Blu-ray Disc or a TV program stored on an HD recorder. This eliminates the need for hassling with several remote controls. Course, you can easily program the PT-AE4000U to a universal remote to eliminate all that remote control clutter.
Source: hometheaterdesignmag.com
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Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On November - 22 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
There’s a new top pick in Epson’s already-crowded 3LCD projector line.
The Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 7500UB utilizes the company’s most advanced imaging technologies and has its most thorough assortment of features, yet it carries a price tag of just $4,199.
This 1080p projector uses Epson’s D7 C2Fine TFT LCD chipset with UltraBlack technology, two high-end video processing chips (the Silicon Optix Reon VX and Pixelworks 390) and a new auto iris. It also adds an Anamorphic Wide aspect ratio, for use with an optional anamorphic lens attachment, and a 120Hz mode that employs frame interpolation to produce smoother motion with 24p film sources.
Physical setup takes just seconds, thanks to a host of convenient features: 2.1x manual zoom, 100 percent vertical and 50 percent horizontal lens shift (via manual dials), adjustable feet and an onscreen test pattern to aid with sizing and focus. The remote is fully backlit and sports dedicated input buttons and direct access to the most commonly used picture controls.
Speaking of which, this model has the full complement of image adjustments we’ve come to expect from Epson, with a few new perks. The custom installer will find just about every control he or she needs to calibrate the image, including RGB offset and gain, advanced gamma and precise color management of all six color points. New this year are a contrast enhancement feature; a faster, quieter auto iris with normal, high speed and off modes (previous models had just on/off settings); and color isolation options (green, red, and blue) to aid in color and tint setup.
The 7500UB introduces some new picture modes for Epson, including Cinema Day and Night, an HD mode that’s “close to professional-use broadcast monitors” and a Silver Screen mode that “emphasizes rich colors, like those seen in movies at the theater.” I went with the HD mode for TV viewing and the Silver Screen mode for Blu-ray/DVD playback. In both cases, with only minor adjustments to the picture controls, the results were quite impressive.
Epson has accomplished the difficult task of simultaneously improving light output and black level, compared with previous models. The result is an image with excellent contrast. The numbers may not be quite as good as those of the best higher-end projectors, but the 7500UB’s performance is certainly competitive. Blacks look black, and the image has excellent depth and dimension in a dark room. On my 75-inch-diagonal screen, the 7500UB had ample light output to breathe life into bright scenes, even in a room with some ambient light.
Blu-ray demo scenes from Kingdom of Heaven, Casino Royale and The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl looked excellent. Colors were rich but natural, and the overall color temperature stayed fairly even across the board, producing neutral whites, blacks and skintones. With some fine-tuning of the gamma control, the projector did a good job rendering fine black details in Blu-ray and DVD scenes.
I was particularly impressed with the 7500UB’s detail, especially with 1080p Blu-ray content. Previous Epson projectors struggled with edge enhancement, which forced you to sacrifice fine detail by lowering the sharpness control to lessen the ringing and extraneous noise around edges. Thankfully, edge enhancement has been minimized here, while overall detail is improved.
The Silicon Optix and Pixelworks chips score high marks in the processing department. Good scaling results in nicely detailed DVD images, and the projector passed my deinterlacing tests with both 480i and 1080i content.
To reduce judder in 24p film sources, the 7500UB has two options: Film purists will appreciate the inclusion of a 4:4 pulldown mode that quadruples each frame (24 x 4 = 96Hz), which makes for slightly smoother motion than the traditional 3:2 process. The 120Hz FineFrame technology, meanwhile, pulls information from existing frames to create new ones, and the setup menu includes low, normal, high and off settings.
The smoothing effects of frame interpolation draw mixed reactions. Some people love it; others…not so much. With this projector, the high mode’s motion is so unnaturally smooth with Blu-ray and DVD movies, I found it incredibly distracting. The normal and high modes also created some processing errors in faster-moving scenes. The low mode performs more reliably and strikes a better balance, reducing judder without looking too artificial. For what it’s worth, Epson only recommends the normal and high modes for video-game playback and doesn’t recommend using the 120Hz feature with broadcast TV content; indeed, it performed poorly with my DirecTV signal, introducing a ton of processing errors.
For the most part, the 7500UB’s 12-bit panel creates a clean image, with minimal noise in backgrounds and light-to-dark transitions. Blu-ray content looked especially clean. However, the projector occasionally struggled with dimly lit DVD and HDTV scenes; in cases where there was a lot of grain in the film (or the HD cam was set for higher sensitivity), the 7500UB called more attention to the low-level noise in black backgrounds than other displays I’ve tested.
Epson claims a fan-noise level of 22 decibels. Upon initial power-up, the 7500UB’s darker picture modes seemed a little quieter than those of the Home Cinema 1080. However, I live at 5,000 feet, and this is the first projector I’ve encountered (including several other Epson models) in which I had to use the high-altitude mode to prevent overheating. This adds a fair amount of fan noise.
The Pro Cinema 7500UB is sold exclusively through custom channels, and its $4,199 price tag also gets you an additional lamp, ceiling-mount hardware and a rear-panel cable cover. All in all, the 7500UB is an excellent value, offering performance and features that are more than competitive with some of the higher-end players on the market.
Source: epson.com
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Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On November - 3 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
SANYO, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of LCD and DLP projectors, announces the release of a new two-lamp projector, the PLC-XF1000, which features the exclusive QuaDrive™ optical engine for exceptional color reproduction for brighter capacities, 12,000 lumens brightness, 4000:1 contrast ratio, and the proprietary Active Maintenance Filter (AMF) for increased reliability. The high brightness, two-lamp PLC-XF1000 projector is the second SANYO model to be equipped with their proprietary QuaDrive optical engine. Unlike conventional 3LCD (red/green/blue) systems, the QuaDrive includes an additional color control device that allows the PLC-XF1000 to automatically control the amount of yellow light in the image, producing higher luminosity with improved color accuracy and clarity. The demand for even brighter projectors continues to come from the field as systems integrators are asked to install video displays in extremely large venues such as convention halls, conference rooms, auditoriums and houses of worship with high levels of ambient light. It is also especially well suited for the digital signage market where high resolution is in demand. However, as brightness levels increase on traditional 3LCD projectors, there is a reverse effect in color reproduction. Colors become noticeably washed out, lacking vibrancy and realism.
The PLC-XF1000 is equipped with two high-output 330-watt lamps, improving light efficiency and achieving the industry’s highest brightness of 12,000 lumens. It uses a basic 100V AC electrical outlet for ease of use and installation convenience.
The QuaDrive optical engine uses an inorganic panel for increased reliability contributing to the projector’s outstanding 4000:1 contrast ratio for improved image depth, resulting in a 3D-like appearance. With the incorporation of three mirrors and SANYO’s two-lamp combining technology, the overall color uniformity is significantly improved resulting in richer high definition images. The new design allows the PLC-XF1000 to produce the same brightness with two lamps as previous models did with four.
Maintaining projectors in the field can be costly and time-consuming. The integration of SANYO’s exclusive Active Maintenance Filter (AMF) system enables filter cartridge replacement intervals of approximately 11,000 hours because a single cartridge contains a filter roll that is equal to 10 individual filters.
Installation is also simplified with key SANYO features such as the Power Vertical/Horizontal Lens Shifting and Power Zoom/Focus functions, which enable easy projection adjustments without changing the projector’s position. These power-driven systems can be easily operated with the supplied remote control, which is especially convenient when the projector is installed on the ceiling or wall. Moreover, the projector can be installed in virtually any location, due to versatile setup positioning functions like the Vertical 360-degree Tilt Angle and a Center Lens Design. There are ten optional lenses available for use with the PLC-XF1000, ranging from short to long-focus choices.
Other features include a mechanical shutter, which can completely block projection light, convenient for presenters making presentations on stage, easy stacking grooves for placing a back-up unit on top of the main projector, and a built-in MVP expansion-slot system that enables the addition of SANYO’s network and uncompressed HD data wireless transmission boards.
SPECIFICATIONS
• Resolution: 1024 x 768 (WUXGA)
• Aspect Ratio: 4:3
• Brightness: 12,000 lumens
• Contrast Ratio: 4000:1
• Uniformity: 90%
• Projection Lamp: NSHA 330W x2
• Screen Size: 40″-600″ distance varies based on lens type used
• Input Terminals: DVI-D (HDCP), RGB D-sub 15-pin (input and output), RGBHV/Y/VIDEO, Pb/Cb,Pr/Cr (BNC x5), S-video
• Control: RS232C (in)/ D-sub 9 x 2 (out)
• Dimensions: 21 (W) x 10.55 (H) x 30(D) inches
• Weight: 60.1 lbs (excluding lens)
Like all new SANYO products, the PLC-X1000 conforms to the EU RoHS Directive. It will be available from the beginning of December 2009 for an MSRP of $24,995.00, (excluding lens).
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LG have been very busy this year releasing 39 new HDTVs. Along with these TVs comes the LG CF3D, the worlds first Full HD 3D projector using a single lens.
