Panasonic Announces New DLP Projectors at ShoWest

by David Kender
Published on Mar 14, 2006 9:00 AM



March 14, 2006 - Today at ShoWest in Las Vegas, Panasonic introduced two new 1-chip DLP projectors, as well as plans to develop a full resolution 1080p, 3-chip projector by the fourth quarter of this year.

The single chip projectors will come in two versions, the PT-DW5000 and the PT-DW5000L, which does not come with a lens. Both models are widescreen for mid-to-large venues. DLP is a Texas Instruments technology, but Panasonic has added a sealed, dust-proof housing, as well as liquid-cooled optics that offer a contrast ratio of 1600:1.

The projectors are designed primarily for movie theaters, and are built to withstand 24/7 applications. They offer 16-bit color, a gamut of ports, and wired LAN support for remote monitoring with a networked PC.

Panasonic also sparked excitement with plans for a 1080p projector, which will offer 10,000 lumens of brightness, 1920 x 1080 resolution, and a 4000:1 contrast ratio. This performance will be made possible by the inclusion of Panasonic’s Dynamic Iris, an automatic aperture adjustment based on input.

Said Katsuaki Shimaoka, Director of Panasonic Projector Business unit, “We have the experience of supplying more than 1,200 DLP projectors to cinema theaters all over the world. Providing this full resolution HD projector will strengthen our 3-Chip DLP lineup and accelerate the change from analog to digital prints in the cinema industry, as well as accelerate the production of digital films.”

The new HD projector will feature the same dust-proof housing and liquid cooled optics, as well as the BriteOptic multi-lamp system, which allows for continuous operation if one lamp burns out.

The PT-DW5000 and the PT-DW5000L will both be available in June. A fourth quarter release date is expected for the as-yet unnamed 1080p projector.