The New HDTV 50-Inch Plasma Display From Runco Redefines Flat-Screen Standards

New Model Couples 50-Inch PlasmaWall Display With Outboard Controller For Enhanced Processing CapabilitiesAlso Available With Custom-Color Frame Options

18-Jul-00

Runco International, the Hayward, California company accepted worldwide as the leader in video displays for high-end home theatres, has introduced a new 50-inch diagonal widescreen Plasma monitor with an outboard video processor for the ultimate in flat-panel display quality and flexibility. The PlasmaWall PL-50c combines the plasma monitor itself with Runcoís proprietary VHDô Controller, a combination that is utterly unique for plasma displays. The PL-50c uses this outboard processor with Runcoís proprietary VHD (Virtual High Definitionô) technology to enhance NTSC video, S-video or Component video - providing the most resolved picture possible from a video processor. For high-resolution sources such as a computer or a DTV decoder, the VHD Controllerís pass-through port allows these signals to pass through unprocessed for the most accurate image reproduction. ""Our goal for the PL-50c is to provide the cleanest, most resolved image a plasma display can provide, and our new VHD technology is the ultimate solution"", says Runcoís Technical Director Mike Woods. ""Typically, fixed-pixel displays do not provide the best image when a standard interlaced NTSC signal is fed unprocessed to the display. Using a conventional video processor such as a line doubler will help improve the picture quality, but the plasma display still has to up-convert the signal, causing the signal to be processed twice - creating artifacts and loss of resolution. The VHD Controller addresses all these issues by converting the signal to the native resolution of the display (1280 x 768), resulting in the signal only being processed once - in the VHD Controller. Or, simply put - the PL-50c and its VHD Controller create the most stunning image ever seen from a plasma display."" In addition to the PL-50cís incredible picture, its astonishing dimensions, and custom-color option - for dramatic good looks make it an instant hit with decor-conscious owners and interior-design pros. ""By offering the custom-color frame option, we give the custom installer additional flexibility by allowing them to choose the most appropriate color frame that matches their theatre environment"", says Marketing Director Liz Pemble. ""The PL-50cís slim design combined with the ability to choose from a wide variety of colors prevents the home theatre enthusiast from having to sacrifice dÈcor for the sake of technology.""The PL-50c is fully capable of reproducing any currently available HDTV format (via an outboard DTV decoder), including 720p, 1080i and 1080p, and its 1280 x 768 resolution means it can display 720p in its native form pixel for pixel. It also has the capability of displaying computer resolutions ranging from VGA (640 x 480) all the way up to UXGA (1600 x 1200). Next, Runcoís VHD processing technology upgrades regular broadcast, cable, DBS TV signals, DVD, LaserDisc, or videotape sources to a progressive format for smoother, more film-like imaging. It provides an output to the PlasmaWall monitor that is matched not only pixel for pixel, but also for the most appropriate signal levels and timing specifications the PlasmaWall display wants to receive. The end result is video that looks virtually like high-definition quality. Additionally, the VHD Controller adjusts image aspect ratio and size of every source to the full-screen resolution of the PL-50c display, and even provides white bars on the sides of the 4:3 aspect ratio to reduce the possibility of burning-in the 4:3 image into the display.The Runco PL-50c produces impressive black-level dynamics for stunningly deep blacks and a cinematic scale of light to dark, yielding impressive, film-like shadow tones in darker scenes. Also, its bright image makes it suitable for all ambient light conditions, from the darkest theatres to the brightest rooms. Color purity, accuracy, and control are superior to virtually any other plasma display on the market. Runco's VHD Controller is a slim single-rack mount component suitable for integration into a typical equipment cabinet. Equipped with its own dedicated remote, the VHD Controller also features an RS-232 serial connection for customized full-system integration, so that in a typical installation its operation can be entirely transparent to the user.For those home theatre buffs who wish to include the future of high-end video in a leading-edge system ñ today - the Runco PL-50c PlasmaWall display is unequaled. Its combination of stunning performance and smashing looks makes it the clear choice among all plasma displays.Founded in 1987 and currently headquartered in Hayward, California, Runco International is a market leader in state-of-the-art front- and rear-projection televisions, flat-panel plasma TVs, video processors, and source components for the consumer market. Runcoís innovations have won numerous awards and citations from the world press. Runco was the first video company to introduce a multiple-aspect ratio controller, the ARC-IV, to the home theatre market and also the first to introduce and market a line doubler with a multi-frequency projector, in 1990. For more information on Runco International, visit them on the Web at www.runco.com.Manufacturerís suggested retail price:$25,997/system (PlasmaWall PL-50 and VHD Controller)Availability: Now shipping

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