First Native 16:9 DLPô Technology For Home Cinema

InFocus, PLUS Vision Corporation, SIM2 Multimedia Announce Plans, New Home Entertainment Products

1-Jun-01

Texas Instruments announced an important step forward for DLPô technology with the introduction of a new iteration of the Digital Micromirror Deviceô (DMDô) which is at the heart of Digital Light Processingô technology. PLUS Vision Corporation and SIM2 Multimedia have recently announced new products featuring elements of the component set. The new DLP Widescreen Component Set features a native 848x480 resolution mode (480p) which allows it to deliver widescreen standard 16:9 images without pre-processing - the only flat panel display device currently able to do so. It also supports display modes that natively support NTSC, PAL, DVB, or SVGA video formats. Also included in the set is support for 240 Hz color scan rate, which virtually eliminates color fringing artifacts. Projector manufacturers may choose to implement the entire component set, or only elements of it, depending on their product requirements.ìOther display technologies which do not have this native capability lose important elements of image quality as the incoming signal is scaled to fit the native resolution of the device,î said Adam Kunzman, Manager of Home Portable Entertainment Products for TIís DLP Products division. ìWith this new component set, we expect to establish a new level of price/performance which, combined with the outstanding color, contrast and brightness performance for which DLP technology is renowned, will prove enormously attractive to consumers.îThe 480p widescreen format is used widely in DVD software and the U.S. DTV standard as defined by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC).TI has previously announced a high-definition native 16:9 version of the DMD for use in large-screen, rear-projection, HD-capable home entertainment applications. This device is featured in products from Hitachi, Mitsubishi, and Panasonic, which began shipping last year.  ìThis announcement continues the DLP tradition of delivering the industryís best image quality - whatever the application,î said Dale Zimmerman, Manager of DLP Home Entertainment Products for TIís DLP Products division. ìHome entertainment is becoming an increasingly significant market opportunity for us, and this new version of the DMD demonstrates our commitment to maximizing that opportunity. Weíve leveraged the inherent scalability of the DMD to deliver a solution which we believe home theatre enthusiasts will value greatly.îPLUS Vision Corporation last month announced in Japan the HE-31000 - its first projector designed for the home entertainment market - which will feature the 240 Hz color scan rate from the DLP Widescreen Component Set, allowing the projector to deliver the outstanding video images demanded by home theatre enthusiasts. The North American launch - when more detailed specification information will be made available - is anticipated next month, with availability expected soon thereafter. SIM2 Multimedia will take advantage of both the 240 Hz color scan rate and the native mode 480p DMD in the recently-announced HT200DM addition to its Grand Cinema series of home theatre projectors, allowing it to deliver true 16:9 images. The HT200DM also features a color wheel specially designed by SIM2 which features six - rather than the usual four ñ segments, with an enlarged red segment for improved colorimetry. Availability is scheduled for June, with first public appearance of the HT200DM at the 2001 Home Entertainment Show.InFocus Corporation, the worldwide leader in digital projection, views home entertainment as a significant new market opportunity for projection technology. ""DLP technology is well suited for this market with its combination of image quality, brightness and cost effectiveness. We have worked closely with TI on six consecutive generations of DLP-based products and look forward to bringing this expertise to the home entertainment market. InFocus plans to deliver products designed especially for the home in the second half of this year,"" said Akshay Gupta, Home Entertainment Product Marketing Director, InFocus Corporation. The range of products aimed at the home entertainment market and featuring DLP technology is growing rapidly, with TI forecasting its share of the market to double in the coming twelve months. A large part of this increase will, TI believes, be as a result of growing awareness of front-projection systems used in business applications - already, a growing trend is discernible in which projectors primarily purchased for corporate use are being borrowed by employees for personal use overnight and at weekends. As such, quality of the video image is becoming an increasingly important factor in the purchasing decision, as is the convenience and flexibility afforded by small size/low weight projectors.For more information about DLP, visit www.dlp.com.

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