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Barco
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BenQ
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Canon
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Digital Projection
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Eiki
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Epson America
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Hitachi
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Optoma
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Panasonic
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Sony
Dust. Noise. Access. Placement. Positioning. Angles. Maintenance … LAMPS. Oh yeah, and the all-important goal: a great image. There’s a lot to think about when you want to project an image onto a display, but the good news? As you’re mulling over what you need out of your projection technology, manufacturers are developing systems with houses of worship in mind. Here are a few of the latest offerings on the market.
Barco’s compact, high-brightness UDX 4K projectors produce up to 32,000 lumens of brightness. The series, made up of five models that feature a contrast ratio of 2,000:1, ranges from 1,920 x 1,200 to 3,840 x 2,400 resolution. The projectors are designed for large venues and live events.
The LU9715 is BenQ’s latest laser projector, delivering 8,000 lumens of brightness. The projector is guaranteed for 20,000 hours of operation at full brightness (without lamp replacement), and incorporates a dual color wheel for enhanced RGBY color intensity. Eight optional lenses featuring all-glass construction offer throw ratios from TR 0.38 to TR 8.19. The projectors support 24/7 operation, and provide 360-degree and portrait orientation installations. To prevent damage from dust particles, the optical engine and laser bank is hermetically sealed.
On the high end of the scale, Canon’s REALis 4K600STZ LCOS projector delivers 4K resolution with a laser light source. Its LCOS technology combined with the manufacturer’s AISYS optical system and dual image processors is designed for detail-rich projection at a resolution of 4096 x 2400. A Marginal Focus feature enables projection onto domed surfaces. In the mid range, the LX-MU800Z laser projector delivers 8,000 lumens of brightness and up to 20,000 hours of life. This unit features 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) resolution, and its lenses range from Ultra Wide Zoom to Ultra Long Zoom. Additionally, it can be rotated 360 degrees to any angle (on the vertical axis). Canon’s LX-MU500, designed for entry-level users, offers 5,000 lumens of brightness, a contrast ratio of up to 2500:1, and 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) resolution. The unit is also capable of projecting 3D images via its DLP-Link System, and includes a built-in 10W speaker.
Digital Projection touts its new E-Vision Laser 4K-UHD single chip DLP “maintenance-free” projector for its brightness and lifespan (20,000 hours). The unit features 7,500 lumens with 4K resolution, as well as Dynamic Black technology that produces a contrast ratio of 6,000:1 (or 20,000:1 on the High Contrast Model). The E-Vision Laser 10K delivers 10,500 lumens of brightness at 1,920 x 1,200 (WUXGA) resolution.
Eiki’s laser projector line-up now includes the EK-810U WUXGA (1920 x 1200) and EK-811W (1280 x 800) models, which feature 8,000 lumens of brightness and a 100,000:1 contrast ratio. Eiki says that the projectors’ incorporation of both blue and red lasers contribute to its high brightness, as well as an increase in Gamut Area Ratio performance. Vertical lens shift and h:v keystone correction are included, facilitating placement. The manufacturer also points out that these laser models have an IP6X Dust Ingress Test dust-free rating, which is useful in applications where the projectors are suspended from the ceiling and are, therefore, difficult to access for cleaning.
Epson’s Pro L1000-Series of large venue laser projectors includes four new models that deliver between 12,000 to 15,000 lumens, and WUXGA and SXGA+ resolution. The projectors incorporate Epson’s proprietary 3LCD technology, which features a laser light source with an inorganic phosphor wheel and inorganic LCD panels. Other features include remote image capture with a built-in camera designed for diagnostics, a high native contrast ratio, a number of connection options, and 360-degree installation and projection at any angle.
Released earlier this year, Hitachi’s LP-WU3500, a 3,500-lumen LED projector, addresses those users who wish to do away with maintenance costs while benefitting from getting the most out of their purchases. Its High Lumen density (HLD) technology channels blue LED through a phosphor rod, where it is then diffused as bright green light. This, coupled with high brightness red and blue LEDs, enables the unit to produce a contrast ratio of 30,000:1. Hitachi says that the projector operates at a low noise level, and that its dust-resistant design, which decreases the effect that dust particles in the air have on it, prevents it from overheating (and, once again, creating noise). The LP-WU3500 features a WUXGA 1,920 x 1,200 resolution and comes with a five-year or 20,000 hours limited warranty.
Optoma’s new ZH400UST laser projector features a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 and 4,000 lumens of brightness, as well as a contrast ratio of 100,000:1. Its Dynamic Black technology provides sharp images with rich color and deep black levels, that are, according to the manufacturer, superior to what traditional lamp-based projectors can deliver. Thanks to its short throw distance, the ZH400UST is capable of displaying a 100-inch image from 13 inches away, and will project to the rear or downward, or run in portrait mode––features that are practical in applications where space is at a premium. Optoma says that the projector offers an estimated 20,000 hours of life.
Panasonic proposes its PT-RZ970 1-Chip DLP laser projector, with a WUXGA (1,920 X 1,200) resolution, a contrast ratio of 10,000:1 and 10,400 lumens of brightness (in the center). The projector is filterless (rendering it, according to the manufacturer, “essentially dust-proof”), and produces 20,000 hours of “long-lasting high brightness and picture quality.” Part of the company’s 3-Chip DLP Solid Shine line of laser projection technology, the PT-RZ31KU features 31,000 lumens of brightness (in the center, in high mode), and 20,000 hours of life (in normal mode).
Sony expands its family of laser light source (Z-Phosphor) projectors with two new LaserLite models. The new VPL-PHZ10 (WUXGA) and VPL-PWZ10 (WXGA) laser projectors feature 4,500 lumens of brightness and a lifespan of up to 12,000 hours (depending on how they are used), which could translate into five years of use with a maximum of 5,000 lumens of brightness (when the constant brightness mode is off). These new units incorporate a number of the technologies present in Sony’s other laser models, including BrightEra 3LCD panel technology, which reproduces the red, green and blue elements of an image separately so that colors remain vivid and natural-looking. The VPL-PHZ10 and VPL-PWZ10 also feature Reality Creation, an engine that analyzes and processes every input signal in the interest of refining detail, clarity and sharpness for upscaled images. By refining light and dark areas of the image in real-time, the projectors’ Contrast Enhancer feature expands the perceived dynamic range of the signal.
