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Canon Realis WUX6000 Installation LCOS Projector
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Panasonic PT-RZ670 Projector
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Ricoh PJ WX4141N Projector
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Sony VPL-FHZ700L 3LCD Laser Light Source Projector
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Eiki EIP-UHS100 Projector
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Hitachi CP-HD9320 Projector
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NEC NP-PA621X Professional Installation Projector
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Digital Projection International HighLite Laser WUXGA 3D Projector
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Epson PowerLite Pro G6900WU Projector
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Christie HD10K-M 3-chip DLP Projector
Video projection is a staple of technology for most of the churches whose staff and volunteers read this magazine. We've seen a lot of changes over the past decade, with the features and brightness levels of projectors improving significantly—while prices for those features are a fraction of what they used to be. With the steady reshaping of technology, it's a good time to check in with a few manufacturers and see what's new in this field.
“The trickledown effect exists for projectors, just as it does for many other forms of AV electronics,” reports Paul Foschino, senior manager for Ricoh Americas Corp.'s Visual Communications Group. “Greater flexibility for installation and connectivity is offered today with a broader range of connection options. It's not just VGA anymore; most of our line now includes HDMI, USB, RGB, as well as networking options. Features like auto-keystone, video mute, color correction, and Eco modes are now common to most projectors. Some of the higher-end features such as interchangeable lenses and lens shift have come down in price, but still remain in the upper end of the line.”
Lamp technology
Lamp technology is one area where significant technology changes are being seen. At one time the only option was high-heat, high-cost and low-lifespan short-arc mercury vapor or xenon lamps. Over the past few years, however, LED- and laser-based light sources are appearing in many manufacturers' product lines, with brightness up to the 7,000-lumen level.
In laser-based projectors, a blue laser excites phosphor, causing it to emit white light with a very consistent color composition. This form of light generation produces little waste heat, and the light source lasts a significantly longer time than conventional projector lamps.
“We've seen a lot of interest for our lamp-free projectors,” says Scott Wellington, Panasonic's manager for projector products. “We're coming up with much higher-brightness laser projectors that have 20,000-hour lifespans and filter-less design for maintenance-free operation.”
“Lasers are very efficient in converting energy into light,” notes Wally Mohri, marketing manager for professional projectors at Sony Electronics. “Our 7,000-lumen laser projector is very quiet for that bright of a projector.”
With LED or laser light-engine technology, projectors can become a “set it and forget it” technology, requiring little to no maintenance. This enables their placement in less accessible locations, without the worry of having to get at them every few months.
Resolution
Most manufacturers are talking a lot about their UltraHD or 4K resolution technology, quadrupling the pixels in the projected image over the standard HD 1080p format. Edge-blending is becoming increasingly common, as well, using multiple projectors to throw a super-wide seamless image onto screens that span the breadth and width of the entire stage.
Throw distance
Another enhancement that is very helpful to many churches is the emergence of shorter throw distances. “Lens technology at Panasonic is really important,” Wellington says. “Space is an issue for many churches that make selecting optimal placement for screens and projectors a challenge. Now there are lenses that provide for an ultra-short throw distance. It's possible to throw a 100-inch image with the projector positioned less than three feet from the screen.”
This is a huge boon for both front and rear projection in tight spaces, or simply doing rear-projection stage backdrops without losing too much of the stage depth to projector throw distance requirements.
To wrap up, CPM asked various projector manufacturers for one model from their product line that they feel offers the best fit for the church market. Here's what they came back with:
Canon Realis WUX6000 Installation LCOS Projector
With LED or laser light-engine technology, projectors are becoming “set it and forget it” technology, requiring little to no maintenance.
The Realis WUX6000 Pro AV Installation LCOS Projector is well suited to the needs of houses of worship. Delivering 6,000-lumen, high-resolution WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) widescreen 16:10 HD video and still images, the Realis WUX6000 displays vivid and accurate color, intricate text detail, and blur-free motion. Features include multiple image-mode settings, five optional genuine Canon projection lenses, and a motorized lens-shift function for easy positioning. Extensive connectivity is provided via HDMI, DVI and leading network interfaces.
Christie HD10K-M 3-chip DLP Projector
The most compact in its class, the Christie HD10K-M 3-chip DLP projector delivers true HD native resolution (1,920 x 1,080) with 11,000 center lumens and up to 10,000:1 contrast ratio. With embedded Christie Twist warping, blending and color matching, along with built-in portrait capabilities, 3D upgradeability, and a dust-sealed engine, the Christie HD10K-M provides high performance at a low ownership cost, using a maximum of only 1,320 watts at maximum brightness.
MSRP: $69,995 (see your dealer for pricing details) | Christie Website:
Digital Projection International HighLite Laser WUXGA 3D Projector
Digital Projection describes the new HighLite Laser WUXGA 3D as the world's first production, high-brightness laser projector. With no lamps to replace, the HighLite Laser delivers 10,000 lumens from a solid-state light source, capable of producing over 20,000 hours of illumination.
MSRP: $44,000 | Digital Projection Website:
Eiki EIP-UHS100 Projector
Eiki's EIP-UHS100 delivers high brightness of 8,000 ANSI lumens and a native resolution of WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200). Image quality and color reproduction come from Texas Instrument's DLP and Eiki's own BrilliantColor technologies. Built-in edge blending and image warping for multiple projector and curved screen applications, HDMI and 3G HD-SDI digital connectivity make it a must for any application demanding a high quality, high performing projector. Also available in an XGA model (EIP-XHS100).
Epson PowerLite Pro G6900WU Projector
The Epson PowerLite Pro G6900WU projector delivers features including advanced image quality and extensive connectivity. The Pro G6900WU boasts 6,000 lumens of brightness, advanced edge-blending technology for curved and corner screens, 360-degree installation, and six optional lenses. Epson says the Pro G6900WU offers easy integration and leading-edge technological advancements that can be incorporated into any house of worship.
Hitachi CP-HD9320 Projector
Hitachi's CP-HD9320 projector offers six interchangeable lenses to match various screen sizes and installation environments, plus 8,200 ANSI lumens light output. Two built-in color wheels enable users to easily switch between rich color mode and bright mode. No matter how large the application environment, Hitachi says the CP-HD9320 delivers larger-than-life performance with ease of installation and ease of use.
MSRP: $36,999 | Hitachi Website:
NEC NP-PA621X Professional Installation Projector
NEC Display's NP-PA621X is a powerful LCD multimedia installation projector offering easy connections and advanced interactivity capabilities through its ability to transmit bright images from both wired and wireless devices. It offers tilt-free and portrait mode technology that can be used in unique installations. NEC says it is the first in the industry to use a screen splitter (multi-display) via daisy chain to create a 4K resolution image.
MSRP: $4,299 USD | NEC Website:
Panasonic PT-RZ670 Projector
The PT-RZ670 is a single-chip DLP WUXGA projector that uses a laser light source to create 6,500 lumens of brightness. Panasonic says the filter-less laser projector can deliver solid reliability, running continuously 24/7 without maintenance for 20,000 hours. Equipped with a Digital Link terminal (an original function added to HDBaseT) the PT-RZ670 allows transmission of HDMI, uncompressed HD digital video and control signals (Ethernet, RS-232C) for up to 100 meters (328 feet) through a single CAT5e (STP) cable or higher. This simplifies cabling and system upgrades.
MSRP: $24,399 | Panasonic Website:
Ricoh PJ WX4141N Projector
The PJ WX4141N is a networking, WXGA, 3,300-lumen, ultra-short-throw projector. Its unique optics enable the unit to cast images of 48 to 80 inches diagonal from as close as 4.6 inches to 9.6 inches to the wall. The unit weighs only 6.6 pounds and can be mounted below or above the screen. Its built in networking feature allows wireless connectivity and is reportedly ideal for portable churches, chapels and small- to mid-sized meeting spaces.
Sony VPL-FHZ700L 3LCD Laser Light Source Projector
First seen at InfoComm 2014, Sony's 7,000-lumen VPL-FHZ700L comes riding on the coat tails of the company's smaller VPL-FHZ55, which, according to Sony is “the worlds first 3LCD laser light source projector.” The laser light source is designed to provide up to 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation. Other features include WUXGA resolution (1,920 x 1,200) resolution, instant on/off, tilt-angle-free design, edge blending, wide range vertical/horizontal lens shift, advanced geometric correction.
