Panasonic Unveils Ultra High-Brightness PT-D9500U DLPtm Projector For Large Venue Applications

ORLANDO, FL (June 10, 1999) -- Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Company (PBTSC) has announced the PT-D9500U, the company's first multimedia DLP^TM projector with true XGA (1024 x 768) resolution, here at INFOCOMM.

The PT-D9500U utilizes three 0.9" DLP panels to deliver a stunning brightness of more than 9,000 ANSI lumens, a greater than 450:1 contrast ratio and workstation (1280 x 1024) compatibility. The unit provides super-bright projection for use in large-venue installations, including sports and entertainment arenas, casinos, auditoriums and boardrooms. The PT-D9500U is also fully HDTV compatible, with the capability to provide full resolution for all DTV and HDTV formats in 4x3 or 16x9 aspect ratios. The PT-D9500U can project an image from 100" to 600" in 4x3 and from 100" to 550" in 16x9, using the optional lens.

With its "Advanced Expansion" circuitry, the PT-D9500U can Auto-Scan from PAL/NTSC (fH=15kHz) to S-XGA (fH=100kHz) level frequencies as a full screen image without the jagged lines of conventional projectors. The projector is capable of displaying 480 interlace, 480 progressive, 720 progressive (HDTV) and 1080 interlace (HDTV) images, and can automatically synchronize and display 16:9 aspect ratio images (NTSC). With a newly-developed full digital circuit and Advanced Multimedia Display Processor, the PT-D9500U achieves an impressive level of natural color reproduction (equivalent to one billion colors) as well as remarkably smooth transitions from video to computer images.

The PT-D9500U's universal format converter features a moving picture resizing circuit to reformat video signals carrying massive amounts of data without being able to perceive individual pixels. Films, for instance, can be displayed in their natural 16:9 size with vivid colors.

The PT-D9500U incorporates four standard input slots and offers four optional input boards (Video/S-Video; RGB/Y, Pb, Pr; Serial Digital (SDI) and PC Digital (DFP 20P) for setup and installation flexibility. The unit supports most worldwide video standards, including NTSC, M-NTSC, PAL, SECAM, S-Video and HD (1080i, 720P). The projector is capable of producing crystal-clear images with a 90% center-to-corner brightness ratio in almost any large venue. A 1000-Watt Xenon lamp with a life expectancy of 1,000 hours provides up to 1 year of normal use. The PT-D9500 is VGA, SVGA, XGA, SXGA and WS-compatible, and can be used for front or rear projection, on a desktop or installed in the ceiling with optional brackets (including ceiling mount and dual stacking mount).

The PT-D9500U will be available in August at a suggested list price of $120,000. Availability and pricing for the PT-D9500U's three optional lenses - the ET-D95LE1 (1.5 - 2.5:1), the ET-D95LE2 (2.5 - 4.0:1) and the ET-D95LE3 (4.0 - 7.0:1) - are to be announced.

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For more information on Panasonic's full line-up of projectors and presentation systems, phone 1-800-528-860 or find us on the web at www.panasonic.com/presentations.