NAB Show Provides Opportunity to See Latest Developments In DLP-Based Projectors

LAS VEGAS, April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- At the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show which opens here today, Texas Instruments (TI) (Booth L6338) will be demonstrating prototypes of its innovative, stylish, large screen HD-capable home entertainment system. However, the show will also provide opportunities for visitors to see a whole range of projection/display solutions based on Digital Light Processing(TM) technology.

"Broadcasters are among the most demanding buyers of projection/display solutions," said Sherel Horsley, Senior Vice President and Product Manager for TI's Digital Imaging division, "because for them, image quality, consistency and manageability are everything. That's where DLP technology really comes into its own with its unique digital accuracy, fidelity and repeatability. DLP-based projectors are now widely used in a broad range of broadcast applications."

High Brightness/Large Venue

BARCO (Booth M8720) -- who recently signed an agreement with Texas Instruments to develop and build digital cinema projectors based on TI's DLP Cinema(TM)) projection technology - will demonstrate its range of Extreme Light Machine (ELM) DLP(TM)-based projectors. Designed to meet the needs of the rental & staging community, BARCO's ELM Series projectors utilize what the company calls "heavy-duty ruggedized construction" and offer features that, according to BARCO, make the units easy to set-up and operate. Two units are available: the ELM R12 delivers 12,000 ANSI lumens at SXGA resolution and the ELM G10, which is capable of 10,000 ANSI lumens at XGA resolution. At the show, BARCO will demonstrate the ELM R12 projecting HDTV images onto a 20ft wide, 16:9 aspect ratio screen. Also on show will be two side-by-side ELM G10 projectors creating a very wide (2.35:1) screen image.

Christie Digital Systems (Booth S8035) -- formerly Electrohome Projection Systems -- will unveil three new additions to its Roadie and Roadster families of DLP(TM)-based high brightness projectors. Flagship of the product line is the Roadie S12 which, with SXGA resolution and delivering 12,000 ANSI lumens, Christie claims has 'the highest light output efficiency at the lowest power consumption in the market today.' The Roadster X6 and Roadster X4 -- at 5,000 lumens and 3,500 lumens respectively, and featuring XGA resolution -- are compact, lightweight systems and are both upgradable: both may be upgraded in resolution, and the X4 can also be upgraded in brightness. According to Christie Digital, all three projectors are aimed specifically at fulfilling the requirements of the high-end rental/staging market.

Taking the opportunity to launch a new product at a new market, Digital Projection (Booth M9645) will debut its HIGHlite 5000gv projection system, which is designed for mid-range display markets, including high end home theater. Based on a compact chassis and weighing just 95lbs, the HIGHlite 5000gv offers 4,500 ANSI lumens, XGA resolution, contrast ratio of 450:1 and operates on 120v mains power. Available as an option is serial digital input for extended format sources. Also making its bow at NAB is the LIGHTNING 10gv which delivers 9,000 ANSI lumens at XGA resolution and includes such features as rugged staging handles, 'bubble' lamp technology, motorized lens functionality and Cintel processing. The Digital Projection family of DLP(TM)-based projectors now totals twelve, serving a broad range of application requirements.

NEC Technologies (Booth M9352) will be showing its MultiSync(R) XT5000(TM) 'compact High Light Output (HLO(TM))' projector, based on Digital Light Processing(TM) technology. The projector weighs just 95lbs yet can deliver up to 4,500 ANSI lumens with a contrast ratio of 450:1. The XT5000 can be double- or triple-stacked to provide up to 13,500 lumens of brightness. The company said at the time of its announcement, that the XT5000 was one fifth the volume and one third the weight of projectors delivering similar light output. The MultiSync XT5000 is the first High Light Output projector to feature a PanelLink digital connection interface, and also offers the option of a D1 serial digital interface.

Projectors for Mobile Professionals

Plus Corporation (Booth MI-843, Sands) will be demonstrating its U2-1080 and U2-870 projectors. The former features XGA resolution and 800 lumens of brightness, the latter SVGA resolution with 700 lumens -- enough for any conference room application. Where the two projectors really score, however, is in their small size and light weight: the U2-1080 weighs just 5.7lbs and the U2-870 only 5.6lbs. A key feature of both is their high contrast ratio -- 500:1 -- allowing realistic, detailed images to be projected.

Proxima (Booth M8742) -- who recently announced their intent to merge with InFocus Systems -- will feature the first major public demonstration in North America of three recently-announced ultra-ultraportable projectors, all featuring Digital Light Processing(TM) technology. Proxima claims that this is the first line of ultralight projectors to feature a zoom lens and digital keystone correction. The Proxima UltraLight DS2 features SVGA resolution, 700 lumens of brightness and weighs just 5lbs. The Proxima UltraLight DX2 provides XGA resolution and a similar level of brightness and weight, and is worthy of note as the first projector on the market to feature the latest 0.7" XGA resolution DLP(TM) technology. The ultraLight 3 delivers 1,100 lumens at XGA resolution, weighs less than five pounds and features both USB and DVI connectivity.

Optoma (Booth M8960) -- formerly CTX Opto -- feature the EzPro 710 ultra-ultraportable projector. Weighing under 5lbs -- including carrying case and accessories -- but delivering 600 lumens at XGA resolution, the EzPro 710 is designed for mobile professionals who value light-weight and small size in a projector and who regularly need to make presentations in which a high quality image is essential.

Video/Data Walls

Mitsubishi (Booth L1450) will demonstrate its 'DLP Multimedia Display System.' Although not yet released in North America as a standalone product, the company feels their DLP-based video/data wall (which is at present available only in Japan) is the ideal platform for showing high resolution images. Innovative features include an ultra-short optical focusing system, allowing each cube to be an incredibly shallow 24.5 inches (59cms); a long-life lamp and automatic lamp changing system to enable non-stop monitoring; Digital Color Space Control to ensure correct and uniform color blending between cubes; Digital Smoothing Gradation Circuit which measures, and then adjusts, the brightness of each cube, assuring optimum image uniformity.

Today, TI supplies DLP(TM) subsystems to more than thirty of the world's top projector manufacturers, who then design, manufacture and market DLP(TM)-based projectors. There are now over fifty DLP(TM)-based products in the market. Since early 1996, over 350,000 DLP(TM) subsystems have been shipped. Over the past four years, DLP(TM)-based projectors have consistently won some of the audio-visual industry's most prestigious awards, including, in June 1998, an Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

At the heart of TI's Digital Light Processing(TM) technology is the Digital Micromirror Device(TM) (DMD(TM)), an optical semiconductor chip that has an array of up to 1,310,000 hinged, microscopic mirrors which operate as optical switches to create a high resolution, full color image.

NOTE: Texas Instruments Incorporated is a global semiconductor company and the world's leading designer and supplier of digital signal processing and analog technologies, the engines driving the digitization of electronics. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company's businesses also include materials and controls, educational and productivity solutions, and digital imaging. The company has manufacturing or sales operations in more than 25 countries.

Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information on TI's DLP(TM) technology can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.ti.com/dlp.

Digital Light Processing, DLP(TM), Digital Micromirror Device and DMD are all trademarks of Texas Instruments. All other products and names may or may not be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.