Panasonic Announces New Ultra-Portable Projectors Including Advanced Wireless Unit

Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Company has announced significant additions to its ultra-portable LCD projector line-up, including a new wireless unit with advanced capabilities. The new Panasonic introductions include the PT-L730NTU 802.11b-compliant wireless, the PT-L720U XGA and PT-L520U SVGA units, all with super-bright, high-contrast data and video quality.

Panasonic's second-generation wireless model, the PT-L730NTU, allows for easy set-up and continuous, cable-free presentations from multiple PCs while overcoming the annoying limitation of too few inputs and too short cabling.

By simply inserting an optional wireless LAN card into their PC, users can transmit data using the industry-leading Wi-Fi™ (IEEE 802.11b) Wireless Networking transmission protocol standard at a transfer rate of 11 Mbps over a 125-foot distance from PC to the SD Memory Card in the PT-L730NTU for play-out. In addition, all the PT-L730NTU's vital functions (including picture quality, volume, inputs, lamp power and lamp run time) can be controlled remotely and status monitored via a PC's browser menu, thereby providing users the freedom to mount the projector anywhere because the need for cabling is eliminated. Each PT-L730NTU has a specific identification for individual control.

The projector can team with 802.11b-equipped notebook PCs to provide customers with an array of wireless-enabled mobile computing solutions. The PT-L730NTU comes standard with advanced "Wireless Manager" and "Image Creator" control software, an IEEE 802.11b compliant wireless LAN card, and an 8 MB SD Memory Card.

Weighing just 8 pounds, the PT-L730NTU offers excellent brightness of 2200 ANSI lumens, a high contrast ratio of 400:1, and a native resolution of 1024 x 768 XGA. The projector offers two-mode lamp operation - Standard or Save - with lamp life of the Save mode rated at 3,000 hours.

The new PT-L720U XGA and PT-L520U SVGA are the ideal solutions for an extensive range of presentation environments. The PT-L720U offers 2200 ANSI lumens and the PT-L520U delivers 2000 ANSI lumens of brightness for high-quality video and data images, a high contrast ratio of 400:1, and resolutions of 1024 x 768 XGA (PT-L720U) and 800 x 600 SVGA (PT-L520U). The projectors also offer two-mode lamp operation - Standard or Save - with a lamp life in the Save mode at 3,000 hours.

All three new ultra-portables--the PT-L730NTU, the PT-L720U and PT-L520U--deliver stunning performance due to Panasonic's leading digital technologies, including one-touch "Auto-Everything" setup with digitalized keystone correction, advanced 10-bit digital gamma correction circuit, and sRGB color management for accurate color rendition. A Digital Cinema Reality™ circuit for improved video performance is built-in the PT-L730NTU and PT-L720U, and advanced digital keystone correction supports both horizontal and vertical adjustment in the PT-L730NTU. The projectors also offer a unique Index Window, which allows any image in a presentation (RGB or video input) to be frozen, stored in memory and displayed on the left side of the screen, while display of subsequent images continues on the right.

For greater connection flexibility, the new projectors all feature two computer inputs, one of which doubles as a monitor loop-through output, as well as three video inputs (component, composite and S-Video). For even more convenience in loop-through monitoring, the images can still be monitored on the computer display while the projector is switched to standby mode.

Each model is equipped with a large-diameter, extra-short throw lens, which allows 80-inch diagonal images from an 8-foot distance. Other valuable features include HDTV compatibility, Intelligent Image Resizing circuit, 3-Dimensional Y/C separation and the ability to ceiling mountable.

Panasonic offers a high level of service and support with a three-year limited warranty on the projector, a 90-day warranty on the user-replaceable lamp module and a 24-hour projector exchange program.

The PT-L730NTU has a suggested list price of $5,999; the PT-L720U has a suggested list price of $5,499; and the PT-L520 has a suggested list price of $3,999. The three models will be available in June.