Panasonic Introduces New Ultra-Compact XGA And SVGA Micro-Portable Projectors

SECAUCUS, NJ (April 2003) – With a stylish, super-slim design that will impress any audience, Panasonic's new PT-LC76U XGA and PT-LC56U S-VGA micro-portable LCD projectors provide users with an abundance of top features, as well as ultra-easy set-up and operation and highly-efficient security functions.

"The new PT-LC76U and PT-LC56U have such a refined feature set, they'll amaze you. They virtually set themselves up," said Steve Abend, Director, Panasonic Presentations Systems Group. "And like all Panasonic projectors, you're assured of the highest quality at the most affordable price. It's not a value proposition at Panasonic. It's a value promise."

The new projectors are super-slim at just 2.6" high and weigh only 4.8 pounds, and they're remarkably simple to install and operate with just three control buttons – power, input and auto set-up. The projectors' one-touch Auto Set up function with digital keystone correction allows them to be set up in just 1.5 seconds. Panasonic's built-in gravity sensor determines the projectors' angle relative to the floor (up to 30 degrees) and corrects for keystone distortion accordingly. The projectors handle all picture adjustments, from phasing and dot clocks to vertical and horizontal position. A new automatic signal detector function allows a user to connect a different PC during the presentation without any adjustment. These ultra-light units are easy to move between locations, from the office to the classroom, from a church setting to a training center, and provide an ideal alternative to rear projection television in home theater applications.

For high security, the projectors are equipped with anti-theft functions including a security lock, user password protection, control panel lock-out (which can only be canceled by the unit's remote control), and text superimposing whereby a user can program a text line-- such as a company name, URL or warning of choice -- at the bottom of the projected image. The micro-portable projectors deliver a high brightness of 1600 ANSI lumens, colorful images in true 1024 X 768 native XGA resolution (PT-LC76U) and 800 x 600 native SVGA resolution (PT-LC56U), excellent contrast ratios (300:1 for the -LC76U and 400:1 for -LC56U), while providing advanced resizing technology to support UXGA (-LC76U) and SXGA (-LC56U) resolution.

For exceptional presentation flexibility, the projectors are equipped with two RGB inputs, which eliminate the need to reconnect equipment when giving consecutive presentations. The RGB2 terminal can also serve as a loop-through monitoring terminal for the RGB1 input, which is extremely beneficial for applications like education. For example, a teacher can display a lesson using the projector, while the second output is displayed on a monitor in front of her. This allows the teacher to view the lesson and her class, with the projection screen behind her. For up-close presentations, the PT-LC76U/-LC56U are equipped with a large-diameter, extra-short throw lens that shortens the necessary projection distance. For example, a user can project on a 32-inch wide screen from only four feet away.

Both models have selectable color temperature (standard/high/low) and image mode (standard/dynamic/natural) so the user can match picture quality to the source and room conditions. 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.

Both units are HDTV compatible and can automatically resize 1080i and 720p images for 16:9 wide-aspect display; 480p, 480i and 625i component video signals and S-Video can also be displayed in either 4:3 or 16:9. The units deliver broad compatibility ranging from PAL, PAL-M, PAL-N, SECAM, NTSC and M-NTSC. The units are also sRGB compatible to ensure uniform, accurate color reproduction with other sRGB-compatible imaging devices.

The user can select from Standard and Low lamp power modes. Designed for use in dark rooms, Low mode uses a lower lamp power that minimizes energy consumption and lengthens the lamp life up to 3,000 hours (2,000 hours in Standard mode). The units can project on screens ranging in size from 33" to 300".

Additional features include whisper-quiet operation (only 30dB in low lamp mode), Auto Power Off, 3X digital zoom and focus, built-in 2-watt speaker, seven-language on-screen menu with graphical icons, advanced shutter function for image muting, discrete S-video and video inputs for connecting two DVD/video sources at the same time, fan control for high elevations (above 4,600 feet), and card-type remote control. The projectors' dimensions are 11-23/32" W x 2-9/16" H x 8-7/32" D.

Options include the ET-RM200 full-function wireless mouse remote control with laser pointer and the ET-PKC80 ceiling mount bracket for permanent installation.

The PT-LC56U and PT-LC76U are available at suggested list prices of $1,599 and $2,599, respectively.

Panasonic offers a high level of service and support with a three-year or 2,000-hour limited warranty (whichever comes first) on the projector, a 90-day warranty on the user-replaceable lamp module and a 24-hour "ZipIt" projector exchange program.

For more information on Panasonic's complete line of projectors and plasma systems, phone 1-800-528-8601 or find us on the web at www.panasonic.com/presentations.

Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast, professional video and presentation products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit company of Matsushita Electric Corporation of America, the principal North America subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC), one of the world's leading producers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business and industrial use