Visual Systems Research Launches Panamorph Lens for Consumer Markets

Waterford, Michigan, May 19, 2004 – Visual Systems Research, Inc. (VSR) today announced the introduction of a new consumer version of its industry-leading anamorphic lenses to enhance projection systems showing wide-screen content.

Panamorph lenses are mounted in front of digital projectors to compress the vertical dimension of the image so that, when used with anamorphic wide screen content such as from DVDs and HDTV, 33% more pixels are used to form the image. The new Panamorph model PSO-U15 (MSRP of $695) incorporates VSR's patented high performance optics in a light-weight, high-grade plastic housing supported by a universal mounting bracket. An optional rail system is also available to move the lens in and out of the projection beam.

"These are very exciting times for the high volume home theater projection industry," remarked Shawn Kelly, CEO. "Low-cost projectors can now display wide screen content with an amazing performance boost of 33% higher resolution and 20% higher brightness along with more film-like images, all for a fraction of the cost of more expensive systems." "And it's not just a great accessory for new projectors," continued Kelly. "Since the Panamorph leaves the width of the image the same, projectors that are already installed can be upgraded without moving the projector."

Panamorph lenses convert 4:3 projectors to the 16:9 format. The same lenses convert 16:9 projectors equipped with scaling technology to the 2.35 "Cinemascope" format of most major motion pictures.

About Visual Systems Research
Visual Systems Research, Inc. is a leader in specialized optical technologies for projection and personal display products protected by more than 10 patents. For more information about VSR, please visit www.visualsystemsresearch.com. For more information about Panamorph lenses, please visit www.panamorph.com.