Epson Advances Home Entertainment Experiences for Customers With New Generation of 3LCD Products Including Front Projectors and True 1080p HD Rear Projection Displays

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Epson America Inc. is continuing its advancement into the home entertainment market with a new generation of three- chip, LCD projection product lines, each tailored respectively for consumers, video enthusiasts and custom installers. These new lines are being showcased this week at CEDIA 2005 in Indianapolis, Ind., featuring two high definition home theater front projectors and two rear projection HD displays that produce true 1080p native resolution. Also being introduced is a unique product for instant, big screen home entertainment, the Epson MovieMate(TM) 25 Projector- DVD/Music Player Combo that is ideally suited for any family's home.

"Epson is the leading manufacturer of the world's most popular microdisplay projection technology also known as 3LCD," said Fabia Ochoa, group product manager, Home Entertainment Division, Epson America. "Our entire line of home theater projection products and business projectors use three-chip engines to achieve superior color quality and overall video performance. And, with the introductions of true 1080p HD displays, we are delivering next-generation, high definition performance today with a degree of image quality that is nothing short of spectacular."

About Epson 3LCD -- "A Better Way to See"
Epson 3LCD technology utilizes one LCD chip each for red, green and blue to form a continuous image with smooth, rapid motion video that is free of artifacts. It works without a moving color wheel and offers accurate color registration, assuring detailed video and data images that are crisp and rainbow-free. Epson 3LCD produces the best possible viewing experience with more detail and accurate colors.

Epson MovieMate(TM) 25 Projector-DVD/Music Player Combo
One of Epson's newest and most unique solutions for home entertainment is the Epson MovieMate 25 Projector-DVD/Music Player Combo. This multi-entertainment device features a high-quality 480p resolution 3LCD 16:9 widescreen projector with a built-in, multi-format DVD player and self-amplified speakers. Users of all levels can create an exciting big screen experience in their home and other locations (i.e. outdoors, parties, RVs, etc.) quickly and easily without the hassles of connecting various audio/video components. The product's 1,200 ANSI lumens brightness rating makes it ideal for evening and afternoon use. It even comes with an 80-inch pull-up, floor-standing, 16:9-wide screen that is portable and easy to store in its integrated compact carrying case.

The Epson MovieMate 25 not only enables customers to simply plug in a power cord to instantly project DVD movies, but can also display CD-R/RW videos, JPEG digital photos, WMA video files and more. The product even excels as a standalone music player for listening to traditional audio CDs, CDs with MP3 files, or as a stereo speaker system for external MP3 players. The MovieMate 25's built-in, self-amplified JVC stereo speakers (10-watt x 2) and external 40-watt subwoofer (also included) produce clear, room-filling sound that is ideal for music and/or movies with Dolby Digital/DTS coding. Furthermore, its audio and video inputs make it a fun solution for playing video games, projecting TV shows and sporting events, viewing photos from a digital camera, watching home videos from a camcorder, and more.

The Epson MovieMate 25 will be available to customers in October 2005 for $1,199 (estimated street price) through select retailers and via www.epsonstore.com.

Home Theater Front Projectors
Epson is launching three additional 16:9 widescreen-format front projectors that are optimized for home entertainment, including two 720p HD-resolution models designed for high-end, home theater installation customers.

* Epson PowerLite Home 20: This entry-level 480p native resolution projector comes equipped with everything necessary to enjoy big screen movies, video games, televised events, PC use and more, for $999 (estimated street price). It achieves a 1000:1 contrast ratio and up to 1,200 ANSI lumens of brightness, provides optical/offset lens shift for easy setup without distortion, automatic aspect ratio adjusting, six preset color modes, and short-throw flexibility, enabling an 80-inch image to be projected from just 6.6 feet away. The projector also includes an 80-inch, pull-up, floor standing, 16:9-wide screen that is portable and easy to store within its compact, self-housing carrying case. This model will be available in October through select retailers and via www.epsonstore.com.

* Epson PowerLite Cinema 550: For more discerning video enthusiasts or professional home theater builders, this projector delivers 720p native resolution for premium HD performance. Priced at $2,499 (minimum retail price), it features several advanced video processing capabilities including seven color modes, up to 3000:1 contrast ratio and 1,400 ANSI lumens of brightness. It also includes HDMI connections, new video noise reducing technology, cinema filter to provide accurate colors and rich blacks, customized gamma and six-axis color adjustment, vertical/horizontal sharpness adjustments and more.

* Epson PowerLite Cinema 800: Epson's flagship home theater projector offers the same features as the PowerLite Cinema 550, but achieves a 5000:1 contrast ratio with 720p native resolution, 1,600 ANSI lumens and 10-bit color to project more than one billion colors. Priced at $4,499 (minimum retail price), this projector also offers ISF-certified (Imaging Science Foundation) calibration and advanced IR/RS-232 controls.

Both the PowerLite Cinema 550 and PowerLite Cinema 800 will be available in October through authorized Epson dealers.

Epson CrystalPRO(TM) HD Displays Featuring True 1080p Native Resolution
In addition to its full line of front projectors, Epson is introducing two unique rear projection HD displays that achieve true 1080p native resolution. Available in 55 and 65-inch screens, the new Epson CrystalPRO HD displays represent the company's most advanced display products to date and are the first to use Epson's new 1080p 3LCD OptiFocus(TM) optical engine.

"Some projection companies today are claiming they achieve 1080p performance using part-time imaging or virtual pixels that create the illusion of seeing 1,080 full-time vertical lines of resolution," said Jodi Maugham, product manager, Home Entertainment Division, Epson America. "Epson's new 3LCD engines deliver true 1080p resolution, which means there are actually 1,920 x 1,080 pixels on each of the three LCD chips. The end-benefit for consumers is full-time color and full-time resolution that gives them superlative high-definition detail and accurate color performance."

Both Epson CrystalPRO HD displays achieve 5000:1 contrast ratio. They are constructed with sophisticated, glossy black exterior designs with space-saving dimensions that make them ideal for built-in cabinet designs. Other key features include 10-bit, 3D Digiscan(TM) digital video processing, multiple screen modes, built-in 30-watt (15x2) amplifier for external speakers, pre-set and customizable color modes, 3D graphic user interface, and multiple input sources including two HDMI ports, PC input and RS-232 controls. Epson CrystalPRO HD Displays will be available in January 2006.

About Epson
Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business, photography, and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) printers and transaction terminals for the retail market. Founded in 1975, Epson America, Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America, Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif.