Sony Spotlights New SXRD 1080p Home Theater Front Projector

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Electronics today took the wraps off a new 1920 x 1080p (progressive) high-definition front projector based on the company's exclusive Silicon X-tal Reflective Display (SXRD(TM)) technology, with a contrast ratio of up to 15,000:1.

The VPL-VW100 joins the two new Grand WEGA SXRD rear-projection microdisplay televisions, the KDS-R60XBR1 and KDS-R50XBR1, utilizing the world's smallest 0.61 SXRD chip to deliver more than 2 million pixels and the full power of high-definition. The projector incorporates three SXRD chips -- one each for red, green and blue color reproduction -- to deliver more than 6 million native pixels.

"Our goal is to optimize the home theater experience and this new SXRD projector is another example of how we're accomplishing that goal," said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of the Home Products Division for Sony Electronics. "This is absolutely a true movie theater experience in the comfort of your own home."

Leaning on some of the same technology found in Sony's acclaimed QUALIA 004 SXRD projector, the VPL-VW100 model features a 400 watt Pure Xenon lamp that delivers unrivaled color reproduction. The lamp approximates sun light and can reproduce colors closest to the natural spectrum including the red bandwidth, and is widely used in professional film projectors.

The new Advanced Iris produces accurate blacks and works with three 0.61 SXRD chips to deliver an over-all contrast ratio of up to 15,000:1 when "auto" Iris mode is on. Additionally, thanks to an advanced cooling structure, the VPL-VW100 features an extremely low fan noise of 22dB, which is one of the lowest in the industry and critical for home theater applications.

The projector also features 1.8x powered lens zoom and powered focus as well as lens shift to adjust the vertical and/or horizontal manual location of the image for flexible installation locations. Input options include 1080p HDMI and DVI-D and RGB and component video.

The new VPL-VW100 will be available in November for about $10,000 at authorized dealers nationwide.