The Best Gets Better: New Epson MovieMate(TM) 30 Projector/DVD/Music Player Combo Delivers Cinematic, Big-Screen Experience With Increased Portability and More Connectivity

LONG BEACH, Calif., Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Movie theaters beware, more and more adults (75 percent) prefer watching movies at home, according to a recent survey from Pew Research. To meet this growing demand, Epson today introduced the Epson MovieMate 30, the company's newest projector/DVD/music player combo, providing all of the technologies needed in one solution to create a big-screen entertainment experience at home for an affordable price.

Building off of the successful Epson MovieMate 25, which quickly became the nation's top-selling consumer front projector in Fall 2005 (according to Quixel Research), the Epson MovieMate 30 features a new silver exterior design and a new VGA input for broader, more flexible connectivity. An adapter cable is also provided to support the attachment of component video sources such as high definition cable, satellite receivers or off-air HDTV tuners.

Epson America is also announcing the Accolade(TM) brand Duet(TM) Ultra Portable Projection Screen, which will be available to customers as an option, and with some retailers as a bundled accessory. This innovative screen features a unique design that enables it to expand to either 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios and produce an image up to 80 inches in size (diagonal). It can either hang on a wall using an included mounting bracket or stand up freely in virtually any location by placing it on an included retractable stand. The screen and stand can be set up together in less than 30 seconds and can be taken down and stored as a one-piece solution that is 42 inches in length and easy to transport.

"Epson MovieMate combines the ease and convenience of home entertainment with an exciting, high-quality theater experience," said Lowell Wolf, product manager, Home Entertainment Division, Epson America. "People of all technical levels can enjoy almost any multimedia application with this product whether they're watching movies and sports, playing video games, viewing digital photos or listening to music. Furthermore, they can do all of this for a price that's much lower than today's popular flat screen TVs, but have the added flexibility of projecting images in much larger sizes."

The Epson MovieMate 30 offers superior 3LCD picture quality with 480p native resolution and an integrated JVC DVD/CD player that reads multiple video, audio, and photo formats. The 16:9 widescreen projector features a flexible 1.5x optical zoom lens for short-throw viewing, allowing it to project an 80-inch widescreen image from just 6.6 feet away or up to a 12-foot image on a white wall from just 12 feet away. It also produces bright images up to 1,200 ANSI lumens for daytime use in dimly lit rooms while the new VGA input adds the convenience of connecting a computer/laptop.

With prices beginning at $999 (estimated street price), the Epson MovieMate 30 will be available in October in retail stores nationwide and through Epson's Web site, www.epson.com. Select retailers will also offer the Epson MovieMate 30 with the Accolade Duet screen and an external 40-watt subwoofer as one solution. The screen and subwoofer can also be purchased separately for $249 and $89 (respective estimated street prices).

About Epson 3LCD -- "A Better Way to See"
Epson 3LCD technology uses three individual LCD chips, each of which is dedicated to projecting 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.

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.

Note: Epson MovieMate is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. Accolade and Duet are trademarks of Epson America, Inc.