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OK. I wish you a

healthy, happy and successful 2007.

Let’s start this year with a funny film on the Wii and Sony PS3 via enthousiasmeren.

It has a lot of the things from “Hi I am a Mac and I am PC”.

I was not aware that there are already so many of these movies.

Epson’s new EMP-TW700 home cinema projector is a high definition, high contrast, native wide screen format projector with a new high resolving power lens delivering spectacular movies and television for home cinema enthusiasts.

With a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), the Epson EMP-TW700 accepts digital uncompressed signals direct from the source, such as HD set top box or HD DVD player, and uses Epson’s sophisticated colour and image processing technology to deliver the home cinema experience of a lifetime. HD ready - the 720p resolution.

Equipped with Epson’s Auto Iris function that samples the image 60 times a second and adjusts the iris opening to suit the scene, the EMP-TW700 can deliver a 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio producing stunningly detailed images at every level of brightness.

For bright scenes the iris is opened wide passing more light to the LCD panels giving a crisp and sharp high contrast image, while for darker scenes the iris opening reduces to lower the contrast producing richer blacks and more detail in the dark or shadowed areas of the image.

Epson’s renowned 3LCD technology with three LCD panels each of 1280 x 720 pixels [native 16:9 format] forms a full colour image within the projector so the image quality of the EMP-TW700 is superior to others in its class and is completely free of flicker and colour break up.

Epson’s E-TORL lamp delivering 1600 ANSI lumens brightness and Cinema Filter combine with the EMP-TW700’s 10 bit colour processing capabilities to allow fine adjustment and precise balance of the primary colours to deliver a super wide colour gamut of more than 1.07 billion colours or 134% of the sRGB colour space.

The 2.1x zoom lens on the EMP-TW700 has a higher resolving power giving crisp, sharp images and colour flare reduction, while increased lens shift improves flexibility and versatility when setting up the projector. Projected image size can be from 30 inches to 300 inches wide (0.76 to 7.6 meters).

Continue reading ‘Epson EMP-TW700 Multimedia Projector’

Technorati Tags: EMP-TW700, HDMI, Epson, HD ready, 720p

The SIM2 Grand Cinema HT5000 claims the title of the world’s first three-chip 1080p DLP projector, designed specifically for home theater use. The HT5000 sports an impressive 5000:1 contrast ratio and is powered by a 300-watt lamp driven by TI’s DarkChip3 (x3) with native [tag]1080p[/ag] resolution.

SIM2 several DLP projectors, including the Grand Cinema HT5000. This mean machine hasn’t been officially priced yet, but SIM2 estimates a price of $50k, with the projector arriving in early 2007. It will have a 300W lamp and a contrast ratio of 5000:1. For an extra $10k, they’ll have a dual-lamp version of the projector with external processor.

If you’re thinking of spending a little less money, they’ll also have a US$10,000 1080p single-chip DLP projector similar to its current Domino line.

Source: SIM2 Bows Broad Line Of 1080p DLP Projectors, Including Three-Chip Flagship

Technorati Tags: SIM2, HT5000, DLP

Lumenlab has announced a projector that utilizes a US$ 30 HID lamp that will last 6000+ hours. It is designed with a single 7″ LCD panel and a 150w double-ended HQI lamp, Lumenlab is able to solve the “commercial projector lamp dilemma”. Most manufacturers don’t want you to know that their lamps cost many hundreds of dollars and only last a couple thousand hours. There are 2000 sign-ups for this projector already.

If you don’t trust it just check the specifications:

• Resolution: 854×480 native, supports 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768
• Contrast Ratio: 600 ：1
• Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens
• Lamp: 6,000 hour 150W HID
• Lamp replacement cost: $30.00
• Power: 90-260V / 50-60 HZ
• Inputs: Component, AV, S-Video, TV (coax), VGA (PC)
• Outputs: Audio, Video
• Input: RGB, PAL, NTSC, HDTV
• Keystone correction 15º
• Picture rotation for ceiling mounting
• Manual focus adjustment
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Dimensions: 260(W)×330(L)×120(H)mm
• Weight: 5.8kg
• Backlit Remote
• OSD Menu
• Built-in speakers
• Automatic fan shutdown with battery back up (unplug and go).
• One-year limited warranty (lamp included)

And this for only $499,00 and if you can ship it to an address in the USA there are no shipping charges.

Continue reading ‘A DIY killer from Lumenlab’

Have you ever thought of building your own projector? Well now is the time. A short series just started on Engadget - part 1. In this serie they will build a HD projector, from an LCD Monitor.

Actually it is not that difficult. Disassemble a desktop LCD display, put a bright light behind the display and add some optics and you’ve got yourself a projector.

The real question: is it worth it? Replacement lamps for commercial projectors cost around $300 each and only last a few thousand hours at most. The lamp in this projector should last about 10,000 hours and costs $50 to replace.

There are couple of places to check out if you want more information on this subject. Lumenlab recently made access to their forums. Alternatively, The DIYaudio forum users also discuss this topic.

The LCD is key to the project. The latest LCDs are cheaper and better than ever; the contrast ratio has been increasing. It’s important to choose a display that can be disassembled easily and won’t have any inconvenient electronics in the way.
Size does matter. The LCD size will affect the lenses required and obviously the size of the completed enclosure.

For this serie Endgadet uses the Samsung 940MW-SV Silver 19-inch 8ms Wide-screen LCD Monitor with built in TV Tuner. This beauty has a contrast ratio of 700:1 and a .294mm pixel pitch. The 16:10 screen has a 1440×900 native resolution, so it will display 720p natively. The built in scaler supports 1080 input as well. It sports DVI (With HDCP support), VGA, Component, S-Video input and even coax for the built-in TV tuner.

Now that you’ve got the general idea of what we’re doing, it’s a good time to start crunching numbers to get a rough idea of what we’re looking at. Lumenlab has a couple of calculators built just for figuring things out. Focalcalc runs under windows. Remember that if you’re entering the width of the LCD diagonally, then the screen width is a diagonal as well.

The parts Engadget bought so far:

• Samsung 940MW-SV $330 from NewEgg (We spotted them at Sam’s Club too)
• Pro Lens Kit (2x Fresnels and projection lens) $199 from Lumenlab
• Pro Reflector $15 from Lumenlab
• Ceramic Mogul Base $10 from Lumenlab (We scored an extra with our ballast)
• 400Watt 6500K Metal Halide bulb - $50 from Lumenlab
• 400Watt MH Electronic Ballast $99 from HID Hut
• 25 foot HDMI to DVI cable $37 from Monoprice [For our HR10-250 HD Tivo]
• 25 foot VGA cable $8 from Monoprice [For our HTPC]

Total parts cost far: $748

Left to buy: Enclosure, cooling fan and a few finishing touches.

Continue reading ‘Build your own projector’

Technorati Tags: HD projector, LCD Monitor, Samsung

Optoma released a new 2-piece HD81 projector system that not only pumps the pixels, but processes them as well.
The projector unit is based on a Texas Instruments DarkChip3 DLP setup, with a 12000:1 contrast ratio!, 1300 lumens, Auto IRIS and 10-bit color. That’s all well and good, but what really takes the cake is the included processing unit, which has three HDMI inputs (the projector has a single HDMI plug) along with plenty of other connectivity. The processor supports up-scaling to 1080p, and can handle wrangling with 1080i to 1080p conversion. The projector is available now in Taiwan for 299,000 TWD (about $9,114 US), but it should be showing up in the States and Europe.

The projector is displayed at the IFA this year.
Continue reading ‘Optoma’s new 1080p projector the HD81′

Technorati Tags: Optoma, HD81, DLP, contrast ratio, lumens, Auto IRIS, HDMI, 1080p

Vidikron has introduced the Vision 90, boasting a 3-chip, high-definition DLP engine with a resolution of 1,280 x 720 (720p) that the firm says is specifically engineered for maximum light output in a light-controlled, home entertainment environment. As a direct descendant of the flagship Vision LightAmp 100, the ’90 incorporates many of the same features, including Vidikron’s proprietary, built-in Imagix video processing, which is capable of scaling any standard definition video source up to the projector’s HD native resolution without digital artifacts and “picture grain”.

Vidikron notes that all its projectors are engineered to meet the exacting standards of the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF), allowing installers to properly calibrate the ’90 when accessing advanced white balance and colour range gamut controls.

The Vision 90 is available with a choice of four precision lenses for use with multiple screen widths and in rooms of varying sizes. Each lens offers ample electronic horizontal and vertical shift to compensate for off-centre installations. Vidikron’s IntelliWide technology allows for viewing 4:3 source material in a wider screen format without significant loss of image quality, Vidikron notes.

The projector is also available with Vidikron’s CineWide with AutoScope technology option that properly displays movies filmed in the CinemaScope 2.35:1 aspect ratio. CineWide technology, the firm explains, eliminates the top and bottom “black bars” that are often present in today’s major theatrical DVD releases.
Continue reading ‘Vidikron Vision Model 90′

Technorati Tags: Vidikron, Vision 90, DLP

Technorati Tags: CeBIT, Toshiba, et20, Super Close, Projector, DVD player

Wow, this is a grazy ‘home-theater’. Well it is not really in the home but it is outside a home, or more specific on a townhall in Dijon France. Four projectors covering a 750 square meter townhall building with images and animations that make use of the shapes of the building.

Antoine Legras and Stan Cixous via MouseOver.be and FreshCreation

Widescreen images now move easily from your desktop to the conference room, or the home-theatre room with the Mitsubishi HD4000U, our first WXGA, high-definition, high-brightness DLP projector.

Specially designed for the 16:9 wide aspect ratio. It includes the latest DDP3020 TrueVision Image Processing with BrilliantColor technology bringing you truer, more vibrant colors.
Continue reading ‘Mitsubishi HD4000U DLP ProjectorXGA DLP Projector’

Technorati Tags: home-theatre, Mitsubishi, HD4000U, WXGA, DLP projector