Epson Introduces 1,080p Projector

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 12/4/2006

Long Beach, Calif. — Epson America introduced a new flagship line home cinema LCD projector with 1,080p resolution.

The Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080 will ship to custom installation dealers in January at $4,999 estimated street price. It incorporates a range of proprietary picture technologies including three 1,920 by 1,080 native resolution C²Fine 3LCD chips, OptiCinema optics, E-TORL lamp, 1080Perfect video processing, and Absolute Black technology.

"One of the primary reasons Epson is the No. 1 projector company in the world is because Epson develops and manufactures virtually all of the major technologies that go into every one of its projectors," said Aaron Marinari, senior product manager, Epson America. "And, because Epson knows how to integrate all of those elements into one cohesive system better than anyone else, the PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080 will establish a new standard for 1,080p projection."

Other attributes of the model include ISF-certification, ensuring it meets the home theater industry's highest standards for video fidelity and calibration.

Among the core Epson technologies in the unit the C² Fine 3LCD is a three-chip high-definition system that produces full-time color with higher contrast ratios.

The AccuCinema Lens was designed for high picture integrity from corner to corner.

The 1080Perfect video processor is optimized to reproduce images without noise and artifacts, while maintaining the full integrity of the signal.

Epson's Absolute Black Technology is said to deliver "dramatically high contrast ratios (up to 12,000:1) adding depth to images for the most captivating scenes possible."

Epson said it developed its E-TORL lamp technology "to project light more efficiently, and to maximize brightness and uniformity across the entire screen."

Meanwhile, semiconductor manufacturer Silicon Image pointed out that the Pro Cinema 1080 is the first front projector in the industry to add its VastLane SiI9133 HDMI receiver chip, with support for Deep Color.