NEC Unveils Showcase Series
By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 9/20/2004
INDIANAPOLIS — NEC underscored its continued commitment to the home-theater display market by introducing a pair of DLP projectors featuring Texas Instrument's DarkChip2 technology and four plasma monitors in its new Showcase Series.
The Showcase front projectors included the HT410 and HT510, which were billed as native 16:9 widescreen-capable. Both models were developed for high performance at low cost, with the HT410 slated to see an average selling price of $1,499.
The HT410 features a native resolution of 854 by 480 (EDTV) while the HT510 is listed as have 1,024 by 576 resolution.
Both models feature a compact design for easy portability, and inputs include component video and RGB.
The four plasma panels are offered in the 42W-inch, 50W-inch and 61W-inch screen sizes. The entry 42VR5 is an EDTV-level monitor with 853 by 480 native resolution. The step-up 42XR3 ($5,795 suggested retail) is a high-definition version with 1,024 by 768 resolution. The 50W-inch 50XR4 ($7,995) and the 61W-inch 61XR3 ($14,995), each have 1,365 by 768 resolution.
All models are currently shipping to dealers.
Panels feature NEC's proprietary on-board scaling, and inputs for DVI with HDCP, RGBHV and HD component video.
The panels also are said to offer 20 percent improvement in brightness and a 43 percent increase in contrast. Power consumption was said to be among “the lowest in the industry,” starting at 270 watts.
