Panasonic Adds New LCD Front Projectors

DENVER— Panasonic used CEDIA to introduce a pair of LCD-based home theater projectors, including the company's first 1,080p-capable unit.

The highlight of the offerings was the model PT-AE1000 1,080p LCD-based cinema projector, which will be targeted at “savvy, home theater enthusiasts and A/V professionals,” the company said.

Pricing on the 1,080p model was not announced, however, the company said the advanced home theater projector delivers full HD resolution, and includes a 2x optical zoom lens with lens-shift function that can project a 100-inch image from 10 to 20 feet away. Brightness is rated at 1,100 ANSI lumens and the contrast ratio was said to be 11,000:1. The unit also includes 14-bit dynamic gamma correction.

Panasonic also demonstrated its new PT-AX100 LCD projector. The unit is designed as “an affordable luxury for entertainment enthusiasts that desire a rich home theater viewing experience,” the company said.

The PT-AX100 LCD projector (shipping this month at a $2,999 suggested retail), was said to have been designed to produce brighter, more eye-catching images. The projector features native 1,280 by 720p resolution and uses a 220 watt UHP lamp to generate 2,000 ANSI lumens of brightness. The contrast ratio is rated at 6,000:1.

It also incorporates Panasonic's new Light Harmonizer image technology, which measures ambient light and adjusts the screen brightness so that images remain bright, crisp and vivid even in well-lit rooms.

The projector features a new Pure Color filter that uses optical adjustment to achieve more accurate color reproduction, going a step further than conventional projectors that reproduce colors by adjusting the white balance.