Yamaha Electronics will use CEDIA Expo here to showcase a range of new video display and DVD offerings, including a pair of HDTV-level front projectors based on DLP and LCD technologies, a 55W-inch HD plasma monitor, and a high-performance DVD changer.
In front projection, Yamaha will show its third-generation DLP model in the DPX-1,100, shipping now at a $12,495 suggested retail, which is based on Texas Instruments’ HD2+ Digital Micromirror Device (DMD). The display offers 1,280-by-720 pixel resolution in a native 16:9 aspect ratio.
The unit’s f 2.7-5.0 lens features a motorized iris control, with enhanced contrast and depth-of-field performance. Four anomalous dispersion glass components cut chromatic aberration in half while maintaining a short focal point and high-magnification zoom, Yamaha said.
Included are built-in color temperature levels and color balance, a 270-watt UHP lamp with variable power control produces up to 800 lumens of brightness, and the contrast ratio is listed as 4,000:1. A high-speed seven-segment color wheel adds a neutral density filter to improve color reproduction and detail in darker scenes.
Up-conversion of standard-definition sources is handled through a Faroudja DCDi video processor, and a Faroudja TrueLife Enhancement circuitry enhances detailed transitions and large edges to create greater depth of perception.
Inputs include HDMI with HDCP, component video with BNC terminals, RGB, composite and S-video inputs. An RS-232 serial port is added for system control.
Yamaha’s new LCD projector, model LPX-510, shipping now at a $5,499 suggested retail, features three 0.7-inch 720-by-1,280 high-definition LCD panels. Linear color balance over 640-points on the screen provides multiple gradients ranging from dark to bright scenes. Interlaced video processing is handled via a Faroudja DCDi processor. Other new video technologies include a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter.
The contrast ratio is listed at 1,200:1 and brightness is said to be 1,000:1, using a 200-watt UHP lamp with a 3,000-hour life expectancy.
Source inputs include HD component, composite, S-video and HDMI with HDCP. Also added is an RS-232 serial port for system integration.
The newest plasma display panel PDM-5520, which will ship in December at a price to be announced, features a new 55W-inch screen size.
The panel is billed as having an “industry-best brightness level” of 1,000 cd/m2 . The panel’s 1,366-by-768 pixel extended resolution is produced by Fujitsu’s e-ALiS (extended Alternative Lighting of Surfaces) technology, which defines pixels electronically rather than physically, allowing each picture element to be smaller than normal.
Yamaha adds its “Natural Black Drive System,” which automatically determines the brightness of the screen and applies the gray scale (contrast) best suited to the scene in order to reproduce both bright and dark areas with small details clearly visible. The contrast ratio is listed at 1,000:1.
The company’s latest 5-disc DVD changer — model DVD-C750 — will target “budget-conscious consumers” looking for strong performance, Yamaha said. The player, which will ship in October at a $299 suggested retail, offers universal multichannel music compatibility (DVD-Audio and SACD) and progressive scan video. A 192kHz/24-bit audio digital-to-analog converter (DAC) handles audio output, while video is addressed with a 108MHz/12-bit video DAC.
Both NTSC and PAL analog video formats can be output by the player. Other supported file formats include DivX, WMA, MP3 and JPEG files.
