INDIANAPOLIS — Marantz America used the CEDIA Expo to introduce its expanded lineup of video products, including a range of monitors with HDTV scan-rate capability.
At the high end of the assortment is the VP8100, a video projector based on Texas Instruments’ Digital Light Processing (DLP) engine. The unit lists high brightness at an 800:1 contrast ratio, with pixel resolution up to 1,024 x 768. It will ship in September at a $12,499 suggested retail price.
Marantz said it would offer a high-definition-capable plasma display panel (model PD4298HD) at a $18,999 suggested retail starting in October. The unit features a 42W-inch widescreen display and is compatible with digital and analog video sources, as well as computer signals up to SXGA quality. Resolution is listed at 1,024 x 1,024.
The step-down PD4292 plasma panels will also appear in October, but at a lower suggested retail price of $12,999. The 42W-inch widescreen monitor will display 480p images, but at higher brightness and contrast levels than the previous PD4290 model.
Marantz unveiled a pair of widescreen rear-projection HDTV monitors — the 60W-inch PV6080W ($6,499) and the 55-inch PV5580W ($5,999) — which will display the 480p and 1080i ATSC formats in native scan mode. The PV6080W will be in stores in October, while the less expensive PV5580W will be available this month.
Company executives also affirmed that like parent Philips, they would be replacing the current 64W-inch fully integrated rear-projection HDTV set with a tuner HDTV monitor version. Pricing and availability date for the unit were not set at the show, however.
In DVD, Marantz said it would offer a 300+1-disc DVD-Video megachanger later in the month. The VC8100 ($1,499) is billed as the first megachanger to receive THX Ultra certification. It includes 10-bit video and 96kHz/24-bit audio digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion, digital noise reduction, and a disc management and search system.
