Panasonic Intros 8,500-Lumen DLP Projector, Interactive Short-Throw Projector

• By Leila Meyer
• 06/13/13

Panasonic has announced several new projectors, including the company's first interactive ultra-short throw projector and a WUXGA single-chip DLP projector that the company claims as the industry's brightest. Panasonic introduced the projectors at the InfoComm 2013 conference taking place this week in Orlando, FL.

The Panasonic PT-DZ870U series offers a combination of WUXGA resolution and a light output of 8,500 lumens.

The new PT-DZ870U series includes the PT-DZ870UK, PT-DW830UK, and PT-DX100UK models. Panasonic claims that the PT-DZ870UK is the industry's brightest single-chip WUXGA DLP projector, offering 8,500 lumens and 1,920 x 1,200 resolution. The PT-DW830UK offers 8,500 lumens and WXGA (1,280 by 800) resolution, and the PT-DX100UK offers 10,000 lumens and XGA (1,024 by 768) resolution.

Other key features of the PT-DZ870U series include:

• Contrast ratio of 10,000:1;
• Panasonic's proprietary new Dynamic RGB Booster, which optimizes the lamp intensity of individual red, green, and blue colors;
• Compatibility with the ET-DLE030 ultra-short throw lens to project a 100-inch image from a distance of 2.7 feet; and
• 3D compatibility and support for various 3D formats, including frame packing, side-by-side, top-and-bottom, line-by-line, and simultaneous.

The PT-DZ870U series also supports Digital Link, a feature that enables transmission of audio-visual content and control signals through a single CAT5e cable or higher, up to 328 feet, when connected to a compatible switcher. The PT-DZ870UK, PT-DW830UK, and PT-DX100UK are available this month with an MSRP of $26,999, $14,399, and $14,999, respectively.

The new PT-RZ475U is a lamp-free projector with a fixed short-throw lens and new laser and LED light-sourced technology.

Key features of the PT-RZ475U include:

• High-definition 1080p resolution;
• Contrast ratio of 20,000:1;
• Brightness of 3,000, 1,600, or 1,000 lumens;
• 0.8:1 fixed lens;
• Hybrid LD+LED light source;
• 26,280 to 87,600 hours of light-source life, depending on brightness setting;
• 3D compatibility;
• Support for portrait mode; and
• DIGITAL LINK compatibility.

The PT-RZ475U is available this month with an MSRP of $12,799.

Panasonic also introduced the new PT-CW330 ultra-short throw series of portable projectors. According to a news release from the company, the PT-CW330U, PT-CW240U, and PT-CW331RU models can generate a 80-inch diagonal image with less than two feet from lens to screen. The PT-CW331RU and PT-CX301RU models include built-in interactive features enabling two users to simultaneously write on the image using infrared pens.

Other key features of the PT-CW330 series include:

• Up to 3,100 lumens of brightness;
• Contrast ratio of 8,000:1;
• HDMI and LAN (RJ-45) inputs;
• Built-in 10 Watt speaker;
• Up to 5,000 hour lamp replacement cycle;
• Crestron RoomView compatibility; and
• 3D compatibility and support for various 3D formats, including frame packing, side-by-side, top-and-bottom, and sequential.

Further information about the new projectors can be found on Panasonic's site.