OTHER TECH

CEDIA Expo is where the front-projector companies usually unveil their hot new stuff, and 2005 was no exception. By far the most eye-opening demo was in the Texas Instruments booth, where the chipmaker previewed a DLP light engine that has three separate chips, each with a full 1,920 x 1,080-pixel array. TI used high-def clips from Sin City to show off the new technology, and picture quality on a huge, 12-foot diagonal screen was nothing short of stunning. Projectors using the chips are expected to arrive sometime in mid to late 2006.

Nobody announced model and price information for new 1080p DLP front projectors, but with LCoS gaining ground, you can bet they'll come in under $20,000 - which brings us to the most talked-about projector at the show: Sony's VPL-VW100 (shown at right), a 1080p model using SXRD (Sony's spin on LCoS). The company is selling the VPL-VW100 for $10,000 - a staggering price when you consider that its predecessor, the Qualia 004, cost $27,000.

Other notable price announcements included $15,000 for InFocus's ScreenPlay 777, a carry-over three-chip DLP model, and $3,000 for Mitsubishi's HC3000, a single-chip 720p DLP front projector from a company that mostly makes big-screen rear-projection TVs. At those prices, each company appears to be making a play to own the market for its respective product.

With high-def DLP front projectors selling for as little as $3,000, Yamaha's 720p-res DPX-1300 doesn't seem like much of a deal at $12,495. But this projector has a secret ingredient under its hood: Silicon Optix's Realta HQV chip. According to the company, the processing power contained in this bit of silicon goes a long way toward improving the picture quality of both standard- and high-def programs - as I could clearly see in demonstrations at Yamaha's booth. - Al Griffin

Not surprisingly, the biggest flat-panel TV splash at CEDIA was made by Sharp, a company that's practically synonymous with LCD. Its LC-65D90U ($20,999, shown below), a 1080p LCD model, dwarfed just about every other set using similar technology. Sure, I've seen LCDs this big before at trade shows, but none that were actually available in stores. You heard that right - if you're craving the world's largest LCD TV, Sharp's 65-incher is just a phone call and 20 Gs away.

The other flat-panel news concerned small but noticeable picture-quality improvements in 42- to 50-inch plasma TVs. Eye-catching examples that I look forward to seeing more of could be found at both the Pioneer and HP booths. Pioneer's Elite PRO-1130HD ($6,500) and PRO-930HD ($5,000), as well as regular-line PDP-5060HD ($6,500) and PDP-4360HD ($4,500) integrated HDTVs all showed evidence of the company's determination to remain plasma-TV king. The Pioneers include a crystal emissive layer placed between the plasma glass and light cells, a new feature that enhances black levels by accelerating the rate at which the cells charge and discharge.

And for HP's second-generation plasmas, the 42-inch PL4200N ($3,300) and 50-inch PL5000N ($4,300), the company upped the ante with a slick new exterior for both sets plus improved video processing and a contrast-enhancing color filter that suppresses reflected room light. Watch for reviews of both the Pioneer and HP sets in upcoming issues of S&V. - Al Griffin