Audio Video News

Best known for its no-compromise projectors, DWIN Electronics isn't ignoring the market for high-definition plasma display panels (PDPs).

The Burbank, CA–based company has announced three new models in its PlasmaImage HD series, in size increments of 42", 50", and 61" diagonally. The two larger models, the $10,995 HD-150 and $19,995 HD-161 boast 1365 x 768 resolution, and are available now. The smaller model, the $8995 HD-142, has 1024 x 768 resolution and should be available shortly.

DWIN claims its PDPs deliver higher quality images than the competition's because each pixel has separate color cells for red, blue, and green, and black-striped masking that absorbs ambient light and improves black levels. A dynamic luminance control limits jarring changes in brightness level to reduce eye fatigue when watching. The company says its 12-bit color processor can render more than 68.7 varieties of color, and a "MotionAdaptive" screen saver is said to minimize phosphor burn-in caused by static images. The circuit shuts down the panel if it detects a non-moving image lasting longer than five minutes.

Each DWIN plasma display comes equipped with a "TranScanner" video scaler/processor that accepts up to ten digital or analog video inputs—composite, S-Video, component, and DVI/HDCP—and outputs a DVI-HDCP signal to the screen, thereby eliminating bundles of bulky cables that might mar a clean installation.

DWIN has also introduced "DuoVison" video signal processing modules that accept feeds from any source and can send signals to two different DWIN displays simultaneously via DVI/HDCP. Such signals can travel up to 100' feet using DWIN's "DVI cable extender."