IT AV Convergence – Available In The Mitsubishi Projector

Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America’s Presentation Products Division, maker of award-winning, high-quality presentation and display products, has announced its latest family of desktop LCD projectors, led by its new flagship, the X500. Offering the richest color reproduction and control, the sRGB-compliant X500 features 3,700 ANSI lumens along with Mitsubishi’s patented and award-winning ColorView Natural Color Matrix, a sophisticated IRIS (Intelligent Room Illumination Sensor) control, and Smart Hub network connectivity, making it the most versatile projector available in the market today.

The X500 offers features and functionality that appeals to both information technology and audio-visual customers. Its ability to be readily connected to a network or even host a mini-network on its own offers state-of-the-art IT functionality, while its award-winning color and picture performance provides the user with a better projector for today’s IT-AV convergence.

"With the established history of Mitsubishi Electric in video and data displays, we always bring something innovative and new to raise the standard in presentation technology," said Aki Ninomiya, director of sales and marketing for Mitsubishi Digital Electronics. "Last year we introduced our award-winning ColorView Natural Color Matrix. This year, we are the first to introduce sRGB color compliance and IRIS control. Ultimately, our projectors deliver a better value to our customers."

The X500 has a unique combination of features that make it the most versatile presentation tool in today’s projector industry. Known for its color excellence, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics offers its customers ultimate color control and consistency. When colors are reproduced more accurately, presenters are confident in expressing their ideas, creating more dynamic, vibrant, and influential presentations.

Along with the X500, all of Mitsubishi’s LCD projectors include its unique ColorView Natural Color Matrix, an award-winning, patented color algorithm that enables truer, more accurate, and more realistic colors for computer graphics and video displays. Offering presenters the easiest way to manipulate and adjust colors, ColorView’s most important feature is its six-axis color control function. Unlike any other projector, both display (RGB) and print (CMY) color palettes can be independently adjusted like a graphic equalizer, offering presenters ultimate flexibility in creating more accurate colors and realistic images.

Mitsubishi Digital Electronics is the first projector manufacturer to offer sRGB Color Profile in its projectors, including the X500. The sRGB color standard allows presenters to match their displays without a complicated calibration process—as long as the sRGB profile is selected on the computer and the projector when creating colorful presentations, what one sees on his or her monitor will be the same as the image projected through the X500. A Microsoft-endorsed color standard, the sRBG Color Profile is based upon IEC Color Profile 61966-2-1 that reproduces the same natural color tones as most CRT phosphor-based color displays, as well as display devices such as LCD monitors, digital cameras, laptops, printers, and other sRGB-compliant products. Flesh tones and natural colors are realistic and vibrant on both computer and video displays, as a result of sRGB colors.

Mitsubishi Electric has always been known for its video and television technology expertise. Now, along with excellent video quality, Mitsubishi Digital also offers its sophisticated IRIS control on the X500, and all its new LCD projectors. IRIS automatically senses room brightness and automatically adjusts the projector’s contrast and image controls to create the best image under the detected lighting conditions. If a window shade opens, a light is turned on (or off), or unforeseen changes occur in a rooms’ brightness, IRIS allows the user to be confident that his or her presentation will maintain its clarity and picture image integrity, automatically.

The X500 Smart Hub networking capability exemplifies the convergence of information technology with audio-visual prowess. It allows users the flexibility to share files from within a network by allowing itself to be connected actively to a network, or host its own network all by itself. Unlike other projectors, up to five users can simultaneously connect to the X500 through Mitsubishi’s unique hub feature and Microsoft Windows NetBEUI protocol or Apple Computer’s AppleTalk. By sharing files, users can leave their laptops at home or at their desks and access their presentation files on site. And like an electronic white board, they can enjoy print-on-demand convenience, directly from the projector site, before, during, or at the close of the presentation. Presenters can offer their audience hard copies, even if they are modified during the meeting, right from the network.

CineView is another advanced technology based on Mitsubishi television expertise that is incorporated in the X500 and all its newer projectors. CineView is a line-doubler with a 3-2 pull down conversion system for efficient video processing that cancels video field overlap to maintain sharp images. When transforming film to electronic display, the resulting video is often choppy; with CineView, the image is as sharp and smooth as its native film format, with no flickering or distracting blank frames inserted.

SPECIFICATIONS
The X500 is a 3-panel poly-silicon, Micro-Lens Array LCD projector that supports native XGA resolution with compressed SXGA, and over 16.7 million colors; provides 3,700 ANSI lumens in brightness, has a contrast ratio of 400:1, a powered zoom lens, keystone correction, and remote control. At less than 16 pounds, the X500 is perfect for desktop or installed applications in corporate board rooms, schools, auditoriums, churches and hotels. Optional long and short throw lenses for more demanding conditions will also be available.

X490 AND S490
Along with the flagship X500, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics also announces its X490 projector, which offers those features mentioned above with 2,500 ANSI lumens and native XGA resolution. The S490 provides 2,500 ANSI lumens and native SVGA (800 x 600) resolution.

The X500 will be competitively priced and available in third quarter, 2001; pricing will be announced at shipping. The X490 and the S490 will follow shortly in Q4. These projectors come with a three-year warranty on parts and labor plus a 90-day warranty on the lamp. The X500 and X490, like all Mitsubishi XGA models, comes with the Emergency Roadside Assistance Program, a comprehensive service provided for units under warranty that offers next business-day replacement for down units when or where available.

Author Notes:

Wes Sims contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.projectors-projectors.com.  An online look at projectors, home theatre and accessories; such as digital, video, screens and slides.