Panasonic unveils lamp-free LED projectors

Panasonic North America (Secaucus, NJ) announced the availability of its Solid Shine series of lamp-free projectors. Featuring the company's Digital Link technology, the product line includes the PT-RZ370 series projectors, which will begin shipping this month, and the PT-RZ470 series projectors, which will be available in March.

According to Panasonic, the LED/laser light source in the Solid Shine 1-Chip DLP projectors delivers up to 20,000 hours of virtually maintenance-free operation. All models in the series deliver 3,500 lumens of brightness and provide features that make the projectors ideal for use in educational institutions, as well as museums, command and control centers, and digital signage applications.

By combining the optional ET-YFB100G digital interface box with the projector's HDMI and other input terminals -- including the company's proprietary Digital Link terminal -- transmission of uncompressed HD digital video, audio and control signals (Ethernet, RS-232C) for up to 100 meters (328 feet) through a single Cat 5e (STP) cable or higher is made possible. This configuration simplifies cabling and system upgrades, making the projectors ideal for ceiling-mounted and other permanent installations, contends the company.

The proprietary Digital Link technology is an original function added to the projector, based on the transmission standards used in Crestron’s DigitalMedia 8G+ and Extron’s XTP systems, as well as others. Signals from the ET-YFB100G digital interface box can also be relayed to a non-Digital Link-ready projectors by using another manufacturer’s equipment based on the same technology.

Panasonic adds that the PT-RZ470/RZ370 series projectors offer installation flexibility, with a 2x zoom, wide lens shift capability, HDMI/DVI digital inputs and Crestron RoomView compatibility. The PT-RZ470 Series offers additional flexibility with Portrait Mode projection capability, as well as Edge Blending, Color Matching and 3D projection capabilities.

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