By: Richard Del Cazzo
Web site: http://www.hdtv-hdtv.com

Sony home theater projector is introduced

Sony home theater projector: Sony Electronics today introduced a full digital high-definition Sony home theater projector powered by the proprietary SXRD™ (Silicon Crystal [X-tal] Reflective Display) technology with 1080P native panel resolution.

The new QUALIA-004 Sony home theater projector is the first product introduced in the U.S. as part of Sony's QUALIA concept recently announced in Japan. The model is also the industry's first full high-definition (HD) compatible home theater front projector. It delivers natural, vivid tones and smooth, film-like picture quality which has been previously unavailable in fixed pixel display devices.

"This SXRD Sony home theater projector is the home theater projector that expert A/V enthusiasts and the custom installation industry have been waiting for," said Tim Baxter, senior vice president of Sony's Home Products Division. "Just like being at the movies, the new projector flawlessly displays natural skin tones and a brilliant color palette in spectacular HD resolution, while maintaining optimal brightness and the highest contrast ratio. Consumers can finally experience full high-definition content reproduced the way it was intended to be seen right at home."

Innovative SXRD Panel Structure for High Resolution Images

The extraordinary picture quality generated by the QUALIA-004 Sony home theater projector is primarily due to its sheer picture density, with more than 2 million pixels contained in three, mere 0.78-inch SXRD panels for over 6 million total pixels (technology announced in February 2003).

By reducing both the size of each individual pixel, as well as the space between the pixels, SXRD technology more than doubles the pixel density and achieves a 10-fold inter-pixel spacing in comparison to high temperature Poly-Silicon liquid crystal display (H-LCD) devices. It also has a pitch of nine micrometers arranged just 0.35 micrometers apart. In addition, each SXRD liquid crystal cell gap measures less than two micrometers, which is far thinner than conventional H-LCD or Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) devices.

Sony's SXRD liquid crystal materials utilize an innovative molecular material, which is vertically aligned to the cell substrate, in contrast to the twisted Nematic liquid crystal commonly found in other projection devices. According to Baxter, this new material ensures improved optical performance and enhanced driveability even in such a thin cell gap. The unique combination of the new material and the thin cell gap results in exceptional black level performance, in addition to a rapid response time of less than five milliseconds. This is nearly a three-fold increase over conventional Sony home theater projector contrast levels.

Full Cinema Effect Re-created at Home

Designed as the ideal Sony home theater projector, the new QUALIA-004 model offers an impressive array of technical attributes and advanced convenience features for consumers to create the ultimate, at-home cinematic experience. Among them:

Pure Xenon Lamp: The first for a Sony home theater projector and developed exclusively for the SXRD projector, a pure Xenon lamp is used for accurate, natural color reproduction. The Xenon lamp, which has similar characteristics to sun light, can reproduce colors closest to the natural spectrum, including the red bandwidth and is widely used in professional film projectors in movie theaters;

Optical Engine: The new Sony home theater projector includes a unique Optical Engine designed to maximize picture quality by keeping equal illumination length (red/green/blue illumination path), which minimizes color shading and maximizes color uniformity. It houses the SXRD panels, Xenon lamp, optical iris and extends out to the projection/zoom lenses. It also features automatic power lens shift for vertical picture adjustment as well as manual horizontal adjustment. The SXRD panels are completely sealed within the Optical Engine to avoid dust contamination;

Cinema Black Pro: The Cinema Black Pro breakthrough technology greatly improves image quality and contrast level by simultaneously controlling the lamp (low, high) and the iris (on, off) for optimal picture performance for any screen size and room environment. This feature enables the iris shutter off (open) for high brightness or on (closed) for low brightness and greater contrast level;

Carl Zeiss® Lens: Another state-of-the-art feature in the QUALIA-004 projector is its use of three interchangeable, all glass, multi-AR coated Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar® zoom lenses (wide, mid, tele) for exceptionally low distortion and chromatic aberration. Each of the three lenses used in the new projector feature minimum of five ED (Extra-low Disperson) lenses and put through MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) inspection to ensure the Sony home theater projector's high resolution and contrast level, as well as offering the best throwing distance and zoom ratio. These world renown lenses are secured via Bayonet mount interchangeable system;

12-bit Panel Driver/3D Gamma Correction: SXRD panel performance is maximized by pairing the full 10-bit digital signal processing with 12-bit panel driver which results in minimized video noise and rich color gradation. Gamma correction is also precise with the new 3D Gamma correction circuitry, which analyzes and monitors levels of brightness images at over 6,000 points vertically and horizontally, even with low level signals in dark areas; and

Signal terminal: For hiding connection cables, input and output connections are located on the bottom of the Sony home theater projector for easy, concealed ceiling mounting. The digital connections are found on the left side and feature the HDMI, DVI-D digital connections and USB and Ethernet port for easy access to product information website; analog connections are on the right side and include, component, S Video and Composite Video inputs.

These impressive features are housed in a full metal chassis with aluminum surrounding, which protects the Sony home theater projector from heat and contributes to noise control generated by the built-in fan. The QUALIA-004 SXRD projector also has a distinctive foam aluminum (5mm) top to further absorb noise.

In addition, the Sony home theater projector features a revolutionary airflow design that pulls the hot air from around the optical engine through the chassis and pushes it out toward the back. This design is effective in cooling the heat generated by the Xenon lamp while minimizing noise.

The new Sony home theater projector also includes a remote control that lights up when lifted-- a perfect theater companion.

"We also included new, sophisticated software that custom installers will really appreciate when setting up the new Sony home theater projector," Baxter added. "Installers and dealers can apply these tools to set up and maintain the projector for an extraordinary home theater experience."

The QUALIA-004 SXRD projector integrates a newly created on-screen menu for simple set-up and also includes the Image Director 2 CD-ROM for perfect picture adjustment. Additionally, Internet Protocol (IP) control is provided for fast access to product information, service and maintenance support.

The new QUALIA-004 full digital HD SXRD front Sony home theater projector will be available at select Sony authorized custom installation dealers this winter for about $25,000. Optional Carl Zeiss zoom lens selection will also be available to best meet the user's room environment.

QUALIA, derived from the Latin "qualia" which means quality, is a Sony global movement aiming to touch people's hearts and to evoke strong emotional value with products and services that go beyond the boundaries of manufacturing and design excellence.