Panasonic introduced a new three-chip, 50,000-lumen 4K laser projector as part of its InfoComm slate of projectors and lenses, displays and PTZ cameras. The products, debuting this week at InfoComm 2019 in Orlando, Florida, are aimed at applications including esports, museum exhibits, education, and corporate AV.
Panasonic PT-RQ50K 4K laser projector
Panasonic
The PT-RQ50K three-chip DLP Solid Shine 4K+ laser projector is the smallest single-body laser-phosphor projector on the market to reach that level of brightness, Panasonic said. Designed for easy transport, fast installation and set-up, the projector is bright enough to replace multiple lower-brightness projectors, which are often stacked to achieve the desired picture quality in a given venue.
It will begin shipping in December.
“Creating memorable experiences was a key focus area for us when designing the PT-RQ50K projector. It needed to deliver outstanding brightness and image quality to allow customers in the entertainment space to push the limits of experience-oriented projection,” said John Baisley, SVP of professional imaging & visual systems at Panasonic Systems Solutions of North America. “We’ve set a new benchmark in projection technology with the introduction of the PT-RQ50K projector and we’re excited to premiere it at InfoComm.”
One step down the ladder, three new 4K 3LCD projectors, the PT-MZ16K, PT-MZ13K and PT-MZ10K will offer 16,000 lumens, 13,000 lumens, and 10,000 lumens, respectively. Those three models are slated to start shipping in November.
Three new one-chip 4K DLP projectors are in the offing, led by the PT-RCQ10, with 10,000-lumen performance, and the PT-RCQ80, with 8,000 lumens. They will ship in November and December, respectively. Panasonic is also introducing the PT-LRZ35 series one-chip DLP model, its first portable RGB LED projector, with its light source available for projection instantly upon power-up. It’s shipping in December.
All of the new projectors share the same 20,000-hour rating for maintenance-free operation — defined as the time until their light output has decreased to 50% — Panasonic said.
Short-Throw Lenses
In the shorter term, two new short-throw lenses for three-chip DLP projectors are coming in August. The ET-D3LEU100 Ultra Short-Throw Lens has a throw ratio of 0.40:1, and the ET-D3KEW200 Short-Throw Zoom Lens has a throw ratio of 0.65:1–0.85:1. They will be followed in October by the ET-DLE-020 Ultra Short-Throw Zoom Lens for one-chip DLP projectors.
Video Wall Displays
Panasonic displays on display at InfoComm and shipping later this year include the TH-55VF2 and TH-55VF2H, LCD video wall displays with “razor-thin” 0.88mm bezels that reach 500 and 700 nits of brightness, respectively. They’re designed to be part of seamless multi-screen displays. The TH-55LFV9 has a 3.5mm bezel and 500 nits of brightness, features two-system input for added reliability, and is set to ship in October.
PTZ Cameras
And new PTZ cameras at the show include the 1080p AW-HE42, with a 1/2.3-inch MOS sensor, 65.1-degree horizontal viewing angle, and 20x optical zoom, coming later this month at a price under $5,000, and the 4K 30p AW-UE4, with a 1/2.5-inch sensor, 111-degree horizontal field of view, and HDMI/LAN/USB and RTSP/RTMP interfaces, due in October.
