Epson Continues to Expand Its Presence in Projector Market With New Series of Value-Packed Portable Models

Business Wire, June 13, 2001

Business Editors

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 13, 2001

EPSON PowerLite(R) 810p, 800p and 600p Projectors -- Ideal for

Conference and Classroom Settings -- Produce up to 2000 ANSI Lumens

and Weigh Less Than 10 Pounds

Epson America is once again expanding its offering of projectors to meet today's ever-growing and more-complex market of presenters with a new series of value-packed, sub-10-pound portable models.

The EPSON PowerLite(R) 810p, PowerLite 800p and PowerLite 600p feature an array of new technologies never before offered in portable projectors and represent outstanding values for educational and conference room settings. The projectors also feature substantial brightness ranging from 1,500 - 2,000 ANSI lumens, an ergonomic design weighing 9.6 pounds and prices starting at $3,799 (estimated street price).

"Some manufacturers can claim their projectors offer the brightest output, the lightest travel weight, or the lowest price -- but Epson projectors are designed to provide the most important feature of all... the best value," said Mark Pickard, group product manager, A/V Products, Epson. "This new line of PowerLite projectors is designed to give customers -- especially conference room presenters and educators -- the elements that are most important to them: outstanding video quality with a high-end set of features in a sub-10-pound model that won't wipe out their budgets."

All three models use three newly designed 0.9-inch high aperture LCDs to produce rich colors with razor-sharp contrast across the entire screen and a 400:1 contrast ratio for blacker blacks, whiter whites and crisper-looking text. The PowerLite 810p uses a Micro Lens Array to produce 2000 ANSI lumen images in true XGA native resolution (1024 x 768), while the EPSON PowerLite 800 delivers 1500 ANSI lumens in native XGA resolution and the PowerLite 600 projects up to 1700 ANSI lumens in native SVGA (800 x 600) resolution.

State-of-the-art video performance is further enhanced by a new color processing technology that improves color consistency while reducing video noise. This new technology offers six projection modes that are user selectable based on the projection environment.

Each model is also designed to provide whisper-quiet operation (38 db), including five-watt amplified sound for clear audio output that can fill an entire room.

New Technologies

The EPSON PowerLite 810p, 800p and 600p are also among the first projectors to meet Microsoft Windows(R) color quality specifications using a new color management technology developed jointly by Epson and Mitsubishi. This new technology makes it possible for the projector to reproduce the same natural color tones as monitors and meets testing specifications such as the recently announced international standard: IEC 61966-2-1 (sRGB).

Another first for these Epson projectors is the implementation of not only vertical, but also horizontal keystone adjustments. This new feature enables these projectors to be offset up to 10 degrees left and right from the center of the screen, but still maintain a rectangular image. This is especially useful in rooms with ceilings that have obstacles where a projector would ideally be placed or where the best position is on a table that is offset. Horizontal and vertical keystone adjustments can also be combined with the electronic zoom to project a four-segment video wall without the need for external video processing.

Other Features

EPSON SizeWize(R) resizing technology supports virtually any computer (Mac or PC) up to UXGA (1600 x 1200) resolution with virtually no picture loss. The EPSON PowerLite 810p also can display component video and is HDTV-ready, supporting popular digital video signals such as 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p. A new Digital Video Interface (DVI) increases the projectors' flexibility by offering compatibility and connectivity to both analog signals and new digital computer video formats.

Epson has selected a newly developed 200W UHE lamp for these projectors with a 1.3mm arc length for increased brightness. Epson has also created a lens with shorter throw distance allowing the projector to be placed closer to fill a 60-inch screen, making table-top applications less intrusive.

Price, Availability and Support

The PowerLite 800p and 810p will be available through authorized dealers beginning in August 2001, while the PowerLite 600p will reach the market in September. The products are priced respectively at $4,275, $5,225 and $3,799 (estimated street price) and come with a two-year limited warranty. Epson also provides PowerLite customers with three elite technical support services -- Epson's Private Line(R), Road Service Program and International Warranty. Through the Private Line, projector owners can directly access an exclusive expedited support telephone line (typically in less than one minute) by using a phone card that is included with the product. In the event that a projector should need to be repaired, Epson's Road Service Program can replace the product within 24 hours in the United States and Canada. International Warranty makes repair service available in 45 countries worldwide. All of these services are available for the duration of the warranty coverage.