Planar announces Viper DLP HD projector
Planar Announces Its First 3-Chip HD Projector for the Custom Home Theater Market
Viper uniquely combines Planar's engineering expertise with 3-chip DLP® image accuracy to offers stellar big-screen HD performance to demanding video aficionados.
Beaverton, OR – August 21, 2008 – Planar Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLNR), a worldwide leader in specialty display systems, today introduced the brand's first 3-chip DLP® projector built exclusively for the custom home theater market –Viper.
Planar's Viper was specifically designed and engineered to bring unprecedented imagery and installation versatility to the larger screen sizes (greater than 110 inches) where 3-chip high-definition DLP projection remains the ideal video solution. "The combination of Planar's display prowess and superior 3-chip DLP technology afforded us the opportunity to produce a custom home theater projector that is unrivaled in this market segment," said Brian Carskadon, Director of Product Management, Planar Systems Inc. "Viper's exceptional image performance, most notably in contrast and black levels, combined with its exclusive design and integration features, reaffirms Planar's commitment to offer the most impressive video displays where the image experience really matters."
Planar's Viper is the first 3-chip projector system to feature superior technology enabling some of the best contrast ratios and color performance achieved through an exclusive partnership between Planar Systems and DLP, Texas Instruments (TI). DLP enables the native 1280 x 720 Viper to achieve an astounding 10,000:1 contrast ratio at 2,000 lumens brightness to deliver the deepest black levels and unrivaled high-definition video performance. "DLP's latest advancements have been incorporated into Viper to set a new industry benchmark in black level reproduction for front projection," said Nancy Fares, business manager for DLP 3Chip products and DLP Cinema®. "Viper delivers video performance that is simply without compromise."
Planar's Viper offers a stellar home theater projection solution that is beyond impressive in style and imagery. Viper features Planar's unique curved industrial design elements and high-gloss piano black finish, combining elegance with the ultimate viewing experience. Built to match the excellence of the esteemed theaters it will grace, Viper delivers rich, accurate colors, as well as proprietary advanced video processing with 10-bit independent dual image and motion adaptive processing. Viper's true 1080i interlacing provides increased detail enhancement, while its artifact-free, pristine reproduction of all native film and native video formats (1080p, 1080p-24, 1080i, 720p, 576p and 480p) will win over even the most discerning video aficionado.
"Planar truly has hit a home run with Viper," said Joel Silver, president and founder of the Imaging Science Foundation. "Its superb image quality is a revelation at this price point, as is its dazzling feature set. Planar's attention to detail here is phenomenal. Viper's full complement of installer-friendly options and tools will enable Planar dealers to create world-class home theaters that fully exploit this projector's significant technical capabilities."
A true specialty integration projector from ground up, Planar Viper's unique system design offers a multitude of custom installation-friendly features for jaw-dropping performance even in the most demanding home theater applications. Viper delivers the ultimate installation flexibility with five lens options, power zoom and focus, and horizontal and vertical lens shift. Planar's innovative intelligent lens shift technology prohibits lens shift outside the image area to eliminate shadowing or clipping the image, which is a revolutionary software function for home theater projectors. Also included are an RS-232 automation interface with discrete on/off, input selection and aspect ratio control, as well as two HDMI 1.3 with Deep Color inputs.
The Planar Viper is available for immediate shipping.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John @ Aug 21st 2008 10:33AM
15 grand for 720p?
Dave @ Aug 21st 2008 11:51AM
It appears they have somehow tapped the millionaire crackhead market.
Adam @ Aug 21st 2008 10:46AM
That's crazy expensive for 720p even IF it looks amazing. I have a 1080P Epson 1080 UB for $2,500 with native 1080P resolution and 2 HDMI 1.3 ports, so what does thing have that mine doesnt? You can buy better top end 1080P projectors for less I'm sure.
Richard @ Aug 21st 2008 11:09AM
I have two on order. One for my media room, the other to have the greatest video setup for the bathroom of all time!
No, that's a lie. I can't back that up with fact :(
kjb434 @ Aug 21st 2008 11:09AM
Three chip DLP is the highest quality projector possible. If DLP TV's used the, people wouldn't want anything else.
The three chip configuration removes the use of a color wheel. The colors are generated through a prism which requires an extremely white light. So the colors generated are from a pure source.
Also, the use of three chips reduce any pixellation from extremely fast movement. In single chip DLP's, the chip has to produce an image for each color stream very quickly so the viewers eyes merge the colors and sees an image.
nathan @ Aug 21st 2008 11:18AM
That still doesn't explain why they couldn't use the Darkchip 4 1080p chips for this projector.
Mr Ford @ Aug 21st 2008 11:56AM
1080p doesn't always equal the best picture quality. It is unfortunate that manufacturers do not educate the consumer on what constitutes a "better" product. The answer is no, you most likely cannot buy a better or comparable 1080p projector for less. Things that determine how good or realistic the image quality of a video device go way beyond resolution. You have measurements such as color accuracy, gray scale tracking, pixel density (how close the pixels are together), and video processing.
Most manufacturers pull the wool over our eyes with things like resolution, contrast (usually dynamic), and lumens. Other than resolution, these numbers are subjective and can be fudged to make the product more appealing to uneducated consumers. One manufacturer of flat panels claims 1 million:1 contrast ratio on a flat panel LCD. The actual measured native contrast of that tv in a lab was less than 1 thousand to one. If resolution was all that mattered, each manufacturer would only have 1 model, and we would all own Visio or Westinghouse.
You can buy a really good projector for $2,500. Each leap in price may only provide incremental gains. Only the person looking at the projected image can judge what their point of diminishing returns is. To say that 15k is crazy expensive is like me saying that 2.5k is really cheap. Planar bought, and now uses techniques taken from, Runco. They are arguably the best manufacturer of video display devices. If guessing is in order, I would say that 98 out of 100 people in a blind test would pick the 720p Planar projector over mass market 1080p projectors. Whether or not they feel it is worth the difference in price is up to them.
As far as buying a better 1080p projector for less, that is hard to say. High end, 3 chip, HD4 DLP projectors from Runco are in the 50K range.
Mr Ford @ Aug 21st 2008 12:00PM
*edit* the Runco VX55d runs $150k.
Vidikron (FU) @ Aug 21st 2008 3:12PM
Meh... the home theater market is chock full of overpriced snake oil.
Vidikron (FU) @ Aug 21st 2008 3:15PM
Speaking of a blind test, I'd actually like to see that done, but what's really funny is I doubt most of these companies would actually be willing to participate in any sort of blind testing. That's always a big topic of conversation when stuff like this is discussed.
givemeaticket @ Aug 21st 2008 3:59PM
Blind test? Of a projector? What would be the point? ;)
tekdemon @ Aug 21st 2008 6:16PM
Even accounting for the fact that it has a great contrast ratio and the latest DLP tech the lack of 1080P is pretty ridiculous for a projector aiming for the high end market.
It's not like there aren't high end 1080P projectors with great contrast ratios.
kevin @ Aug 21st 2008 11:10PM
I dont know what u lot are arguing about, just buy a 1080p projector for less than 3 grand and u done ,,,,3chip dlp 15grand........ya what ever..........i say 1080p is thar future in the 3grand arena.
byeeeeeeeeeee
useful linkage @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:26AM
This projector looks so cute. I don't care if it's good as long as it fits in with my living room decor. hehe.