Spotlight: Front Projectors
Seven leading vendors in the category talk about market
conditions and their unique contributions to the product mix
November 2006
Among all of the front projection vendors, why should dealers look to you as a supplier?
Since 1986, Runco has been a leader in the large-screen projection industry through its commitment to R&D toward cultivating the latest refinements in video display technology. Runco has consistently engineered projection systems that rival and, in many cases, exceed the picture quality of commercial movie theaters. Runco strives to be the strongest business partner to its dealers, not just by developing new products, but by providing best-in-class service, training and support.
What’s your hot new product?
Runco’s new Video Xtreme line of three-chip 1080p DLP projectors [are] the first 1080p HD display products to achieve THX certification. Runco has also added two new state-of-the-art 1080p single-chip projectors to our Video Xtreme line. Each is available with Runco’s exclusive CineWide and CineWide with AutoScope technology, [which] can transform a superb home theater system into a true home cinema experience, reproducing 2.35:1 CinemaScope movies with unparalleled accuracy and full vertical screen image height, eliminating useless black bars.
Optoma Technology
Jon Grodem, Senior Product Manager,
Front Projection Team
www.optomausa.com
What’s the biggest challenge facing the front projection market right now?
Right now, the biggest challenge would be the convergence of multiple technologies. Manufacturers need to find the “sweet spot” of technology—whether it’s Blu-ray/HD DVD, other HD sources, new lamps or other types of [technological] improvements. Another challenge is consumer/end user education. Front projectors can be used for more than just office use or home theater. [They] hold a number of uses or crossover applications. The consumer needs to know about the versatility of a projector.
Among all of the front projection vendors, why should dealers look to you as a supplier?
Optoma is a leading manufacturer of DLP-based projection displays. We have a complete line of front projectors for both multimedia/data and home theater. Optoma has the manufacturing and technology leadership in the industry to offer customers and end users the best in front projection products. From value products [such as] our SVGA data projectors to CEDIA-channel-level products such as the HD81 1080p home theater projection system, Optoma pretty much has the projector you need.
What’s your hot new product?
The HD70 [is] a breakthrough 720p home theater projector—all the technology a consumer could ask for at a $999 street price. The HD81, Optoma’s 1080p home theater two-piece projection system, has garnered unbelievable reviews and customer feedback.
Vidikron
Jim McGall, Vice President, Sales and Marketing
www.vidikron.com
What’s the biggest challenge facing the front projection market right now?
The awareness factor is still quite relevant to front two-piece projection systems. Very few people (when considering the mass consumer market and thus its immense potential) have ever experienced a truly amazing, jaw-dropping, reference-level home cinema. We in the home cinema business have a lot of education work still to do. Second, as an industry, we need to focus on greater product simplicity for the dealer, the job site installer and our end users alike.
Among all of the front projection vendors, why should dealers look to you as a supplier?
Vidikron, as a proud member of the Runco International family, simply “gets it right” across every aspect of the high-performance home theater business. Vidikron designs, builds and services some of the best home theater imaging solutions in the business, covering more price points and offering truly breakthrough solutions such as our CineWide technology for uncompromised 2.35:1 aspect ratio film viewing. Second, Vidikron enforces a limited-distribution motto; [our] valued dealers sell our products profitably, day in and day out, with certain “exclusivity.” What’s most important is that we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our dealers in the unlikely event that things go wrong.
What’s your hot new product?
At CEDIA, Vidikron announced five new 1080p single-chip and three-chip front projection solutions, starting at just over $10,000. I predict each of these in their respective price-performance range will become our “best sellers” in the months to come. However, without question, the greatest advancement has to be [our] CineWide and CineWide with AutoScope technology solutions, now available on nine different [models].
Epson America
Aaron Marinari, Senior Product Manager,
Home Theater Products
www.epson.com
What’s the biggest challenge facing the front projection market right now?
The biggest challenge facing the front projection market right now is making the various channels aware of the tremendous growth opportunity that the home theater market represents. This is a big category with great growth forecast in all of the product segments.
Among all of the front projection vendors, why should dealers look to you as a supplier?
Epson is the leader in front projectors. We are number-one in market share in the United States and worldwide. Epson is clearly a proven brand and offers products in all categories—from affordable (Epson MovieMate) to very high-end home theater solutions (Epson Pro Cinema 810).
What’s your hot new product?
The Epson MovieMate. For less than $1,000, it comes with everything viewers need to create an instant home theater: a projector with superior 3LCD picture quality; an integrated JVC DVD/CD player that reads multiple video, audio and photo formats; sound by JVC, with built-in stereo speakers; and illuminated remote control. Just plug in a power cord to easily enjoy widescreen movies, video games, sports, photos and music CDs anytime, and in virtually any location.
Sim2 USA
Greg Nicoloso, Marketing Manager
www.sim2usa.com
What’s the biggest challenge facing the front projection market right now?
The same as in any other industry: being first-to-market, delivering reliable product and having the product perform up to or beyond consumers’ expectations. If a manufacturer is able to master these three important points, the result is a winning product. Sim2 has consistently delivered to market front projectors with a technological edge, category-leading performance, solid reliability and better timing than our competitors. This is the basis for our brand reputation.
Among all of the front projection vendors, why should dealers look to you as a supplier?
For the same reasons dealerships serving enthusiasts look to Ferrari: high performance, design and exclusivity. Sim2 is known for its unique technological solutions and advanced R&D capabilities; bundled with the best industrial design in this market, the result is a certain Ferrari-like appeal. [Also,] our technical expertise and support, combined with our product reliability, is second to none, which gives confidence to installers who use Sim2 projectors, even in the most diverse environments.
What’s your hot new product?
The HT5000, the first three-chip 1080p DLP front projector to be delivered to the market. It combines the full resolution and clarity of 1080p with the remarkable color reproduction, contrast and brightness of a three-chip configuration. It employs high-quality Sim2 optics and a 300-watt lamp for a bright, cinematic image.
JVC Professional
Carl Mandelbaum, National Marketing Manager,
Display Products
www.jvc.com/pro
What’s the biggest challenge facing the front projection market right now?
Handling the tremendous growth in the high-end home theater projection marketplace. We are faced with an exciting challenge as we continue to strive to develop the market, and increase awareness and demand for front projection products in this exciting, growing market segment.
Among all of the front projection vendors, why should dealers look to you as a supplier?
JVC is a leader in the projection market with our original core D-ILA technology, considered to be the most accurate projection devices available. The JVC Professional projectors offer three-chip D-ILA technology and native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. [We offer] the finest technology products, total customer satisfaction, high-end styling with uncompromised image quality, dedicated dealer training, a limited-distribution business model and award-winning original three-chip D-ILA technology.
What’s your hot new product?
The new JVC Professional D-ILA projector is a breakthrough high-definition home cinema projector. This reference-quality video projection system produces outstanding “film-like” image quality and is targeted for the finest home theater installations. The JVC Professional compact three-chip D-ILA system offers native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 and a contrast ratio of 10,000:1. The JVC Professional projector delivers rich natural colors, producing a total cinematic experience for your customer.
Page 1 | 2
