When it comes to making a big statement with video, it’s hard to deny: projection is still king. Sure, LED is becoming much more attainable, but there are countless applications for which projection will always reign supreme. How else can you turn a landmarked building into a massive moving canvas? Or bring the floor of basketball arena to life for a pulse-pounding pregame show?
To drive these one-of-a-kind experiences, manufacturers have been pushing the envelope of innovation with new projector models that are brighter and more efficient than ever before. The following are some of the latest devices in the category.
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Barco UDM-4K22
The new UDM-4K22 from Barco is designed to deliver impactful experiences from a lightweight and compact form factor. With 21,000 lumens of brightness, the projector features a rugged design, 4K resolution, and wide color spectrum imagery, outperforming the Rec. 709 color space.
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The UDM enables diverse setups thanks to its configuration flexibility and wide range of available peripherals, such as a motorized frame and high-quality glass TLD+ lens series. Barco Pulse Single Step Processing technology handles warping, scaling, and 4K UHD processing in only one step, resulting in sharper images, lower latency, and less dark time. The UDM is also the first projector in the Barco range that is fully connected. The Barco Projector Management Suite Dashboard and remote log file access enables faster and more effective troubleshooting. Users can manage the brightness settings of a projector fleet and keep track of operating conditions through a secured cloud-based platform and integrated 3G connectivity.
BenQ LU9915 Large Venue Laser Projector
BenQ LU9915 BlueCore laser projector is its brightest choice for large venue applications, featuring, 10,000 ANSI-lumen brightness and 100,000:1 contrast ratio for brilliant viewing experiences even under bright ambient lighting. The BlueCore laser engine also delivers superior color performance through a dual color wheel system, support for 360° and portrait installation and up to 20,000 hours of perfect performance with 24/7 operation with dramatically improved durability for diverse application opportunities. LU9915 is compatible with a selection of eight motorized lenses, and built-in edge blending, and geometric correction make it a great fit for a wide range of installation possibilities, captivating audiences at museums, entertainment venues and large corporate spaces.
Canon REALiS WUX7000Z LCOS
The REALiS WUX7000Z LCOS Projector combines long-lasting performance, high brightness, and a wide range of interchangeable lens options and advanced features in a compact design. Featuring 7,000 lumens of brightness and native WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution, the REALiS WUX7000Z is well suited for higher education, corporate applications, advertising and marketing, houses of worship, simulation and training, museums and galleries, and more.
The laser light source provides 20,000 hours of continued projection, and a vertical 360-degree rotation allows omnidirectional projection as well as portrait orientation. The REALiS WUX7000Z offers a center lens design and is compatible with six interchangeable Genuine Canon lens options for a variety of applications. The lenses include the Ultra Short Fixed lens RS-SL06UW, which is compatible with Marginal Focus for accurate projection onto a curved surface, and features a throw ratio of 0.54:1.
Christie Griffyn 4K32-RGB
The Christie Griffyn 4K32-RGB combines Christie’s electronics, which deliver native 4K at 120Hz and the option to upgrade to 2K at 240Hz or 480Hz, and the company’s proprietary RGB laser illumination architecture with integrated cooling and a sealed optical path.
The Griffyn 4K32-RGB is Christie’s first projector to offer digital convergence, which gives users the ability to select red, green, or blue individually and adjust each color via remote control, for precise image alignment. Griffyn 4K32-RGB produces an exceptionally wide color gamut, achieving greater than 96 percent of the Rec. 2020 color space, for an immersive audience experience. Ready to illuminate any surface with 34,000 lumens while operating at less than 46dBA at full brightness, the projector is designed for demanding large venue applications.
Digital Projection M-Vision 23000
Digital Projection’s new M-Vision 23000 projector is the brightest single-chip DLP laser phosphor projector in the world, according to the company. With 23,000 lumens of brightness, a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, and direct-red assist lasers, the new M-Vision model offers bright three-chip imaging performance.
Featuring DP’s ColorBoost + Red Laser technology, this compact and lamp-free projector has been optimized to produce realistic Rec. 709-standard colorimetry at single-chip luminance levels. The M-Vision 23000 is designed to excel in venues contending with high ambient light with sharp and color-accurate imaging. Capable of displaying 4K UHD with frame rates up to 60Hz, as well as HDMI 1.4b for Side by Side, Frame Packing, and Top-Bottom 3D formats, the M-Vision 23000 is well suited for a range of large-venue applications.
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Epson Pro L30000UNL
Epson’s brightest, most technologically advanced projector to date, the Pro L30000UNL is designed to project content and captivate audiences in large venues. The 3LCD Pro L30000UNL features native WUXGA resolution with 4K Enhancement Technology to deliver high contrast, true-to-life images with 30,000 lumens of brightness.
The Pro L30000UNL offers a full suite of features to withstand the rigors of staging and live events, such as a mechanical shutter, sealed optical engine, and compatibility with Epson’s lens family. The projector also comes equipped with a built-in camera giving users access to configuration tools and making applications such as edge blending or stacking of multiple projectors easier. Powered by a virtually maintenance-free laser light source with up to 20,000 hours of operation, Epson’s Pro L30000UNL combines high-quality visuals with a range of features for high-performance use cases.
Optoma ZU720T
The Optoma ProScene ZU720T is a compact fixed-lens laser projector with 7,500 lumens of brightness and WUXGA resolution. The ZU720T features 4K and HDR10 compatibility and a variety of integrated installation features, including image blending and warping and four-corner correction to accommodate complex installations.
With its fixed, telecentric lens design, full motorized lens shift, and 1.8x manual zoom, the ZU720T offers the flexibility of interchangeable lens projectors in a compact, all-in-one solution. For a short-throw alternative, the Optoma ZU720TST offers the main features and benefits of its predecessor including high brightness with 7,000 lumens, color precision, and quiet operation, making it well suited for digital signage applications in corridors, edge blending and projection mapping, simulation, and immersive installations.
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Panasonic PT-RQ35K
Panasonic’s PT-RQ35K is designed to deliver high-quality visuals for the themed entertainment industries, offering 30,000 lumens of brightness and 4K (3840 x 2400) resolution quality in a small and lightweight form factor. The PT-RQ35K eases logistics and installation hassles with several new features and workflow improvements, including Smart Projector Control and Near Field Communication. These features make it easier to read and change basic projector setup functions without the need to turn on the projector. The Remote Preview function makes it possible for users to check the content signal remotely via multimedia control software or a web browser. The PT-RQ35K Series offers virtually 20,000-hour maintenance-free, 24/7 operation due to its filter-less design for uninterrupted projection in a range of high-performance applications.
Sharp NEC PH Series
The Sharp NEC PH Series comprises the PH3501QL (40,000 center lumens) and PH2601QL (30,000 center lumens) 4K RB laser projectors. The flagship PH series harnesses both laser phosphor and RGB laser technologies to deliver benefits in terms of cost, operational efficiency, and image quality.
The projectors combine high brightness, accurate detail, and wide colors beyond Rec. 709 space with installation flexibility to deliver an immersive visual experience. The use of a red and blue laser light source goes beyond the color and brightness output of traditional laser phosphor projection systems, providing a bright image with high uniformity. The efficient light processing system has a lower initial cost than RGB laser projectors and lower operational costs than Xenon-based projection systems by avoiding lamp and filter replacements. The PH Series is designed for fixed installations in multi-purpose sports and events halls, theaters, museums and leisure parks, as well as the most demanding mapping applications.
Sony VPL-GTZ380
Sony’s VPL-GTZ380 is a native 4K (4096 x 2160), 10,000-lumen SXRD projector. The model combines high contrast and brightness and high dynamic range with a wide color gamut to offer an immersive visual experience in nearly any lighting condition, making it well suited for a wide range of corporate, entertainment, and simulation applications. At 112 pounds, the flagship projector incorporates cutting-edge technology into a small form factor for installation flexibility, and enables quiet operation.
Featuring a newly developed 0.74-inch native 4K SXRD panel, the VPL-GTZ380 provides detailed imagery with a high 16,000:1 contrast ratio that delivers deep blacks and allows the projector to be used in both bright and dark environments. The VPL-GTZ380 achieves a wide color gamut of 100 percent DCI-P3 without any loss of brightness, and supports HDR formats including HDR 10 and HLG for more natural color reproduction.
