Evans & Sutherland to Debut New 8K x 4K Pixel Laser Projector
Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation (E&S) announced it will demonstrate its revolutionary new laser projection system at the InfoComm09 tradeshow, booth 2372, June 17-19 in Orlando, Florida. This newest E&S Laser Projector (the ESLP 8K) is the world's highest resolution production video projector, and will offer research labs, control rooms, creative studios and indoor venues worldwide a
window into worlds both real and imaginary, with fidelity that exceeds the limits of the human eye.
Laser projectors with NanoPixel technology are already in use in a growing number of planetarium theaters around the world, as part of the successful E&S Digistar Laser fulldome planetarium system. With the ESLP 8K, available in the second half of 2009, E&S is delivering this technology to the general projection marketplace with newly available flat-screen and panoramic-screen form factors. The new projector is also capable of displaying 3D in the highest resolution from any single projector: 4K x 4K.
NanoPixel Technology Generates Superior Picture Quality
The ESLP 8K laser projector system displays content the equivalent to 16 times HD 1080p resolution, or the difference between 2 million pixels and 32 million. It is powered by a set of revolutionary laser light sources which offer multiple benefits, including low cost of operation. The hue of the lasers does not degrade or shift over time. Furthermore, the lasers yield a much wider useable color spectrum (200% of NTSC/HDTV) than is available in conventional LCoS, DLP, LCD, or other lamp-illuminated projectors.
E&S’ unique NanoPixel silicon imaging chip is at the core of this high-resolution machine. Its 8,192 microscopic moving ribbons provide an image free of artifacts, with no visible gaps between pixels and absolutely zero persistence (smearing) in moving images. The control of these ribbons is fine enough to yield a 36-bit/pixel (12-bit/color) usable precision in intensity.
The 550-pound projector uses three nanopixel chips (one for each color channel), each with more than 8,000 reflective elements. Using a "micro electro-mechanical system," the chips display all pixel rows in an image simultaneously, along with a horizontal scan mirror operating at 60 Hz to 120 Hz. It offers a response time (full on to full off) of less than 200 nanoseconds. E&S said the system has zero persistence (i.e., no smearing of moving images) and produces no visible boundaries between pixels. The laser projector does not use lamps; its lasers have a life expectancy of more than 30,000 hours.
There will be two configurations of the projector once it ships, one offering a brightness of 5,000 ANSI lumens and a contrast ratio of 2,500:1 and one offering a brightness of 2,000 ANSI lumens with a contrast ratio of 2,500:1. Lenses are available for flat screens, domes, and panoramic or cylindrical screens. Connectivity options include DVI, HDMI 1.3, HDSDI, and 10/100 Base-T Ethernet for control and diagnostics.
Environmentally Sensitive
Despite its capability, the ESLP 8K comes with a surprisingly small environmental footprint. Its unique solid state laser light sources require only modest, quiet cooling and allow the projector to be powered from an ordinary wall outlet, thereby using significantly less power than other lower resolution 2K and 4K projectors. Furthermore, the laser light sources do not require periodic replacement (and disposal) as is the case with conventional lamp-driven projectors.
Prices for the ESLP 8K laser projector will range from $500,000 to $750,000.
Source: Evans & Sutherland
