Home cinema buffs will be pleased to know that NEC is set to launch a new range of high-definition (HD) plasma screens. Announced today, the 42in. (42XM2, £3,995), 50in. (50XM3, £5,995) and 61in. (61XM2, £13,995) PlasmaSync models are all designed primarily for watching DVD-Movies, video games, public display areas and boardrooms. All three offer a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. The 42XM2 offers a maximum resolution of 1,024x768 pixels, the 50XM3 offers 1,365x768 pixels and the 61XM2 up to 1,365x768 pixels.

Available in an ever-popular silver finish, the slim screens feature a new design. For example, the largest model in the range, the 61in. version, weighs 61kg and has a depth of 119mm. NEC claims its patented Gamma-12 technology helps to deliver sharper, clearer and brighter colours than previous models by allowing the screen's to display 4,096 shades of grey. This should result in much smoother images, even in dark areas, clearer reproduction and reduced distortion, according the NEC.

Colour reproduction is enhanced by NEC's AccuCrimson technology, which suppresses orange tones to reproduce a 'pure' red colour, and Capsulated Colour Filter (CCF), which allows the accurate reproduction of colour to ensure deeper blacks, brighter whites and more vivid colours, claims NEC.

NEC believes plasma technology is the best choice in the home cinema space, offering the combination of image quality and sheer size that other technologies simply cannot match. We're less convinced and believe that the most cost-effective way to enjoy digital TV, DVD-Movies and gaming consoles on a big screen is to purchase a Digital Light Processing (DLP) projector because they're more affordable and have a greater life span. The cost of a 42in. or larger plasma screen is prohibitively expensive (prices start from around £2,500) compared to a DLP projector (from around £1,000), which can also project a much larger image size than 42in.

On a separate note, LG Electronics has unveiled the largest prototype PDP (Plasma Display Panel) yet. The 76in. (diagonal width) panel is 5in. larger than the company's recently-announced 71in. panel, and a full 6in. larger than rivals Samsung Electronics' biggest offering. The screen has a maximum resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels and should begin production next year. LG Electronics plans to capture a 25 per cent share of the world market and become the world's largest manufacturer of PDPs in terms of market share by 2005, according to a company statement.

Links:
NEC PlasmaSync 42XM2 Web site
NEC PlasmaSync 50XM3 Web site
NEC PlasmaSync 61XM2 Web site

BIOS, Oct 21, 03 | Print | Send | Comments (0) | Posted In Monitor