Although originally introduced a couple of years ago, the use of LED and Laser illumination in projectors is quickly growing among manufacturers. According to a report by Pacific Media Associates, the use of Laser and LED illumination in 500 to 4,999 lumen projectors is expected to increase in unit sales by more than 50 percent in 2012. Additionally, shipments of Laser/LED hybrid models are forecasted to grow modestly this year, and then are expected to grow by more than 40 percent each year during 2013 through 2015. Finally, Insight Media recently released the 2012 Hybrid Projector Report that predicts the sales of hybrid projectors to reach 3.7 million units by 2017, with an upside potential of 5.4 million units.

Why Hybrid?

There are many advantages these Laser/LED hybrid devices offer that make them so appealing to customers. First of all, this new lighting technology can deliver up to 20,000 hours of virtually maintenance-free operation and as a result, operating costs often associated with periodic labor and service can be reduced significantly. Unlike traditional projectors that require lamp replacement and filter cleaning, hybrid projectors provide an increased total cost of ownership because there is no lamp or filter. Because Laser and LED illumination does not create a substantial amount heat, there is no need for a fan to cool the projector. Given the lack of a fan, there is no airflow through the device and therefore no need for a filter.

Another advantage of LED and Laser illuminated projectors is that when you turn on the device it will reach full brightness instantaneously, while traditional lamp projectors require time to warm up. Also, with traditional lamp-based projectors, constantly turning them on and off reduces lamp life, but with an LED/Laser illuminated projector there are no such issues.

Introducing Panasonic’s Hybrid Projectors

Our customers are continuously looking for ways to minimize maintenance and increase the total cost of ownership for their investments. With this in mind, we recently announced hybrid projectors at InfoComm 2012. The devices replace a conventional lamp with new Laser/LED light source boosted by Panasonic’s proprietary technologies to realize long lasting high brightness of more than 3,000 lumens. The 1-Chip DLP™ PT-RZ470 Series and PT-RZ370 Series will be made available in two different resolutions, 1080p and WXGA, and will be able to support a digital signal transfer to up to 100 meters (328 feet)   via our new Digital Link technology, which is based on Valen’s HDBaseT™ technology.

The PT-RZ470 Series and PT-RZ370 Series projectors, planned to be available in Q4 of 2012, feature 2× zoom and wide lens shift capability. Additionally, the projectors can support 360-degree installation, as well as portrait mode, expanding the ways projectors can be used in a variety of environments.  By providing end users with continuous high brightness and professional grade features, including Edge Blending and Color Matching, we have enriched the projector usage experience for educational institutions and for 24/7 continuous operation applications, such as digital signage.

These new devices represent a new and important milestone in projector evolution, requiring virtually no maintenance for up to 20,000 hours. Our customers asked for projectors that require minimal maintenance and deliver a high total cost of ownership and the PT-RZ470 Series and PT-RZ370 Series’ do just that. What are some of your biggest projector pain points? 

This blog post is part two of a two part series on trends in projection. Part one, which posted a couple of weeks ago, discussed trends in HDBaseT connectivity.