Paramount and Dreamworks Drop Blu-rayAugust 20, 2007  

Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks Animation announced this morning that they will henceforth support the new generation HD DVD format exclusively on a worldwide basis. These are the first two major studios to drop support of the competing Blu-ray format. Until now, most of their HD discs were being released in both HD DVD and Blu-ray, including the Mission: Impossible collection, The Untouchables, Tomb Raider, U2 Rattle and Hum, and others.

This announcement represents a significant shift in momentum in favor of HD DVD, as Paramount and Dreamworks join Universal Studios in declaring exclusive support of HD DVD. The text of the official press release follows ……

 

 

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PARAMOUNT AND DREAMWORKS ANIMATION EACH DECLARE EXCLUSIVE SUPPORT FOR HD DVD  

Movies Distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment Including Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Animation SKG, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films to be Released
Exclusively in HD DVDExclusive Program To Begin with Release of “Blades of Glory,” Followed by “Transformers” and “Shrek the Third,” Films Representing
More Than $1.5 Billion in Combined Worldwide Box Office Los Angeles, CA, August 20, 2007 – Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) and DreamWorks Animation SKG (NYSE:DWA), each announced today that they will exclusively support the next-generation HD DVD format on a worldwide basis. The exclusive HD DVD commitment will include all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, as well as movies from DreamWorks Animation, which are distributed exclusively by Paramount Home Entertainment.Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) and DreamWorks Animation SKG (NYSE:DWA), each announced today that they will exclusively support the next-generation HD DVD format on a worldwide basis. The exclusive HD DVD commitment will include all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, as well as movies from DreamWorks Animation, which are distributed exclusively by Paramount Home Entertainment.The companies each said that the decision to distribute exclusively in the HD DVD format resulted from an extensive evaluation of current market offerings, which confirmed the clear benefits of HD DVD, particularly its market-ready technology and lower manufacturing costs. Paramount Home Entertainment will launch its exclusive HD DVD program with the release of the blockbuster comedy hit “Blades of Glory” on August 28th and follow with two of the biggest grossing movies of the year “Transformers” and “Shrek the Third”. These three titles alone represent more than $1.5 billion in box office ticket sales worldwide.

Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) and DreamWorks Animation SKG (NYSE:DWA), each announced today that they will exclusively support the next-generation HD DVD format on a worldwide basis. The exclusive HD DVD commitment will include all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, as well as movies from DreamWorks Animation, which are distributed exclusively by Paramount Home Entertainment.The companies each said that the decision to distribute exclusively in the HD DVD format resulted from an extensive evaluation of current market offerings, which confirmed the clear benefits of HD DVD, particularly its market-ready technology and lower manufacturing costs. Paramount Home Entertainment will launch its exclusive HD DVD program with the release of the blockbuster comedy hit “Blades of Glory” on August 28th and follow with two of the biggest grossing movies of the year “Transformers” and “Shrek the Third”. These three titles alone represent more than $1.5 billion in box office ticket sales worldwide.”The combination of Paramount and DreamWorks Animation brings a critical mass of current box office hits to consumers with a line-up of live action and animated films that are perfect for HD DVD,” stated Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, which is currently the leading studio in domestic box office. “Part of our vision is to aggressively extend our movies beyond the theater, and deliver the quality and features that appeal to our audience. I believe HD DVD is not only the affordable high quality choice for consumers, but also the smart choice for Paramount.”

“We decided to release “Shrek the Third” and other DreamWorks Animation titles exclusively on HD DVD because we believe it is the best format to bring high quality home entertainment to a key segment of our audience – families,” stated DreamWorks Animation CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg. “We believe the combination of this year’s low- priced HD DVD players and the commitment to release a significant number of hit titles in the fall makes HD DVD the best way to view movies at home.”

With the rapid increase of HD TV screens in households, and audiences wanting to enjoy the total entertainment experience, HD DVD has emerged as the most affordable way for consumers to watch their movies in high definition. In addition to pristine quality, HD DVD also offers consumers the chance to personalize the movie-watching experience, to interact with their movies and even to connect with a community of other fans.

Paramount Home Entertainment will issue new releases day and date as well as catalog titles exclusively on HD DVD. Today’s announcement does not include films directed by Steven Spielberg as his films are not exclusive to either format.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company’s labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films, Nickelodeon Movies and DreamWorks Studios. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studios and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About DreamWorks Animation SKG

DreamWorks Animation is principally devoted to developing and producing computer generated, or CG, animated feature films. With world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced management team and advanced CG filmmaking technology and techniques, DreamWorks Animation makes high quality CG animated films meant for a broad movie-going audience. The Company has theatrically released a total of fourteen animated feature films, including Antz, Shrek, Shrek 2, Shark Tale, Madagascar, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Over the Hedge, Flushed Away, and Shrek the Third. DreamWorks Animation’s newest release, Bee Movie, opens in theaters November 2, 2007.

Optoma Europe Ltd., (July 09 2007) – the ThemeScene® HD80, a FULL HD 1080p, DLP® projector is launched this week. This stylish Home Cinema projector is packed with leading edge technology that faithfully reproduces a cinematographer’s large screen vision in a home environment.

The ThemeScene® HD80 home cinema projector delivers the kind of picture quality associated with the best digital cinema performance around the world. With a digital HDMI or DVI signal a true digital projection system producing a spectacular High Definition cinematic experience is created in the home. Thanks to a masterly collaboration of Full HD 1080p, DLP® technology from Texas Instrument and ThemeScene® colour and optical technology, the HD80 produces a stunning 10,000:1 contrast ratio for unrivalled light and shade detail with exceptional deep, balanced colour. This combination ensures natural, real looking images with crystal clarity. The ThemeScene® HD80 gives more than twice as much detail as a 720p projector.

 

Commanding over two million individual pixels, luminance and vibrant colours blend fluidly with the ThemeScene® HD80. At the heart of the projector is the latest 1080p DLP® technology. A pure 10-bit signal path and processing architecture combine with an advanced colour wheel featuring NDG (Neutral Density Green) technology. NDG increases the visual colour resolution, creating a higher quality image that dramatically reduces low-level dithering artefacts. The result is totally pure images with unprecedented detail and astonishing life-size visuals that draw audiences into the screen and beyond.

 

Capable of operating in brighter environments than most Home Cinema projectors, 1300 video-optimised lumens surrender stunningly brilliant, professional cinema-standard brightness on a screen of up to 3.5m wide (108″ diagonal)*.

 

ThemeScene® HD80 is effortless to install and easy to use. Advanced image optimisation, extensive connectivity and powerful under-the-hood processing combine with a simple

 

intuitive menu system to ensure that obtaining the best possible image quality is straight forward. Transforming living spaces with images comparable to film screening rooms, the ThemeScene® HD80 is a stylish home cinema projector with state-of-the-art projection technology.

* Calculated with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers recommendations of a minimum image brightness of 16 Foot Lamberts. Data used: 1300 Lumens flat white field, 16:9 screen with a gain of 1.0

 

The ThemeScene® HD80 from Optoma is available now with a suggested MSRP of £1995 inc. VAT

 

Specifications:

Full HD Ready Native 1080P, HDMI & DVI inputs

Display Technology Texas Instrument DLP®

Contrast 10,000:1

Audible Noise 27dB Standard mode, 29dB Bright mode

Brightness 1300 Video Optimised Lumens

 

Connections:

Signal Type Options Input Connector

HDMI (V1.3 Deepcolor) 3 2 x HDMI, 1 x DVI-I with optional adaptor

Component (I\P) 2 1 x RCA, 1 x DVI-I with optional adaptor

SCART RGB 1 DVI-I via supplied adaptor

S-Video (Y/C) 1 3 Pin Mini DIN

Composite Video (CVBS) 1 RCA

DVI-D Computer 1 DVI-I

RGB Computer 1 DVI-I

RS-232 1 9 Pin D-Sub connector

Screen trigger 1

Video Compatibility PAL, SECAM (576i/p), NTSC (480i/p), HDTV (1080p, 1080i, 720p)

 

Display:

Aspect Ratio Widescreen 16:9 with support for and 4:3

Colour Wheel 6 x speed, 7 Segment (RGBGNDRGB)

ANSI Contrast Ratio 518:1

Throw Ratio 1.85-2.22 (Projection Distance/Image Width) 1.2x Manual Zoom

Projection Distance 1.5m – 12.5m

Image Size 0.76 - 7.62m (30.5-300″), 16:9 Diagonal

Keystone Correction Vertical 5%

Projection Types Front, Ceiling, Rear, Rear ceiling

Lamp Type 300 watt

Lamp Life Standard mode 3000 hours*

 

General

Dimensions 411×311x116 (WxDxH)

Weight 4.5kg

Power Consumption 395W W Max, <14W standby

Operating Temperature 5-35°C Max, 80% Humidity

Warranty (Warranty may vary by country): 3 Year HotSwap

Lamp Warranty: 6 months or 1000 hours whichever is the sooner

 

Menu Languages: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Finnish, Danish, Greek

 

Supplied accessories: AC power cord, Component video cable, RS232 cable, SCART adapter, VGA to DVI adaptor for SCART input, VGA cable for SCART input, Remote control, Batteries for remote, Lens cap, User’s guide

 

Optional accessories Ceiling Mount Kit, HDMI to DVI adaptor

EAN Number 5060059041923

The New Sapphire Luxury Parklane electric screen looks set to fullfill a large gap in the market for both stand alone and hidden Electrical Rising screens.

Standing alone, the SEFL177-WSF is amazing with how gentle and smooth it rises gracefully from the case.
Hidden in the right cabinet or floor cavity, the new Sapphire electric floor screen adds that WoW factor to the whole cinema experience.
Sapphire’s new electric Luxury Parklane floor Screen
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Sizes: 1770mm x 995mm (5.81 x 3.27 feet) and 155cm x 87cm (5.09 x 2.86 feet).
Surface: Micro Beaded White
Gain: 1.2
Warranty: 2 Year RTB

Features a Quality tubular motor with 2 year peace of mind warranty and American Micro-Beaded White surface with good resilience to ripples or creases.
comes with an Infra Red remote control with additional extension of receiver eye.

Add Stopping Power to your Marketing & Advertising!
Projecta Digital Signage projection film

You need to attract attention if you want to get noticed. The location which brings you face to face with your target group provides the best chance of being noticed.

In this respect, public spaces, such as shops, restaurants, showrooms, museums or waiting rooms provide unique opportunities for successful marketing communication.

For a message guaranteed to attract attention, Projecta introduces a revolutionary new concept: Digital Signage window film. The Twin and Flex series of projection films allows you to create your own conditions for getting attention and recognition:
bright, high-contrast images in exactly the right environment for making the most of your message, on a projection screen unique in appearance and in its application possibilities. Take advantage of the maximum freedom offered for the design of your screen and make your future presentations real eye-catchers.

Eye-catching
Projecta Window Films reproduce extremely sharp, high contrast projected images, even in places with high levels of ambient light. This makes them particularly suitable for use in public spaces.

Wide-ranging applications
The films are very easy to mount on any smooth glass or acrylic surface. The result is a paper-thin projection screen which can be positioned practically anywhere. Whether the screen hangs from the ceiling or on a shop window, you can determine for yourself which position will have the greatest impact.

Unique shape
Extra communicative value is added by the infi nite possibilities in design, as both Twin Window Film and Flex Window Film can be cut into any shape, including the shape of a company logo, for example. The size of the screen is unimportant as the films can be joined together seamlessly to form the surface area desired.

Maximum freedom
Digital Signage window fi lms offer solutions for the mounting of both permanent and fl exible screens. This means that your impressive presentation can travel with you and can be set up again quickly on location.

Product specifi cations
Twin Digital Signage window film

• Excellent image reproduction
• Suitable for front and rear projection
• Suitable for use on any smooth glass or acrylic surface
• Easy to mount
• Can be cut into any conceivable shape

Flex Digital Signage window film
• Excellent image reproduction
• Available in two versions: White and High Contrast. Flex film
White is suitable for front and rear projection. Flex film High Contrast is suitable for rear projection only
• Suitable for use on any smooth glass or acrylic surface
• Multi-use; can be mounted and removed repeatedly, making it suitable for portable applications

Projecta Window Films reproduce extremely sharp, high-contrast projected images, even in places with high levels of ambient light. This makes them particularly suitable for use in public spaces.

A Key Decision:
What is the best screen format?
Evan Powell, April 25, 2007
ProjectorCentral.com

These days conventional wisdom says that a new home theater should have a 16:9 projector and a 16:9 screen. For most people, that is absolutely right. Almost all of the latest plasma and LCD flatscreen TVs are in the 16:9 format, and most front projection home theaters are as well. But just because 16:9 has become the de facto standard, it doesn’t mean it is right for you. You’ve got two good alternatives worth considering—going with a very large screen 4:3, or a super widescreen 2.35:1. Which of these formats is best for you? It all depends on the trade-offs you want to make, and how you want to manage your home theater experience. The purpose of this article is to describe your options and help you decide which way to go.

If you are new to the concept, when we talk about 16:9 or 4:3 or 2.35:1 formats, we’re talking about the rectangular shape of the video image, or what is called its aspect ratio. The standard TV that’s been around since the mid-50s has an aspect ratio of 4:3. That means the picture is 4 units wide for every three units of height. Meanwhile, the new HDTV standard is 16:9, which is 16 units of width for every 9 units of height. So HDTV’s 16:9 is a rectangle that is, relatively speaking, horizontally wider than older TVs, which by comparison look almost square.

Here’s the problem: any given TV or projector comes in its own native format–typically either 4:3 or 16:9. On the other hand, movies and video come in many different aspect ratio formats. TV programs and videos intended for regular TV are done in 4:3 format, often denoted “1.33″ since 4 divided by 3 = 1.33. On the other hand, programs made for HDTV are in 16:9 format, which is 1.78 (16 divided by 9 = 1.78). However, these are not the only two formats that video material comes in. Movies, music videos, and other content on DVD comes in a variety of formats including 1.33, 1.78, 1.85, 2.00, 2.35, 2.4, 2.5, and so on. So not matter what screen type you get, whether 4:3 or 16:9 or 2.35, it will NOT fit all the video material you will want to watch in its native frame. Since there is no perfect solution, what is the right way to set up your system?

The simple answer is this. Most people are opting for a 16:9 screen since it is a good compromise that fits a lot of movie formats without too much letterboxing or pillar boxing, not to mention it fits all HDTV programming perfectly. But you might want to go with 4:3 or 2.35:1. Each of these formats has some advantages, and each has limitations for which you must compromise. One is not inherently better than the others—they are just different. So let’s take a look at the advantages of each.

Option 1: The 16:9 screen
If HDTV programming is your primary viewing material your decision is simple. A 16:9 projector on a 16:9 screen is clearly the best combination for optimizing HDTV viewing. The new HDTV programming is all in 16:9, so the image fits the 16:9 screen perfectly, and all is well.

Displaying 2.35 Movies on a 16:9 Screen

Keep in mind that when it comes to DVD movies there is a formatting issue to consider. Many movies are wider than 16:9. For example, Seabiscuit, The Lord of the Rings, Dances with Wolves, Tombstone, The Fifth Element, U-571, American Beauty, and Star Wars/Phantom Menace (to name a few) are all 2.35:1, not 1.78:1. When you display these movies on a 16:9 screen you will have black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, each bar amounting to about 12% of the picture height. The bars are not as large as they would be on a 4:3 screen, but they are there nevertheless.

How visible the bars are depends on the black level the projector is capable of, and what type of screen material you are using. Standard white screens will usually make the bars a bit more visible. High contrast gray screens will make them darker. The good news is that with these screen materials and the higher contrast projectors that are available these days, the presence of black bars is much less of a visible distraction than it used to be.

Nevertheless, if you are a perfectionist and money is no object, you may want to consider electric masking to close the frame horizontally when “wider than 16:9″ movies are displayed. This is simply an option you order with your screen that features black fabric panels that can be opened or closed along the top and bottom edge of the screen to change the exposed area of the screen’s surface. They are used to create a solid black frame around the image no matter what aspect ratio the film is. You will find that the overall quality of the video presentation is improved by placing a black frame around it.

Electonic masking is the ideal solution, and if cost were no issue we’d always recommend it. But with the new high contrast screens and high contrast projectors, black bars are very black and thus not all that noticeable. Most consumers won’t want to pay the significant additional cost for electric masking just to eliminate them.

Displaying 4:3 material on a 16:9 Screen

All 16:9 format projectors will display a 4:3 image. However, one limitation of a 16:9 projector (or any 16:9 flat panel TV) is that, one way or another, 4:3 material tends to be compromised in the way it is displayed. This may or may not be an issue for you, but you need to be clear on your options since there is a LOT of 4:3 video/film material in the world. Standard television of course is 4:3. But so are almost all classic movies made prior to 1953. (Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, Mutiny on the Bounty, Citizen Kane, Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Fantasia, etc.). A lot of special interest material such as Ken Burns’ superb documentaries on the Civil War and the life of Mark Twain are in 4:3. And all of the historic television series being released on DVD, from I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show to Northern Exposure and Friends are all in their original 4:3 format. So how will you display all of this material in your home theater?

With a 16:9 projector, one option is to display 4:3 material in its correct aspect ratio using the middle two-thirds of the screen. When you do this you will have black columns on each side of the image that fill the space between the image and the sides of your screen. This is known as pillarboxing.

Another option, not so appealing, is to use the “expand” feature on the projector which stretches the 4:3 image horizontally so it fills the 16:9 frame. In this mode people will appear fatter. Cars look like low-riders on oval shaped tires. Yes, it fills the 16:9 screen, but the romantic essence of Casablanca, a 4:3 film, is somewhat compromised when you make Bogart and Bergman look like they’ve spent the war years gorging on French cheese and pate. To anyone serious about seeing a classic film the way the director created it, this tasteless distortion of the 4:3 image (a “featured option” on many 16:9 video display devices) will be unacceptable.

A third option widely available on 16:9 projectors and TVs, is to “zoom” the 4:3 image instead of stretching it. This basically cuts off the top and bottom of the image and displays the middle section of the image in full frame 16:9. So with facial close-ups for example, you lose the top of the head and chin of the subject, retaining just the eyes, nose, and mouth. In general you are often aware that vital portions of the image are lost. Your owner’s manual will call it “zoom”, but it should be called the “4:3 butchering option.” It should not be used if you have any desire to see something like Citizen Kane in the way it was originally intended to be seen.

Many 16:9 projectors and TVs have yet another alternative for 4:3 material that fills the 16:9 frame with the least amount of distortion. They will retain the original aspect ratio of the center portion of a 4:3 picture while stretching the side portions out to fit the 16:9 frame. This is probably the least offensive way to get the framed filled. It is certainly a workable solution for regular cable or broadcast television since the edges of the image don’t usually contain vital subject matter. Therefore distorting the outside edges is a reasonable compromise. However, for the viewing of artistic classic films, centering the image in the 16:9 frame with pillars on each side is the only way to view the material as it was created by the director.

The bottom line is this. A 16:9 format screen is perfect for broadcast HDTV. It leaves you with small top and bottom black bars on movies that are wider than 16:9, and it requires you to make some compromises with 4:3 material. For most home theater enthusiasts, the visual impact of 16:9 widescreen outweighs issues related to 4:3 display. Nevertheless, if you are concerned about having the most dramatic 4:3 display and you don’t want to compromise it in any of the ways noted above, you might choose to go with a 4:3 format screen instead.

Option 2: The 4:3 screen

At first the idea of choosing a 4:3 projector with a 4:3 screen sounds a bit old-fashion. After all, the contemporary world is 16:9, right? Why would anyone go this route? Well, the primary reason is to maximize the size of the screen for the viewing of classic 4:3 films. I have a 150″ diagonal 4:3 Stewart Studiotek 130 specifically for this purpose. The impact of the large scale image is quite dramatic compared to seeing it centered in smaller format in the middle of a 16:9 screen.

Prior to 1953, most commercial movies theater screens were 4:3. In fact, television adopted the 4:3 aspect ratio in order to match the standard film format at the time. Hollywood switched to producing mostly widescreen format films beginning in 1953 as a competitive response to the introduction of television. So for those who want to experience old classic films in the way they were actually viewed in a commercial movie theater, a large 4:3 screen is the ideal solution. (Remember the movie The Sting from 1973? That was filmed in 4:3 because the director wanted it to look like an old classic film.)

The key advantage to a 4:3 screen is that it often allows you to project the largest possible image no matter what type of material you are viewing. The reason is that most viewing rooms in the average home will place practical limits on screen width before the ceiling limits the screen height. The dimensions of the room might limit you to, say, an 8-foot wide screen. But for any 8-foot wide screen, you will usually have the option to make that screen 3.4 feet tall (for a 2.35:1 aspect ratio), 4.5 feet tall (for a 16:9 aspect ratio), or 6 feet tall (4:3 aspect ratio). The 4:3 format gives you more square footage of total screen area for any given screen width. This is important if you want to watch material like classic films in large format. It is not important if your only 4:3 subject matter is standard broadcast television.

Projectors for 4:3 screens

If you want to set up your theater for large scale 4:3 display, you will need either a native 4:3 projector or a 16:9 projector with a powered zoom lens of at least 1.3x zoom range. I currently use the Canon SX60 with the 4:3 screen. This is a 4:3, 1400×1050 resolution projector with plenty of light to fill the big 10-foot wide screen. With this set up, subject matter that is either 16:9 or 2.35:1 is also displayed in 10-foot wide scale, and there are black bars above and below the image. On this projector, 16:9 material is displayed in a 1400×787 pixel matrix—higher physical resolution than a 720p projector, but not as high as a 1080p projector will deliver.

If you want to go to the ultimate 1080p resolution, then you can select any one of several of the new 1080p models available that have powered zoom lenses of at least 1.3 zoom range. Using one of these projectors, you can zoom the lens to a relatively wide angle setting such that a native 4:3 image fills the 4:3 screen. When switching to 16:9 or 2.35 subject matter, you zoom the lens forward until the image fills the screen from side to side.

The advantages of using a 1080p projector in this manner are (a) you get the highest possible resolution for all types of viewing material, and (b) all of the latest 1080p projectors have better contrast and black level than the SXGA models in the same price range.

Option 3: The 2.35 ‘Constant Image Height’ Screen

Most contemporary films are done in formats wider than 16:9, and quite a few of them are made in 2.35:1. Accordingly, some home theater enthusiasts are opting for a 2.35 format screen. In this type of set up, all 2.35 films are shown in full-frame super widescreen with no black bars. Meanwhile 16:9 and 4:3 subject matter is displayed in pillarboxed fashion in the center of the 2.35 screen.

On a 16:9 screen, the image width and height can both vary based on the aspect ratio of the material being displayed. On a 4:3 screen, all material is displayed at a constant width, and only the image height varies based on aspect ratio. Conversely, when using a 2.35 screen, it is the image height which remains a constant, and the image width varies with the aspect ratio. Hence you will sometimes see the 2.35 concept designated CIH or CH, referring to the constant image height.

Subject matter of different aspect ratios can be managed on a 2.35 screen either by using a projector with a powered zoom lens as described above, or by using an auxiliary anamorphic lens. We have discussed the advantages, limitations, and practical considerations of the 2.35 CIH option in a separate article. For further exploration of the 2.35 option, click here.

Conclusion As you can see, there are several ways to set up a home theater. Most people choose 16:9 due to its versatility, but the 4:3 and 2.35 options appeal to many folks for a lot of reasons. There is no right way to do it–there is just the right way for you, based on your own viewing preferences. However, giving serious thought in advance as to how you want to display 2.35 movies, 16:9 HDTV programming, and old movies and other 4:3 material, will pay off handsomely in the enjoyment of your theater in the long run.

 

Original, Branded Compatible, and Compatible Lamps

We sell original and APO branded compatible replacement lamps. There are three distinct product categories in the market: Original Lamps, Branded Compatible Lamps and Compatible Lamps.

Original Lamps
These are products produced by the original manufacturer of the projector. They are made to a high standard. We sell original lamps for all major projector manufacturers.

Branded Compatible Lamps
APO is an example of a branded compatible lamp. They are similar to Kingston memory for your PC or ScanDisk memory cards for your digital camera – they are a branded, high quality compatible product you should be able to trust will work flawlessly in your machine. Often slightly cheaper than an original product, however the high quality levels are still maintained.

For example, all APO lamps go through strict quality checks and all the bulbs used are of the highest quality (even some well-known projector manufacturers use these bulbs in their products). The quality checks include: Beam Performance, Ignition, Voltage, Appearance, Connections, and Runtime. All lamps are manufactured to ISO9001 standards. Each APO lamp is bespoke designed to ensure great performance levels and not to infringe on any copyrights.

APO also offers two great warranties on their products:

• A 90 day warranty against lamp failure
• A “Peace of Mind Warranty” that means if an APO lamp proves to damage your projector your customer will receive a brand new projector of equal performance (Terms and Conditions Apply).

Compatible Lamps
Compatible lamps are often supplied in brown boxes with no branding or manufacturer markings. This un-branding can often mean a non-regulated company has produced the goods. Do not expect to see warranties, nor can the quality of the products be guaranteed. Often the products are not manufactured to high standards (such as ISO9001). High risks can be associated with these products (Please see below for a full explanation of risks). We do not endorse the sale of these products.

Our business is a strong supporter of both original and APO branded compatible lamps. We believe our customers should be offered the choice of original and branded compatible lamps.

The risks of compatible lamps that are not verified include:

Health and Safety: Projector lamps are made by a highly complex design and manufacturing process. This process uses hazardous chemicals within the glass which are under immense pressure and can generate substantial amounts of heat. Poorly manufactured projector lamps could pose a safety risk to our customers.

Performance: The quality of a projector lamp directly influences a projector’s ability to accurately replicate colours, brightness and contrast levels. It is important that any projector lamp used is designed specifically for that projector to ensure the highest image quality.

Legality: Some compatible lamp manufacturers will flaunt intellectual property rights of the original manufacturer which is illegal. Making a custom compatible product however is not illegal – examples include printer ink, memory cards, etc.

Warranty: Currently, as soon as a 3rd party lamp is used in a projector that projector’s warranty becomes invalid. Projector manufacturers are only prepared to cover official lamps in their machines.

Identifying a fake/non-verified lamp:

It is not easy to identify an original lamp from a branded lamp or compatible version. APO tries to make it easy to identify their products from non-verified products. For example, APO ensures its products have the logo clearly marked on the boxes and all sales are serial number tracked.

Below are easy ways to identify non-verified compatible lamps:

Price: If the price of a projector lamp looks just too good to be true it probably is! Ask if the lamp is an original and check its warranty.

Module/Housing or Bulb?: Pretty much every original lamp on the market and all APO branded compatible lamps come supplied as a complete module. This means you can slot the lamp into the projector in seconds. If you buy a bulb that needs to be fitted into an old projector lamp housing then you must be prepared to spend time with a screwdriver to swap the lamps over. This can take considerable time and does not ensure the final product is up to the correct quality standard. Please note that Sharp do provide both lamp modules and bulb-only versions on some of their projector lines.

Description: Any product that says, “Compatible with” or that has a generic description such as “120 watt” could mean the product is not an original.

ThemeScene® HD73.
Featuring DarkChip3™, Faroudja DCDi™ and BrilliantColor™ Technologies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PR00061

LAS VEGAS (January 8, 2007) – Optoma introduces the HD73, a high definition, high performance digital projector for extreme Home Cinema enthusiasts. The ThemeScene® HD73 features Texas Instruments’ latest DarkChip3™ High Definition720p DLP® chipset, Faroudja DCDi™ image processing, a 6-segment colour wheel and 10-bit per channel colour processing packaged in a sleek, elegant design that adds a subtle sophistication to any room.The proprietary ThemeScene

® 6 segment colour wheel with BrilliantColour™ and  TrueVivid™ colour enhancement technologies simultaneously enables higher brightness and astonishing deep blacks with vivid, perfectly saturated colour.

The HD73 delivers an illuminating 1100 Lumens; whilst DarkChip3™ and Image AI™ Technology produce a staggering 6000:1 contrast ratio…the results are powerful, stunningly realistic natural images.

The HD73 features BrilliantColour™ processing technology to deliver perfectly balanced, vibrant colours. With 10-bit per channel colour processing, a 6 segment colour wheel and a 6000:1 contrast ratio, the ThemeScene® HD73 DLP® Home Cinema projector delivers outstanding colour saturation and subtle colour details for superb image quality.Critically acclaimed Faroudja DCDi™ processing provides superlative de-interlacing and image optimisation to ensure that any image source delivers exceptional performance and superb images.

A patented wind tunnel cooling system lowers noise levels to near silent (27dB) operation, so you hear the soundtrack, undisturbed, just as the director intended.

The extensive connectivity of the HD73 enables simultaneous connection of 2 ultimate quality digital High Definition devices through the HDMI and DVI connectors whilst keeping the Component Progressive and Interlaced inputs free for high quality analogue sources. The HD73 also features a SCART RGB input for direct high quality connection to Digital TV boxes or games consoles.

Features include:

􀂃 HD Ready 720p

􀂃 Latest generation Texas Instruments DarkChip3™ DLP® technology

􀂃 6000:1 contrast ratio for a film-like Cinema effect and greater depth of field.

􀂃 Super-bright 1100 Lumens.

􀂃 Proprietary 5 speed, 6 segment colour wheel technology

􀂃 Revolutionary Shield Design casing for reduced light leakage and whisper quiet, 27dB performance.

􀂃 HDMI and DVI connectors for ultimate quality

􀂃 SCART RGB, Component Progressive, Component Interlaced, S-Video, Composite.

Digital and analogue PC input via DVI-I input

􀂃 1280 x 768 (WXGA) active pixels, supporting Native 720p (1280 x 720)

The ThemeScene® HD73 will be available priced at MSRP £1499, inc. VAT