THIS WEEK'S NEWS
* PROJECTAVISION ROLLOUT, WIZ ON HOLD
504 Words
3585 Characters
03/31/97
Consumer Electronics
Warren Publishing, Inc.
(Copyright 1997 by Warren Publishing, Inc.)
Shipments of Digital Light Processing (DLP) projectors to
* N.Y.'s Wiz have been delayed by Projectavision as it starts
delivering product this week to Bjorn's Audio/Video, San Antonio,
and Harvey Electronics, N.Y. Bjorn's and Harvey were expected to
receive handful of projectors that were due to roll off C-MAC
assembly lines this week with $8,000 retail price tag. Harvey will
start advertising product April 11, said Pres. Franklin Karp, whose
* chain is expected to receive 8 units at start. Projectavision Pres.
Martin Holleran said he will meet with Wiz executives this week to
discuss distribution plans. "We don't want to misstep there and
they don't want to either," he said. "This is an important
introduction for us." Wiz officials weren't available for comment.
At one-day seminar using prototype 2-chip Digital Home Theater
projector, Bjorn's Pres. Bjorn Dybdahl said customers seemed
intrigued by product. Bjorn's demonstrated product both as 60" rear
projection set and as front projector and placed it next to 53"
Sony XBR TV. Delivery of projector, which also contains Digital
Micromirror Device (DMD) chips, was slowed by Texas Instrument (TI)
delay in obtaining lamps and optics needed for more advanced
engines (TVD Sept 9 p15). "The contrast wasn't what some other
units are, but that's the nature of the beast and judging the
preproduction prototype isn't really fair," Dybdahl said. "It's not
the perfect device, but none of them are and now you've got another
different kind of choice. Customers perceived it as a real deal."
C-MAC, Canada-based circuit board assembler for Northern Telecom
and others, will build projector using TI engine and plastic
cabinetry supplied by LDM subsidiary Como Products, Columbus, Ind.
Project stalled in Feb. when FCC raised questions on noise (TVD Feb
* 3 p14), but issue was resolved later. Projectavision will ship
"several hundred" units in first few months, 20,000 within year,
said Holleran, who plans to sell product through 10-15 retail
chains in addition to distributors. Sales are projected to sp}it
60% consumer, 40% business, he said, and company will be hired
during next several weeks to handle marketing and collections.
Meanwhile, Vidikron has shipped PAL version of 2-chip DLP projector
to distributors in France and Germany and will deliver NTSC version
for U.S. by May, Vp James Wellnitz said. Projector delivers SVGA
resolution, 400 lumens brightness and contains motion adaptive line
doubling based partly on components developed with Faroudja Labs.
Projector, expected to be priced at $12,000-$14,000, is being
assembled at Vidikron factory outside Milan, but may shift
production to U.S., Wellnitz said. Runco, which switched to 3-chip
design last year, is planning to deliver its model in June at more
than $40,000. While brightness issues have been resolved, others
remain, Gen. Mgr. Rick Bergamaschi said. "The gray scale is not in
the same league yet as the 3-tube models." While final specs still
were being worked out, main stepup feature was expected to be
1,000-w bulb that delivers 2,200 lumens, company has said.
Electrohome recently showed 3-chip model starting at $40,000
designed largely for business applications.
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