Epson debuts 1080p projector with 50,000:1 contrast

Epson today made a surprise announcement late into the CEDIA electronics show today for its PowerLite front projectors. The PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080 UB earns the UltraBlack nickname of its title with the use of a new D7 image chipset, polarizing filter, and a 12-bit color substrate. Mixed together, these elements can produce contrast as high as 50,000:1 -- the highest in the industry, Epson says, and higher than the just introduced Sony VW200's 35,000:1 figure. Epson also promises dual HDMI 1.3 ports with deep color support and a 1,600-lumen brightness that can be useful in less than ideal movie viewing conditions.

Epson's lens system can be shifted between 96 degrees vertically and 47 degrees horizontally and adapts to any one of 14 different lenses that can preserve a zoom ratio for the picture as high as 1:2.1. Unlike Epson's new MovieMate projectors, however, pricing for the Pro Cinema 1080 UB isn't currently available. The company anticipates releasing the new projector in December and says it will set a price for the projector close to its launch date.