Sanyo tries hand at first 4LCD projector

Sanyo today hopes to alter the landscape for projectors with a new addition to its semi-portable lineup. The PLC-XP200L is claimed to be the first 4LCD projector anywhere and adds a fourth, color management panel to the standard red, green and blue of a typical 3LCD unit. The extra component balances yellows and thus prevents colors from suffering as the projector gets brighter. That lets the XP200L push its brightness up to an extremely high 7,000 lumens of brightness without shedding precise color or losing the effects of a 2,200:1 contrast ratio, according to Sanyo.

The new projector also has Sanyo's active dust filter system that extends the amount of time needed between filter changes, and supports an Ethernet connection for remotely steering the projector. While capped at a 1024x768 resolution, the projector supports up to 1080i or 720p from HD sources and up to 1600x1200 from computers. DVI, VGA, and component handle higher resolutions, while RCA and S-video fill in for analog TV-level sources.

Sanyo's first 4LCD unit is given a premium price and will sell for $9,995 when it arrives in US shops for September; however, the XP200L is described by the company as the "first of many" using the technology and will be followed by other models in the future.