Nine-Foot-Wide Movies

[Gregg Lengling]

Nine-Foot-Wide Movies, TV and Gaming: InFocus' Newest Projector Super-Sizes Home Entertainment; Colossal Trend in Bigger Entertainment Takes On New Dimensions

WILSONVILLE, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 25, 2004--Until recently, consumers thought a home theater meant big bucks, or a 50-inch big-screen TV. Now, projectors are transforming the entertainment experience by offering images up to nine-feet wide with crisp, bright, high-contrast images for less than $1,500 -- a fraction of the cost of other large-format displays that are measured in mere inches.


InFocus(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:INFS), the worldwide leader in digital projection technology and services, is driving this already fast-growing category with the launch of the InFocus ScreenPlay(TM) 4805, its newest projector for consumers looking to bring the movie theater experience into their homes.

The InFocus ScreenPlay 4805 is a great addition to a home entertainment solution because it connects into nearly any home-electronics device including: DVD players, satellite receivers, high-definition broadcast receivers, TVs, computers and video game consoles, to project everything from sports to movies and event television in gigantically clear proportions. Game enthusiasts love using the InFocus ScreenPlay 4805 with their video game systems because the it projects super-sized characters that make the experience come to life in a way not possible with a television or other smaller display devices.

To further accelerate this mainstream trend, InFocus ScreenPlay consumer projectors are available at more than 3,000 retail outlets nationwide. With increased availability and affordability for consumers, leading industry analysts are forecasting the overall number of consumer projectors sold worldwide in 2004 will double to more than 1 million units, compared with 2003 unit sales.

"As more people realize the amazing experience that projectors can bring to the home, including movie nights for the entire neighborhood and video game tournaments for kids' birthday parties, the more they want to own one," said Scott Hix, senior vice president and general manager, Americas Business Unit at InFocus. "Consumers want products that project flawless images, massive screen size and are easy to use, and the ScreenPlay 4805 is a great, affordable solution."

InFocus' user-friendly ScreenPlay 4805 makes it easy for the entire family to use and enjoy. A backlit remote control and a smart menu system make it simple to operate even in a dark room. Family movie night will not be the same without the InFocus ScreenPlay 4805, because it offers movie theater action without having to pay movie theater prices.

From its native 16:9 format, which perfectly matches movie and high-definition aspect ratios, 750 video-optimized lumens and a 2000:1 contrast ratio, the InFocus ScreenPlay 4805 delivers the brightest whites and best black scene detail. The projector also features unrivaled connectivity for video, from component to s-video and composite inputs, and DVI with HDCP. To complete the home entertainment solution, the InFocus ScreenPlay 4805 also has a 12-volt screen trigger, which will automatically raise and lower an electronic screen when the projector is powered on/off.

InFocus has integrated the latest technologies from Texas Instruments and Faroudja into several generations of ScreenPlay projectors and the ScreenPlay 4805 continues this tradition yielding picture clarity that is crisp and smooth. The projector boasts a unique color system that provides more details and smoother images, and uses native 16:9 DarkChip2(TM) DLP technology from Texas Instruments(R) to create sharper images with life-like colors that won't deteriorate over time. Also, with Academy Award(C) winning enhanced Faroudja DCDi(TM) processing, the InFocus ScreenPlay 4805 projects images that are sharper and artifact-free ensuring diagonal lines in the image do not have jagged edges.

At only 7.8-pounds (3.5 kg) -- this extremely lightweight projector has the flexibility to be mounted in your family room on the ceiling or wall, or even placed on a tabletop and then tucked into the closet when not in use. Additionally, with 50-percent more lamp life at 3,000 hours, the ScreenPlay 4805 has the longest lasting lamp on the market today and offers lowest overall cost of ownership relative to other competitive products in the market.

Availability

The InFocus ScreenPlay 4805 will be available in May 2004 for $1,499 USD and can be purchased at leading electronic retailers, home theater dealers, or online at //www.infocushome.com.

About InFocus Corporation

InFocus(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:INFS), the worldwide leader in digital projection technology and services, enhances thinking, learning and creativity in boardrooms, meeting rooms and classrooms and delivers superior home entertainment experiences by vividly projecting larger-than-life images from multiple sources including computers, DVD players, and PDAs. A recognized projection pioneer and innovator, InFocus provides the most comprehensive line of business and home projectors, projector management tools, wireless technology and projection engines. From the smallest and lightest mobile projectors and feature-packed meeting room products to the finest and most compact home entertainment projection solutions, InFocus has garnered industry acclaim for design, functionality and intuitive solutions. InFocus Corporation's global headquarters are located in Wilsonville, Oregon, USA, with regional offices in Europe and Asia. For more information, visit the InFocus Corporation web site at //www.infocus.com or contact the company toll-free at 800-294-6400 (U.S. and Canada) or 503-685-8888 worldwide.

InFocus, ASK, Proxima, ASK Proxima, LiteShow, ScreenPlay and LP are trademarks or registered trademarks of InFocus Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Digital Light Processing and DLP are trademarks of Texas Instruments.

[Matt Heebner]

Huge...yes, but at what resolution? IF  it does 720p then this is ground breaking pricing.
I'm thinking it does 480p, but at 9 feet wide, even 480p would start looking less desireable.


Matt

[BillMilosz]

Regarding the  item about the new In-Focus 4805, which will be priced under $2000 (maybe $1299 street price, from what I hear) - is does NOT use the Texas Instruments HD2+ technology. It uses the older HD chip, with 6-segment color wheel.

AND!  the 4805 has a native resolution of 854 x 480.  All 720p and 1080i is downsampled. This is NOT "HDTV" - it's big and bright but it's only "EDTV." See http://www.infocushome.com/amer/eng/products/screenplay/sp4805.asp  click on specifications.

The InFocus 7205 uses the HD2+  "Mustang" DLP from Texas Instruments, which is 1280 x 720, and uses a 7-segment color wheel along with 10 bits of color depth in the green channel (vs. 8 bits on the older HD2 chips) to give better detail in dark arteas.  See http://www.infocushome.com/amer/eng/products/screenplay/sp7205.asp Click on specifications.

The InFocus 7205 carries an MSRP of $8999