This is the first post of this new series – and we decided to kick it off with a consumer 1080i projector that’s at the same price-point as today’s Sony home 4K projector.

From rAVe ProAV Edition Volume 1, Issue 14 

At CEDIA, Sony Introduces Their First Reflective Imaging Technology for the Home and New CINEZA Portable Home Theater Units

By Gary Kayye
rAVe Founder

Sony was a winner at this year’s CEDIA with its new QUALIA-004, the first fully digital HD home theater projector. Sony used its SXRD (Silicon Crystal [X-tal] Reflective Display) technology (yielding 1080i — 1920 x 1080 — native panel resolution) in this unit.

Although the QUALIA line of high-end consumer products was one of the worst-kept secrets ever for Sony, the image quality didn’t disappoint.

The QUALIA-004 is priced at $25,000 with an optional lens, and will ship in Winter 2003.

The SXRD technology has picture density of 2 million pixels in three 0.78-inch SXRD panels for 6 million total pixels. Size and space between pixels was reduced, thereby doubling the pixel density.

It also uses a new molecular material and, along with the thin cell gap, gives better black level performance, quicker response time (5msec).

The QUALIA projection unit uses a pure Xenon lamp, incorporates what Sony calls Cinema Black Pro technology for what they claim gives it a better contrast ratio than any LCD or DLP technology, 3D Gamma correction which supposedly corrects more than 6,000 points vertically and horizontally, uses a 12-bit panel driver for minimizing video noise and for richer color graduation, and also includes a cool signal terminal for easily hiding the connection cables. Input and output connections are on the bottom of the unit for concealed ceiling mounting. The digital connections are found on the left side with HDMI, DVI-D digital connections and USB and Ethernet port (network-enabled). Analog connections are on the right side and include component video, S Video and Composite Video inputs as well as audio.

I spent an hour with this projector last week and I have to say I am completely impressed. Using Sony’s long-awaited reflective imaging technology taking aim directly at DLP, the SXRD display system will obviously be incorporated in ProAV projector s as well as the home theater units. This one, with a price tag of $25,000, will have a tough time competing with the plethora of good-quality single-chip DLP home cinema displays (e.g., InFocus’ new 7205) as they are all priced at least half of what QUALIA is, but, will give three-chip home theater DLP projectors a run for the money. Again, what I am anxious to see is the ProAV versions expected early next year or late this year.

In other Sony news at CEDIA, Sony also launched new LCD projectors — the Cineza portable VPL-HS20 and VPL-HS3 models.

The VPL-HS20 is XGA (3-panel) for 1386 x 788 resolution, up to 1400 ANSI lumens and incorporates Cinema Black Pro. It will sell for $3,500 in October. The VPL-HS3 ($1,500) has wide LCD panels – 858 x 484 . It is also available in October.