Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 22, 2012. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
It appears that high-pressure mercury lamps will be obsolete at Panasonic in the future. The latest generation of projectors, PT-RZ470/RZ370, is equipped with laser and LED diodes with an achievable brightness of 3,000 lm. Both devices are to be available with two different resolutions: on the one hand 1080p with 1920 x 1080 pixels, and on the other hand WXGA with 1280 x 800 pixels.
Panasonic promises a service life of nearly 20,000 hours for the new light source. The RZ470 series is even said to include a contrast ratio of 20,000 : 1, including Super Black technology. The new models were designed primarily for areas such as digital signage and museums, although with a sufficiently well-filled petty-cash box, home use can surely also be considered.
According to Panasonic, the two devices are expected to be available in early 2013. In terms of price, the manufacturer is still keeping quiet, but until the price is set, the detailed product characteristics can be studied.
