Projector theft is a big problem these days, especially in busy offices and educational institutions. While security locks deter convenience thefts, any determined thief will not be deterred by a simple lock. Epson knows this and has decided to take the “If I can’t have it, no one can” approach by making the projector completely useless if it is moved. The trick to their new EMP-82e and EMP-X3e projectors is that when the projector is unplugged, it requires a password to be put in from the remote in order to return to normal functionality. As added security, the projector can only be turned on by the remote, meaning the thieves need a lot more than their bargaining for; there’s even a bright orange notice on top of the projectors informing potential thieves of these features. Keeping greedy eyes off the projector and onto the screen is a security feature Epson neglected to publish, with both projectors shining a bright XGA (1024 x 768) image at 2000 ANSI Lumens and 400:1 contrast ratio. And since you can intend to keep this projector for a long while, it comes with a three-year warranty. Both are available in the UK with the 82e costing £749.00 ($1513.00 USD) and the X3e costing £799.00 ($1418.00 USD).

[via letsgodigital]

Even though summer is winding down and there won’t be as many barbecues after Labor Day in a few weeks, that doesn’t mean you can’t stop enjoying what’s left of it now by watching movies on your porch or by the pool. Outdoor inflatable projection screens are nothing new, but they are very rare to see, and it seems Sima just released two new ones. The XL-12 measures a 144 inch diagonal and the XL-8 measures a 96 inch diagonal both with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Also included is a pair of outdoor speakers and a subwoofer; you don’t have to huff-and-puff it up either, because both screens include a motorized inflation pump. Once you’re done, you can deflate it and store it in its carrying case and take it with you to your next barbecue.

[via bornrich]

Planar, who recently introduced a projection screen designed for daytime viewing, has just released four new projectors into the market: the PR3010, PR3020, PR5020, and PR6020. These projectors show great promise as they enter the marketplace; with the PR3010 being very noteworthy. The PR3010 is one of the lowest price projectors on the market at the moment; for $699.00 USD it offers a single DLP chip with a SVGA (800 x 600) resolution and a 2000 ANSI Lumens brightness. The PR3020, PR5020, and PR6020 also offer a single DLP chip but with a XGA (1024 x 768) resolution and between 2000 to 3000 ANSI Lumens brightness. Also worth mentioning that these projectors are of the “PR” series from Planar, which means that they obviously have another series of projectors planned, hopefully of the home cinema type.

[via businesswire]

Toshiba introduced an exciting new projector today. The TLP-XC2500U looks like your run-of-the-mill office projector with its 2500 ANSI Lumens, 400:1 Contrast Ratio, and three XGA (1024 x 768) LCD panels; however, they added a 3 mega pixel QXGA (2048 x 1536) document imaging camera to an adjustable mechanical locking arm to the projector. Designed for displaying non-digitized documents and objects, it’s very flexible and can be used for any number of applications. Attached at the end of the arm is a high-brightness LED used to illuminate the document or the object. Lastly, it is on the heavy-side of portability, weighing in at 8.8 pounds, but does include a carrying case. The price isn’t as heavy as the projector though, at only $1539.00 USD for one of the few projectors out there with a document camera.

[via Businesswire]

The biggest problem with daytime home cinema projection is limiting the amount of ambient light in the projection environment. Too much ambient light will wash out a picture, making it unwatchable and is one of the weak points of home cinema projection. However, Planar released their new Xscreen which will apparently display projected images even in brightly lit rooms. The Xscreen and the Xscreen plus range from 60 to 100 inch screens, with the plus offering several inputs and a video processor to enhance the home cinema experience. The secret to the success of the Xscreen is a thin pane of 4mm thick glass in the screen that only reflects light from the projector. While you can get these now, they’ll also be displayed at CEDIA in September.

[via engadget]

If you want to add wireless and networking functionality to your BENQ MP620, MP770, or MP720p projector, BENQ has announced a wonderful little gadget that will do just that. Using 802.11a/b/g wireless technology, you’ll be able to transmit a XGA (1024 x 768) picture from up to 65 ft. between your laptop and the projector. If you don’t have wireless in your laptop, you can still run an Ethernet cable to the LinkPro. The LinkPro plugs into the DVI connection on the back of the projector and screws in securely, blending in to make it look one with the projector. The software included with the LinkPro allows for up to 10 computers to make connections with the projector, perfect for when there will be several presentations in a row. It looks to cost roughly $250 USD.

[via fareastgizmos]

Runco had some news today that couldn’t wait until CEDIA. Runco announced that they are going to be releasing eight new 1080p projectors, one of which will be available within the next couple weeks, and several others that will be displayed at CEDIA in September. Runco has been known to release some of the finest high-end home cinema projectors available, and these look to be a continuation of that quality. While there aren’t many details available, they are emphasizing that these projectors will offer their CineWide technology for 2.35:1 home cinema enthusiasts as well as their AutoScope technology. The price range for these new projectors will range from $12,000 USD for the single-chip DLP models to $100,000 for the three-chip solutions. Their first of these eight, the RS-1100 Ultra will be released as soon as it’s out of their quality assurance testing and will begin at $19,995 USD.

[via cepro]

Sony has let some details slip about their next 1080p projector, the VPL-VW50, also known as “Pearl.” The VPL-VW50 will be joining the existing VPL-VW100 possibly as early as October. It will have 900 ANSI lumens brightness and a 15,000:1 Contrast ratio and the display devices will be three .61″ SXRD 1080p chips, similar to that of the VPL-VW100. Other notable features are the low noise, clocking in at 22 dB, and the 200W SHP lamp. Unfortunately, there haven’t been many other details released, but we expect more to surface in the coming weeks.

[via hometheaterblog]

Today, Toshiba put their TDP-T100U in their archives, officially discontinuing it in favor of their new TDP-TW100U DLP projector. Offering many of the same features as its predecessor, such as a single XGA (1024 x 768) DLP chip, a brightness of 2700 ANSI lumens, and a contrast ratio of 2000:1; it almost looks like a normal conference room projector. However, despite having many of the same specifications as the TDP-T100U, the new TDP-TW100U offers two new features: 802.11g wireless connectivity and a USB flash drive terminal. These two new additions to the projector make the TDP-TW100U much more versatile; with the wireless connectivity allowing for much better placement and general mobility in the projector, and the USB terminal allowing for USB flash drives with saved images to display presentations without the need for a computer. Adding these two new features raised the price of the TDP-TW100U over its predecessor by only $100, giving the TDP-TW100U an MSRP of $1699 USD.

[via newswire]

Sharp will be releasing another epic home cinema projector this October. The XV-Z21000 is another in the ever-growing number of High Definition 1080p (1920 x 1080) projectors that are being released this fall. The XV-Z21000 offers a brightness of 1,000 ANSI Lumens, a super-high contrast ratio of 12,000:1, and a rare center-lens design for easy positioning in your home cinema. Priced at roughly $11,000 USD, this is obviously for serious home cinema enthusiasts and early adopters of the next standard in High Definition content.

[via Akihabara News]