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Barco f90-w13
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Panasonic PT-RZ670 Projector
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Ricoh PJ WX4141N Projector
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Sony VPL-FHZ700L 3LCD Laser Light Source Projector
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Christie HD10K-M 3-chip DLP Projector
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Epson PowerLite Pro G6900WU Projector
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Digital Projection E-Vision Laser 8500 / Optoma ZU650
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Christie HD10K-M 3-chip DLP Projector
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Hitachi CP-HD9320 Projector
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BENQ LU9715 / CANON REALIS 4K600STZ
While you've probably been reading a lot about LED video panels in the pages of Church Production Magazine over the last few years, it doesn't mean that projectors are going the way of the dinosaurs. Quite the contrary. Unless you're in a large church with lots of ambient lighting, video projectors are often still the more cost-effective way to go for delivering visual media to your congregation. And while video projectors may seem like the “old dog” in the idiom, they are still learning a few new tricks.
“Some of the newest trends to be embraced in the projector market include laser technology, 4K resolution, higher brightness and High Dynamic Range, all of which enrich the overall user experience,” states Craig Harper, national manager for Sony Faith, part of New York-based Sony Corp. of America.
Indeed, most manufacturers are touting their laser light-source projector lines for the house of worship market.
“Without a doubt, the most application-enabling projection innovation for worship venues has been the widespread availability of laser-illuminated projectors,” says Michael Bridwell, vice president of marketing and home entertainment for Digital Projection Inc. (DPI) in Kennesaw, Ga. “For smaller venues, including multi-use and mobile worship spaces, a single laser projector can spread the cost of the projector out across years of regular use with little to no recurring maintenance or cost. That's huge value for growing churches on a tight budget.
“Another obvious benefit for installation in houses of worship is the reduced cost of operation with no lamps to change and extended maintenance requirements,” adds Neil Wittering, product marketing manager for Barco, with U.S. office in Beaverton, Ore. “Some models offer constant light output in excess of 20,000 hours in a filter-free design requiring minimal maintenance for several thousand hours.”
This is a huge deal for many churches. Oftentimes projectors are installed in difficult locations to reach for maintenance. Laser-phosphor projectors often eliminate the need to change lamps and clean filters for tens of thousands of hours. Assuming a typical use of 12 hours per week, that's literally decades of potentially maintenance-free use. You'll likely choose to change your visual display system simply to keep up with technology before that point.
“Laser projectors also deliver a better color image than lamp-based projectors, and unlike LCD projectors, the colors on a DLP laser projector will not fade over time,” states Felix Pimentel, field application engineer for BenQ America Corp in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Barco f90-w13
The Barco F90 offers constant light output (CLO) in excess of 20,000 hours in a filter-free design requiring minimal maintenance for several thousand hours. Its specifications include 13,000 lumens, 4K UHD resolution, and a DLP laser-phosphor light engine.
MSRP: Contact your local dealer | Phone: (888) 414-7226
BENQ LU9715
The BenQ LU9715 BlueCore laser projector with WUXGA display, delivers 8,000 ANSI-lumen brightness and 100,000:1 contrast ratio for superior performance, even under bright ambient lighting. The BlueCore laser engine provides improved color performance through a dual color wheel system, support for 360-degree and portrait installation and 24/7 operation. The LU9715 offers complete installation flexibility with eight lens options, motorized zoom, horizontal/vertical lens shifting, advanced geometric and corner fit correction, and more. Connectivity options include HDBaseT and 3G-SDI, while LAN and web control provide complete integration with third-party systems.
MSRP: $12,999 | Phone: (714) 559-4923
These new technology features can also impact a church’s ability to do environmental projection by increasing the resolution and making it easier to install projectors in hard-to-access areas.
CANON REALIS 4K600STZ
The Canon Realis 4K600STZ Pro AV LCOS projector is one of the lightest 4K laser projectors on the market today. Incorporating up to 6,000 lumens, with an increased dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1, this immersive 4K resolution (4,096 x 2,400) laser phosphor projector features exceptionally detailed images and an expanded display area with a wide range of colors. Extended operation time (20,000–40,000 hours), quick start-up/shutdown, and easy maintenance all reduce the total cost of ownership making it ideal for houses of worship.
MSRP: $77,990 | Phone: (800) 652-2666
CHRISTIE D13HD-HS
A lampless system, the Christie D13HD-HS 13,000 ANSI lumen laser phosphor projector eliminates the need for lamp and filter replacements, reducing the downtime, maintenance, and costs associated with lamp-based projectors. The Christie HS Series delivers a long-life illumination system, significantly extending the time before it reaches 50 percent brightness over lamp-based projectors, resulting in a lower cost of ownership. With 360-degree orientation, projectors can be installed almost anywhere including tight spots, resulting in more and better presentation options. Christie BoldColor Technology closes the gap between projection and reality, delivering a wider color gamut and deeper, richer colors for a true-to-life performance that will impress congregations.
MSRP: $30,995 | Phone: (866) 880-4462
Digital Projection E-Vision Laser 8500
Developed to save our worship customers valuable time and budget by removing lamp maintenance from the display, DPI's 8,500-lumen E-Vision Laser 8500 projector delivers impactful imaging solutions that in-house teams and system integrators can deploy with minimal maintenance throughout the lifetime of the display. All while expecting over 20,000 hours of illumination performance from the laser-phosphor source. With no lamp replacement cycles to maintain, E-Vision Laser 8500 displays have a lower cost of ownership over the lifespan of the display than many lamp-illuminated projector solutions. Additionally, the Laser 8500 delivers nearly unlimited tilt capabilities, giving worship venues an unprecedented amount of installation flexibility.
MSRP: $14,995 | Phone: (770) 420-1350
Epson Pro L1100U
The Epson Pro L1100U laser large-venue projector combines a laser light source and 3LCD technology for powerful, uncompromising images. Ideal for sanctuaries, this innovative projector features native WUXGA performance with Epson 4K Enhancement Technology. Delivering 6,000 lumens of color brightness and 6,000 lumens of white brightness, the L1100U's laser light engine also provides 20,000 hours of virtually maintenance-free operation. Integration capabilities include diverse connectivity such as HDBaseT and nine optional powered lenses with lens shift and lens memory.
MSRP: $8,499 | Phone: (800) 463-7766
Hitachi CP-X8800
The Hitachi 8000+ Series of projectors offer a host of features including motorized lens shift, accentualizer, HDCR, image optimizer technology and 360-degree rotation, edge blending, and HDBaseT capability. Best of all, however, might be the low-profile design that doesn't call unnecessary attention to the projector and instead lets worshippers focus on the sermon.
MSRP: Contact your local dealer | Phone: (800) 448-2244
Optoma ZU650
The Optoma ZU650 is designed to provide spectacular image quality, extreme flexibility and ultimate reliability. It is a lamp-less ProAV installation projector that utilizes laser phosphor technology, eliminating the need for lamp and filter replacements, and is equipped with five different lenses to give users a wide range of options and achieve the best image. The ZU650 is low weight, low noise and contains 360-degree and portrait mode operation. Featuring 6,000 lumens, a 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 20,000 hours of low-cost operation, the Optoma ZU650 is ideal for house of worship settings.
MSRP: $9,999 | Phone: (888) 967-8662
Panasonic PT-RZ970 Series
The PT-RZ970 Series deliver up to 10,400 lumens, and incorporate cutting-edge technology for vibrant picture quality and high 10,000:1 contrast ratio. These filter-less projectors are essentially dust-proof, and are subjected to punishing tests ensuring flawless performance in sanctuaries, gathering areas, religious education classrooms or any house of worship location. The PT-RZ970 series is engineered for virtually maintenance-free long-haul operation and shares optional lenses with Panasonic's 1-chip DLP projector family. The PT-RZ970 projectors are perfect to support any high-brightness house of worship environmental projection and projection mapping application.
MSRP: $34,799 | Phone: (877) 803-8492
Ricoh PJ WUL6280
Houses of worship seeking innovative, intuitive ways to illuminate their services will benefit from the brightness, flexibility and easy maintenance of the Ricoh PJ WUL6280 laser projector. The laser light source and 20,000 hour life eliminate the need to replace lamps, which can be difficult and time-consuming in high-ceiling sanctuaries. Remote calibration, five interchangeable lenses and a 300-inch maximum screen size give HOWs substantial flexibility for their unique installation needs. In areas filled with windows and ambient light, 6,000 lumen brightness, 1,200:1 contrast ratio, and WUGA resolution provide the power for messages to reach audiences with clarity and impact.
MSRP: $11,875 | Phone: (866) 230-2723
Sony VPL-FWZ65
Sony's VPL-FWZ65 is a 6,000 lumen 3LCD laser light source projector that offers bright, beautiful images ideal for churches. The powerful Z-Phosphor laser light source is teamed with Sony's advanced BrightEra 3LCD projection engine to deliver crisp WXGA (1,280 x 800) resolution images with natural-looking, rich, stable colors. Offering 20,000 hours of virtually maintenance-free operation, reality creation for refining details and offering clarity and sharpness for naturally up-scaled images, edge blending to seamlessly blend images from multiple projectors and a variety of optional lenses, the projector is a high-performing and flexible choice with a low total cost of ownership.
MSRP: $10,300 | Phone: (201) 930-1000
