Casio Mercury-Free High-Brightness Projectors
Casio is releasing a line of GREEN SLIM projectors with a new light source, introducing mercury-free high-brightness data projectors. Casio America and its parent company, Casio Computer Co., Ltd., has created a mercury-free laser & LED hybrid light source, capable of high-brightness projection for use in the next-generation projectors the company has developed under its “clean & green” concept.
Currently, high-pressure mercury lamps are used as the light source for data projectors capable of producing 2,000 or more lumens. Semiconductor light sources that do not contain environmentally harmful mercury such as laser and LED offer promising light sources for next-generation DLP projectors. Until now, however, they were only usable as light sources for small, low-lumen projectors because high-output sources capable of producing green light have not been possible for mass production.
Casio has created a mercury-free hybrid light source capable of generating high brightness by combining a laser, a fluorescent element and an LED. Casio has achieved high output of green light, which has been considered difficult with conventional semiconductor light sources, by very efficiently converting blue laser light into green light, using the fluorescent element. The high-brightness light of 2,000 or more lumens was then attained by projecting blue laser light, green light converted from blue laser light with the fluorescent element, and light emitted by a red LED through a DLP® chip onto the screen.
Use of the laser & LED hybrid light source makes Casio’s GREEN SLIM data projectors bright enough for projection in a well lit room without using a high-pressure mercury lamp. Usability features have also been greatly improved: the body, no bigger than the size of a standard 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper, is slim (1.7 inches) and lightweight (5 lbs). Additional qualities include: the projector produces bright colors through upgraded color purity, the light source has a life of approximately 20,000 hours, projection at maximum brightness is possible in a minimum of eight seconds and no cool down is needed when turning the projectors off.
“Casio is thrilled to introduce this entirely new lineup of eco-friendly GREEN SLIM projectors,” says Toshiharu Okimuro, chairman of Casio America, Inc. “The advances we have made to provide superior brightness and energy-saving features make it the perfect tool for the road warrior, instructor, gamer and general consumer for home entertainment.”
GREEN SLIM projectors will be available in a diverse lineup, including a model that can accommodate WXGA Real display at 1280 × 800 dots (16:10) and a model that can project without a PC and can communicate wirelessly with PCs.
■ Laser & LED hybrid light source that enables mercury-free high-brightness projectors with high picture quality, long light source life, and quick powering on and off
■ Slim (1.7”) and light (5 lbs) highly portable standard paper-size (8.5” x 11”) body
■ Wide-angle 2X optical zoom for use in diverse settings, ranging from small meeting spaces to large conference rooms
■ USB host function for projection without a PC and capability for wireless communication with PCs (XJ-A245/A235/A145/A135)
Model Display resolution Brightness USB Host Function & Wireless Communication with PCs
XJ-A245 WXGA Real (1,280×800) 2500 ANSI lumens XJ-A245 only
XJ-A240
XJ-A235 2000 ANSI lumens XJ-A235 only
XJ-A230
XJ-A145 XGA Real (1,024×768) 2500 ANSI lumens XJ-A145 only
XJ-A140
XJ-A135 2000 ANSI lumens XJ-A135 only
XJ-A130
Casio continues to expand its lineup, working to develop more products with the new laser and LED hybrid light source, including smaller projectors for individual use.
Main Features of Casio’s GREEN SLIM Projectors
■ Laser & LED hybrid light source that enables mercury-free, high-brightness projection
High-brightness projection is achieved without using a high-pressure mercury lamp by using blue light emitted by a blue laser, green light converted from blue laser light with a phosphor, and light emitted by a high-lumen red LED through a DLP® chip onto the screen.
■ Standard paper-size high-brightness projectors
High-brightness projection is achieved at 2,000 or more ANSI lumens with a laser & LED hybrid light source in a slim (1.7”) and lightweight (5 lbs) standard paper-size body. These projectors can be carried together with documents without being bulky and can project clear images even in brightly lit rooms.
■ Superior color reproducibility increases presentation impact
The laser & LED hybrid light source greatly improves color purity compared to high-pressure mercury lamps. It enables the production of beautifully vivid colors and projects clear, powerful images with visual effects of high color purity.
■ Longer light source life
Use of the laser & LED hybrid light source increases the light source life to approximately 20,000 hours—nearly 10 times that of Casio’s conventional products (XJ-S58, etc.) with a high-pressure mercury lamp—which means less maintenance and lower operating costs. Moreover, brightness deteriorates more slowly than with mercury lamps, so clear image quality can be maintained for a long time.
■ Quick powering on and off, an advantage for smooth presentations
Projection at maximum brightness is possible in a minimum of eight seconds, and no cool down is needed when turning the projectors off. Thus, limited presentation time can be utilized effectively by enabling a smooth presentation flow from set-up to clean-up.
■ Wide-angle 2X optical zoom gives users freedom of projector setup
These models come with a wide-angle 2X zoom lens (lens with a two times shorter focal distance) that provides the greatest magnification* of any data projector. They are also equipped with a feature that automatically corrects vertical distortion of the display due to projector position, enabling effective use in diverse settings ranging from small meeting spaces to large conference rooms and classrooms.
■ HDMI terminal
These models are equipped with an HDMI terminal that can transmit digital audio/video with only one cable. It enables AV devices and PCs also equipped with an HDMI terminal to be easily connected to the projectors, which can then project the contents with no loss of quality.
■ Wide picture in real display (XJ-A245/A240/A235/A230)
Able to accommodate WXGA Real display at 1280 × 800 dots (16:10), these models can display wide presentation materials and images in real size.
■ Wireless communication with PCs (XJ-A245/A235/A145/A135)
Using the Optional (YW-3) adapter, these models can communicate wirelessly (IEEE 802.11b/g) with up to four Windows® PCs, enabling meetings in which multiple PCs are brought together and presentations that can be conducted easily and remotely from a location away from the projector.
■ USB 2.0 host function enables presentations without a PC (XJ-A245/A235/A145/A135)
These models can project presentations, spreadsheets, word-processor documents, PDF files and other data** prepared on a PC, still images (JPEG/BMP), and moving images (AVI format: Motion JPEG) all without a PC just by using commercially available USB memory. They can also be connected directly to the Multi-Functional Camera System YC-430, which can project non-digitized information and even three-dimensional objects onto the screen.
■ The projectors can also be fixed to the ceiling with separately sold metal ceiling-mount fittings.
* As of January 6, 2010. According to a Casio survey.
* *Requires conversion with included PC software.
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