Some potential markets are just too big to ignore. The growing popularity of front-screen installations in multi-purpose rooms is spawning new products in the growing entry-level market. I reviewed low-end Epson Home Cinema System in my Display Daily of July 11, 20008. My associate Pete Putnam also addressed the trend of lower projector prices in his September 29, 2008 Display Daily. Now, the latest entrant is InFocus (Wilsonville, OR; www.infocus.com) with their new DLP projector, the X9.

John DiLoreto
Analyst and Editor for
Insight Media

The X9 delivers 1800 lumens and 2500:1 contrast at 720p, which is a remarkable value at an MSRP of $1099. How did they get the price so low? For one, there is no lens shift or horizontal keystone correction. Also, the lens zoom ratio is a mere 1.1, which means, for a given screen size and location, there is less flexibility in projector placement.

We spoke with Benjamin Joy, director of product marketing for InFocus, who says there are several other factors that allow for pricing flexibility. It starts with TI’s ability to offer multiple options on package/pixel sizes to accommodate price sensitivity. The X9 uses a 1280×720 DarkChip 2.

Other efficiencies result from "leveraging business platforms to the home platform," Joy said. Using the same industrial design and tooling for engine housing case parts, and internal parts, such as engine, illumination assemblies, lamps and power supplies, helps lower costs. Making a look work for both business and home applications requires coming up with a "classic universal design look, like Apple does so well," he said.

The X9 is targeted solely at the CEDIA channel, unlike their consumer forays in the past. It wasn’t many years ago that InFocus sold a SP4805 based on their X1 platform for $999. Although it was considered a successful product, the predicted explosion in consumer projectors did not materialize, thwarted by dramatic cost reductions in flat panels. Coming from a leadership position in education and business (60K units per year, according to Joy), the company headed toward the consumer market and disregarded its core business, leading to a restructuring in 2006-07.

InFocus has since changed its business direction with a new team of executives and with new CEO Bob O’Malley from IBM. No longer is the company designing products from the ground up for consumer retail. Instead they are returning to their core business channels, CEDIA, Pro A/V, direct response (CDW, Dell).

Now, back in the low-end home theatre business, "InFocus is committed to this channel and will be refreshing our entire portfolio in 2009," Joy said. "There is an opportunity for people who want to have a large image beyond 60 inches. Our strategy is to stay at multiple price points in the market and retain channel exclusivity (CEDIA only)."

With history as a teacher and a renewed focus on their core business model, we anticipate that InFocus should be more successful this time around.