The value of going to this kind of show for news was shown when we got to the Canon booth. The company had a prototype (serial number #001!) three panel 4K LCOS projector based on a laser phosphor light source, but otherwise similar to a recently launched lamp-based version. The resolution is a “true” value, rather than using shifting technology, staff told us. The resolution is actually 4096 x 2400, which is higher vertical resolution than DCI (which is 4096 x 2160). The product has sRGB colour support and around 5,800 Ansi lumens. The target value is 6,000 lumens by the time of production, next year. The light source lifetime is quoted as 20K hours, or longer if run at lower brightness. The brightness control also helps match and maintain multiple projectors in blended applications in simulation.
The unit can be operated in any orientation and has a combination of air and liquid cooling. It has ‘marginal focus’ – which means that the focal length can be varied on the edges of the image, which can help with use on domes and on curved screens. The official announcement of the projector will be in September and is likely to be in production in Q2 2017. As simulation projects often take a year or 18 months to plan and install, Canon thought that this ‘pre-release’ information would be useful to potential customers. Staff told us that Canon is looking at getting a wider gamut by using a different filter (presumably to separate the red and green) and might be able to get closer to Rec. 2020.
