Canon launches complete XEED range
Price tags remarkably small for the quality offered
Canon today creates a complete XEED product range by launching three new projectors: the flagship XEED SX6, the XEED SX60 and the XEED X600. Building on the success of the award winning XEED SX50, the new models continue the tradition of offering seamless LCOS projection in a compact body at a remarkable price point, achieved through Canon’s Advanced AISYS Optical System2. The new projectors incorporate greater automatic functionality, increased brightness (XEED SX6 and XEED X600) and quieter operation.
The three projectors feature:
+ LCOS panels and Advanced AISYS Optical System
+ Powerful output: the XEED SX6 and XEED X600 boast 3500 lumens, while the XEED SX60 features 2500 lumens
+ SXGA+ resolution (XEED SX6 and XEED SX60); the XEED X600 is the world’s first XGA resolution LCOS projector
+ Canon powered wide-angle 1.7x zoom projection lens
+ Highly automatic setup and control: Auto Vertical Keystone Correction, Auto Focus, Auto Screen Colour Correction, Auto Frame Lock, Auto Input Selection
+ Price tags remarkably small for the quality offered
The XEED SX6 tops the XEED range, with specifications making it suitable for large-scale, professional projection. The XEED SX60 is next, and is suitable for business applications as well as home cinema use. The XEED X600 sits below the XEED SX50 as entry level model in the range, offering LCOS quality at an XGA price point.
“The XEED SX50 was a truly ground-breaking device, providing SXGA+ projection at a breakthrough size and price," said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. "Canon has now further advanced its projector technologies to create a complete XEED range, designed to meet the needs of different, demanding users.”
SX6Seamless, sharp and powerful
All XEED projectors use LCOS panels to deliver seamless, lattice-free images. The XEED SX6 and XEED SX60 models offer native SXGA+ (1400 x 1050) resolution to produce pin-sharp, highly detailed images. For users needing bright, seamless images without requiring SXGA+ resolution, the XEED X600 is the world’s first LCOS XGA projector, offering a new level of quality at an XGA price.
The Advanced AISYS technology in all three projectors offers a high contrast ratio of 1000:1 – providing rich, deep tones and true blacks in dark areas.
With a powerful 3500 lumens, the XEED SX6 and XEED X600 are capable of projecting very bright images even in large venues, such as exhibition halls, or in environments with high ambient light levels. While the XEED SX60 features 2500 lumens, it is capable of boosting its contrast ratio when in Home Cinema Mode to 2000:1 for even richer colours when viewing in dark environments.
Increased automation
Set-up and control of the new XEED models has been made easier with a host of automated functions.
The Auto Focus system measures the throw distance, projection angle and ambient temperature and sets the focus to the optimum position.
Automatic Keystone Correction is available on the vertical axis, correcting trapezium distortion up to +/–20 degrees. (Manual correction is also possible on both the vertical and horizontal axes.)
With Auto Input selection the projector automatically detects the active input terminal and configures itself accordingly.
Auto Screen Colour correction automatically compensates for the colour of the projection surface to deliver a natural colour scheme.
Frame Lock ensures correct synchronisation between computer and projector when presenting animated slide shows, eliminating interference and horizontal banding.
Lens excellence
The powered 1.7x zoom lens can be adjusted via remote control, and allows for flexible placement of the projectors – achieving strong magnification with little distortion throughout the zoom range. The wide angle projection capability permits large image projection, even from short throw distances. The lens coating prevents ghosting and flare, maintaining optimum image quality.
Even quieter
A dramatic reduction in fan noise has been achieved in the XEED SX60, with a near-silent 27dBA in Quiet Mode. Normal Mode is just 30dBA. The XEED SX6 and XEED X600 are also quieter than earlier models: they both achieve 31dBA in Quiet Mode.
HD ready, HDCP support
With native SXGA+ resolution, both the XEED SX6 and XEED SX60 are fully capable of projecting High Definition (720p/1080i) images.
All three models are equipped with a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) port with HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) compatibility, ensuring that even encrypted digital content is displayed with exceptionally high quality.
Save time and money
The new XEED models all feature an ‘Off and Go’ function, to reduce waiting time once the projector has been turned off. When the power is switched off, the AC mains cable can be removed straight away, as the projector uses a built-in energy reserve to run the fans for its shut down cycle.
In addition to all three projectors providing outstanding value for the quality offered, the XEED SX60 is also economical to run – in Quiet Mode the lamp has an ultra-long life of up to 4000 hours.
Accurate colours
All three projectors feature an sRGB mode, ensuring colour consistency with other sRGB compliant systems. The XEED SX6 also supports Adobe RGB, to give designers and photographic professionals confidence that their colours will be projected accurately across a wider colour space.
Range summary
+ XEED SX6 – top of the range, SXGA+ resolution, 3500 lumens
+ XEED SX60 – SXGA+ resolution, 2500 lumens, contrast ratio boost to 2000:1 in Home Cinema mode
+ XEED SX50 – the original XEED projector, SXGA+ resolution, 2500 lumens, compact size
+ XEED X600 – world’s first LCOS XGA projector, 3500 lumens
Pricing and availability
The XEED SX6 and SX60 will be available from mid May 2006.
The XEED X600 will be available from early June 2006.
Pricing is to be confirmed.
Optional Network Adapter
An optional Network Adapter, RS-NA01, will become available for the all XEED models. It enables control of the projector via an Ethernet network.
Multilingual interface
The projectors’ menu system now supports 20 different languages.
Specifications
SX6 specs - click to enlarge
SX60 specs - click to enlarge
X600 specs - click to enlargeTechnologies Explained
LCOS
Three LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) panels – red, green and blue – allow the XEED projectors to produce their smooth picture quality. 90% of panel surface area is active, compared to the 60% (approx.) of typical LCD panels: gaps between the transmissive LCD pixels used in conventional projectors result in images appearing as though covered in a fine mesh. With virtually no gaps between the pixels of LCOS panels, images produced are seamless: diagonal lines, fine details and text in presentations are reproduced with outstanding clarity.
The liquid crystals allow LCOS projectors to reproduce fine gradients across the entire brightness range, ensuring subtle gradations are rendered clearly with exceptionally smooth grey scale displays.
AISYS
To overcome the cumbersome size and high cost of traditional LCOS projectors, Canon developed AISYS (Aspectual Illumination System), a unique optical illumination system incorporating LCOS technology into a remarkably compact body. By optimizing the light from the projector’s lamp in relation to the characteristics of the LCOS panels and PBSs (Polarization Beam Splitter), AISYS achieves a lightweight and compact chassis without compromising on brightness and contrast.
AISYS not only reduces the size of XEED projectors, but by integrating Canon’s unique technologies and LCOS panels into a single optimised system, it also overcomes the complications facing other LCOS projectors. With smaller, more effective components and fewer complications, Canon is able to offer the XEED projectors at a remarkably low price point.
Reader enquiries
UK – 08705 143723; http://www.canon.co.uk
Eire – (01) 2052400; http://www.canon.ie
About Canon (UK) Limited
Canon is a world-leading innovator and provider of imaging and information technology solutions for the home and office environments.
Canon has a global philosophy of Kyosei - living and working together for the common good, which clearly demonstrates commitment to customers, staff and the environment shared by all.
Canon (UK) Ltd is the UK marketing and sales operation for the US$33 billion global company based in Tokyo, Japan. In the UK Canon employs over 2,000 people in various locations including Ireland and has achieved sales of £522m in 2004.
The main business focus for Canon (UK) Ltd, covers two clearly defined market segments: Business Solutions covering both the office and professional printing environments (including: multifunctional printers, IT consultation and peripherals: photocopiers, printers, fax machines, document management hardware & software, multimedia LCD projectors) and Consumer Imaging (input solutions: film and digital cameras, camcorders, binoculars and scanners; and output solutions: Ink Jet printers, fax machines, desktop multifunctionals and multimedia projectors).
