Camera company Leica announced at the IFA show in Germany its first Ultra-Short Throw (UST) laser projector that can produce 4K images up to 100 inches with Dolby Atmos sound, as per The Verge.
(Photo : by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)
The logo of German photographic equipment company Leica Camera is seen in Tokyo on February 8, 2021.
Leica Cine 1
They're two of the Leica Cine 1 projector in development, and both are using Leica lenses. One can produce around 2,500 lumens to project a 100-inch 4K 60Hz image at a distance of 30cm from the display while. On the other hand, the other one can produce 2,100 lumens to project an 80-inch image from a distance of 15cm.
According to Leica, each projector is tuned for each display size. They don't recommend moving them closer or further from the wall. The USTs look great with Ambient Light Rejection (ALR) screens.
Leica partnered with Hisense for the triple RGB laser light engine. It utilizes a DLP chip from Texas instruments. It is also a good projector for casual gaming as its latency is around 30ms.
The two companies said that their goal is to combine Hisense's technology in the Laser TV segment with Leica's expertise in the development of high-quality projection lenses, according to a report by PetaPixel. The two companies want to create a powerful and future-proof technology platform for short-distance Laser TV.
When it comes to its ports, the prototype comes with three HDMI total, one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0, a built-in TV tuner, and a Common Interface slot. It is likely that the US version will run on Android TV. Moreover, the company hopes the projector will ship with 4.2 Atmos-certified audio.
The 100-inch Cine 1 model is expected to sell for $7,900, while the smaller version would probably be around $6,900. Leica is targeting to release it in separate quarters in 2023. It hopes to release it in Q2 2023 for Europe, Q3 for China, and finally, Q4 for the US. There's still a long wait, but we are pretty sure it's going to be worth it.
Also Read: Leica Unveils M-A Titan Film Camera For a Whopping $20,000 Price
Not a First for Leica
This is not a first for Leica, unbeknownst to some. The company has been a part of the projection market for over 50 years since it first worked with analog projectors. Additionally, this isn't the company's first modern appearance in projection devices for home entertainment.
Earlier this year, Leica worked with JMGo to produce a UST compact LED project, the O1 Pro. Leica was responsible for the short-throw ratio that the O1 Pro reduced from 0.25 meters in the O1 projectors to just 0.21 meters.
It does show that Leica sees the market as worth pursuing on its own. And it seems like the company will reach success once again.
Related Article: Xiaomi and Leica Confirms Collaboration on a Flagship Smartphone Releasing July 2022
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Written by: April Fowell
