Taiwan market: Optoma plans to launch 1080p projectors in 2Q06 priced up to 40% lower than current models
Hau Ting Yuan, Taipei; Emily Chuang, DigiTimes.com [Friday 7 October 2005]
With Texas Instruments (TI) recently announcing the official launch of TI’s new DLP 1080p resolution (1920×1080) chip in Taiwan, Optoma stated the company is scheduled to offer 1080p projectors in the local Taiwan market, staring from the second quarter of 2006. The company expects to offer the projectors priced up to 40% lower than current 1080p models
TI announced the rollout of its 1080p resolution (1,920×1,080) chips for the front projection market earlier this month.
Eric Braddom, the director of Asia TI DLP projects, explained that 1080p’s high definition is the next wave in digital TVs. Currently, major US TV networks have already started transmitting 1080i HD signals. NICI (National Information and Communications Initiative Committee) of the Executive Yuan in Taiwan has also expressed its intent to broadcast HD resolution TV by 2007. In addition, along with the rising popularity of Blu-ray DVD and HD DVD, the world of gaming and movies are expected to trend toward true high definition resolutions, according an Optoma press release.
According to a report from Pacific Media Associates (PMA), DLP projectors constituted 60.8% of the overall projector market in Taiwan in the second quarter of 2005.
Optoma decided to volume produce projectors that adopt TI’s 1080p chips (H81) in the second quarter of 2006, according to Telly Kuo, Optoma vice president and general manager, Asia Pacific Region. The products will be priced at NT$150,000-200,000 (US$4,510-6,013) and will soon replace high-end 720p products.
Currently, the retail prices for 1080p projectors in the local Taiwan market are NT$250,000-300,000 (US$7,517-9,020). The company plans to launch a new 720p projector by the end of this year, priced less than NT$100,000 (US$3,006), down from NT$189,000 (US$5,682) at present, Kuo said.
Eric Braddom, the director of Asia TI DLP projects (left) and Telly Kuo, Optoma vice president and general manager, Asia Pacific Region (right) team up on 1080p DLP projectors.
Photo: Allen Lin, DigiTimes