NEC Adds Next-Generation Plasma Displays to Home Entertainment Line

Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- SPECIAL TO CEDIA -- Reinforcing its commitment to providing plasma displays with brilliant images to consumers, NEC Solutions (America), Inc., today introduced four next-generation Showcase Series home entertainment plasma displays. Discerning home theater enthusiasts will enjoy exciting enhancements to the new 42", 50" and 61" plasma displays, including a 20 percent increase in brightness, 43 percent increase in contrast ratio and some of the lowest power consumption in the industry starting at 270 watts, all at the same price points as previous NEC models.

The 42VR5, a new, entry-level addition to NEC's home entertainment plasma line, and next-generation 42XR3, 50XR4 and 61XR3 are built upon the superior image quality and performance legacy of NEC's award-winning professional plasma displays. The new plasma displays join three HT Series projectors under NEC's Showcase Series, which offers home entertainment users vivid, adaptable and reliable images.

"NEC's FCC Class-B certified home entertainment plasma monitors continue to meet the rigorous and specific display requirements of the home theater expert, such as high definition display, accurate image reproduction and exceptional brightness and contrast," says Keith Yanke, plasma display product manager for the Visual Systems Division of NEC Solutions. "At the same time, their sleek, silver bezel, thin form factor and range of screen sizes address the style and functionality needs of almost any room, like a living room, loft or master bedroom."

Vivid: The new plasma displays provide exceptional contrast and brightness ratings in real world lighting conditions to deliver crystal clear, larger- than-life images. Best-in-class image quality and accurate HD image reproduction is made possible through a blend of NEC's patented technologies, including Capsulated Color Filter (CCF) and AccuCrimson Filter technology for the truest, most realistic colors, as well as Digital AccuDevice for artifact and noise-free video and Gamma 12 for the highest color processing available in a plasma display.

Adaptable: NEC's sleek silver bezel displays, slim 3.5" profile and extreme viewing angles add style to a room while staying up and out of the way of activity. All four models feature extensive connections to essentially any source, including a satellite receiver, DVD, VCR, computer, video games and more while HDCP compatibility ensures operation with source devices featuring a DVI output using high bandwidth digital content protection. Additionally, multiple aspect ratios, picture-in-picture functionality, high altitude flexibility and extremely quiet operation enable the Showcase Series plasma displays to meet the changing needs of a busy home.

Reliable: A long panel life and extremely low power consumption make the new plasma displays resilient enough for a household full of activity. And NEC's AccuShield phosphor protection system offers the industry's most comprehensive set of built-in modes to safeguard the screen from phosphor- based image retention. The models are backed by NEC's unsurpassed product reliability and service for additional peace-of-mind.

Pricing and Availability
The 42VR5 is available for an estimated street price of $2,995, while the 42XR3, 50XR4 and 61XR3 are available for estimated street prices of $5,795, $7,995 and $14,995 respectively. All of the new plasma displays will ship at the end of September 2004 and come standard with a three-year limited parts and labor warranty (one year on the panel).

For further information on NEC's Showcase Series line of projectors and plasma displays, please visit www.necvisualsystems.com or call 1-800- NEC-INFO.

Source: NEC Solutions (America), Inc.