Press Releases
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC ANNOUNCES INSTANT NETWORKING UPGRADE TO LEGACY AND NEW PROJECTORS
ProjectorView™ Connects Projectors to LAN for Remote Access and Control
WELLINGTON, September 9, 2002 - Mitsubishi Electric, maker of award-winning, high-quality presentation and display products, announces its newest networking innovation, ProjectorView, a proprietary device that connects its LCD projectors to a local area network (LAN) via a serial-to-Ethernet translator.
Mitsubishi Electric's ProjectorView networking solution is unique to the presentation industry; no other manufacturer offers networking as an external option that is backward-compatible. Current Mitsubishi projector owners can instantly network-enable their projectors, making upgrading easy and cost-effective. ProjectorView is comparable to the size of a standard deck of cards; set-up and operation is simple and efficient. It allows a designated administrator or authorised user to remotely control, monitor, and manage Mitsubishi LCD projectors for efficient management or technical support.
Other manufacturers' solutions involve networking features that are built into a projector; users must buy new, expensive projectors to gain the network flexibility. Mitsubishi's novel approach allows a current ColourView projector owner to immediately upgrade with this cost-effective solution.
The device connects to a LAN through its RJ-45 port, provides an IP (Internet Protocol) address to the projector, and communicates through its serial port. The projector can then be controlled and monitored by launching its control screen through a web browser from a node in the LAN, WAN or through the Internet.
"We continue to bring new, innovative technology to the projector industry, and we want all our customers to take advantage of it, including those who already have our projectors," said Julian Lefebvre, Projector Marketing Manager at BDT Ltd, exclusive distributors for Mitsubishi Electric. "Why should only new buyers benefit?"
VIRTUAL REMOTE CONTROL
ProjectorView brings a new meaning to the term "remote" control. Retrieving information through the Internet or a LAN is easy and efficient; a projector can be accessed and operated from anywhere within an enterprise or the world. One can simply query the projector through the web to obtain important information such as its model number, serial number, location, cumulative lamp hours, cumulative operating hours, etc. In addition, several control buttons can be executed by an authorised user, including commands such as powering on or off, turning sRGB on or off, setting ColourView Natural Colour Matrix profiles, changing its input source from computer to video, among others.
For authorised users who are in the same room as the projector but do not have the remote control unit, a set of visual commands can be launched from a pop up window that works just like an on-screen remote control. These commands can be used to adjust the projector in real time, such as zoom or focus, invoke the Picture-in-Picture feature, or display the menu.
"In the classroom, remotes can be easily lost or stolen," says Lefebvre. "ProjectorView allows teachers to simply launch ProjectorView through a web browser for full operation and control. Also, students can't operate the projector without the teacher present."
ProjectorView can also automatically send messages to an administrator via email. After its initial set-up, ProjectorView periodically queries the projector for error or warning messages. Each time a message occurs, ProjectorView copies the message and compiles all pertinent information, pastes it into an email, and sends it to the designated email address to alert the recipient about the status of the projector.
With an email alert, preventative measures can be taken or a user can simply diagnose and correct a reported problem. For example, Mitsubishi ColourView projectors normally flash a warning message to alert a user when the lamp has reached a certain hour of consumption.
When ProjectorView notes this message, an email alert will inform the administrator that the lamp needs replacing. This process is efficient and effective, and means less overall downtime.
The ProjectorView module ships with cable connectors, and weighs 400 grams. It will be available in September; MSRP is $1499. ProjectorView will connect to all Mitsubishi LCD projectors, starting with the X100E developed in 1997 to its newest XL2U, SL2U and the XL30U family of projectors.
For further information, please contact Julian Lefebvre at BDT Ltd, PO Box 30-772, Lower Hutt or 04 560 9100 or julian@melco.co.nz
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