Power race in the multimedia projector market

B. Gunawan Contributor/Jakarta

The multimedia industry is among those most enjoying the advances in digital technology, besides the computer industry, of course.

The demand for multimedia projectors, for instance, keeps soaring in line with rising business needs.

According to the U.S. based multimedia research company Pacific Media Associates, the worldwide projector market grew by 19 percent from the first quarter of 2004 to the same period, this year.

In the just published Worldwide Market Census of 53 manufacturers, combined sales of professional and consumer projectors totaled more than 901,000 units for the first quarter of 2005.

This double-digit growth is obviously fantastic. In Asia, Japan and China register 16 percent annual growth in projector sales. In the U.S., the annual rate is 19 percent while in Canada and Latin America the figures are skyrocketing to 51 percent and 44 percent respectively.

And in comparison with the economic growth of a country or sectoral growth of a business, sales growth in multimedia projectors is far higher. This miracle reminds us of the dotcom business boom several years ago.

The question is whether projector prices are already so low or consumer demand is indeed very high. Naturally, the answer is relative. Unlike personal computers (PC), which are generally more purchased by households, projectors are generally needed by the business world. Consequently, projector prices above US$1,000 per unit -- often seen as a barrier -- pose no major problems.

In Jakarta, we can find dozens of projector brands such as NEC, InFocus, Proxima, Acer, LG, Sanyo, Canon, Phillips, Sony and 3M in computer and electronic centers. If we take care to compare them, rivalry between the existing brands is readily noticeable. In the category of microportable projectors now covering 26 percent of the world's multimedia projector market, for instance, price competition is very intense. The Canon LV-S3 SVGA (800x600) with a capacity of Lumens 1250 ANSI is available at around Rp 9.5 million - Rp 10.5 million.

It is interesting to note that the price difference between SVGA and XGA projectors with their higher resolution is increasingly small. For example, SVGA InFocus X2 or Panasonic PT- LM2E costs about Rp 11 million, against the Sanyo PLC-XW20A, which fetches Rp 19 million. This reality shows that the manufacturing industry is racing to sell high-resolution projectors at more affordable prices.

During 2004, for instance, XGA multimedia projector sales rose by 45 percent, whereas SVGA units began to indicate a decline.

It seems that prices are not the only aspect in the multimedia projector race. Manufacturers are enthusiastically offering various features and operational or maintenance facilities.

Mobility and portability have so far remained the biggest advantage points for multimedia projectors, besides image resolution. Ergonomic forms and weights ranging from two to three kilograms guarantee easy operation by mobile consumers.

The Canon LV-X4 is an example of the XGA type weighing around 3 kg. For its class, the LV-X4 is comparatively superior. With its luminous rate of 1,500 lumens and the highest zoom ratio in its category -- 1.6X -- this projector is capable of producing a 100-inch picture clearly at a distance of only 2.5 meters. Even with its silent and normal lamp modes, the Rp 20 million projector can serve office or home theater purposes.

The case is different with high-end or professional multimedia projectors. Particularly in Jakarta, the market for this professional category is not so brisk though demand is certainly rising. Sanyo's PLC-XF60/XP56/XP51 series or Canon's XEED SX50 are examples of high-end products.

Unlike microportable projectors costing no more than $2,500 per unit, high-end products are sold at above $5,000. Sanyo's PLC-XF60/XP56/XP51 series are marketed at between $5,250 to $12,500 or more, depending on whether lenses are included.

Canon's XEED SX50 is available at $4,000. This is understandable as the luminous rate of high-end projectors may reach 6,500 lumens, or in the case of the Canon XEED SX50, despite its grade of only 2,500 lumens, its projection quality is high. This is thanks to the application of Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) and Aspectual Illumination System (AISYS) technology to lenses and image production.

The market for high-end products is not as big as that for portable projectors. In Asia, the latter category indicates ever increasing growth.

The growth involves not only portable/mobile projectors but also installation and multipurpose projectors, usually connected to their functions as projectors for DVD players, computers and other digital sets. And in the coming years, manufacturers will definitely further indulge consumers with high-resolution, portable, light, multipurpose and certainly affordable cameras.