Panasonic has announced the availability of the new PT-MZ projector series designed for large-venue applications such as higher-education, entertainment and house of worship. The PT-MZ series consists of three models ranging from 10,000 to 16,000 lumens (PT-MZ16K, PT-MZ13K and PT-MZ10K). Panasonic touts this series as the world’s first laser LCD projectors with liquid cooling technology, ensuring quiet operation at just 38dB. The PT-MZ16K, PT-MZ13K and PT-MZ10K are all compatible with a wide range of optional lenses for simplified integration.

Panasonic has incorporated several design innovations including a new 1-inch LCD panel, a new platform for the Laser-Diode unit and a new standard lens. The dust resistant ECO filter can last up to 20,000 hours and can be easily cleaned making these projectors virtually maintenance-free.  A  compact body weighs just under 50 pounds and the seven optional zoom lenses accommodate flexible installations. Setup is further expedited with Panasonic’s Geo Pro software. To quickly fix problems while maintaining image display, the projectors feature Panasonic’s new Multi-Laser Drive Engine with failover circuity, and a secondary backup signal input. A small LED display has also been included in the device, alongside the input ports, to aid with set-up and to check status information and error messages.

The PT-MZ16K, PT-MZ13K and PT-MZ10K are WUXGA resolution and can accept 4K/60p input from DIGITAL LINK and HDMI. This new series includes a wide range of connectivity options, including SDI IN, DVI-D IN, RGB IN, HDMI, LAN/DIGITAL LINK, LAN, DC OUT, SERIAL IN/OUT, REMOTE1/2 IN/OUT.

The PT-MZ16K, PT-MZ13K and PT-MZ10K projectors will begin shipping mid-November 2019.

Display market analyst firm PMA Research follows the projector market. Their most recent US Distribution channel report showed that sales of Laser-Phosphor with  5000 lumens and greater sales were up more than 30% year-over-year on both a unit and revenue basis.