Geared towards K12 and higher education classrooms, as well as corporate conference rooms for small to medium sized business, the Sharp/NEC NP-PE455UL laser projector includes some advanced features at an attractive price. The PE455UL offers 4500 lumens, WUXGA resolution and  3LCD technology. With horizontal and vertical lens shift and a 1.6x zoom lens, it offers installation flexibility as well. The 20,000 hour laser life and sealed LCD cooling system create a low TCO, and a maintenance free projection solution. The Carbon Savings Meter calculates the positive effects of operating the projector in ECO Mode, which is encouraged by an optional message at startup. A green ECO Mode button on the remote control makes it easy to utilize this feature.

Operating at just 27 dB, the NP-PE455UL has whisper quiet operation for minimal distraction. The 16W speakers provide the audio capabilities needed for most large classrooms and conference rooms. In addition, the PE Series is 4K ready with NEC’s proprietary high performance video processing/scaling chip. Additional features include MultiPresenter for audio and video transmission from up to 16 sources simultaneously to the projector over the network, as well as NaViSet Administrator 2  — an included software solution that greatly eases administration and management of large network installations.

Two additional proprietary features include AutoSense, which intuitively syncs the projector with most computer signals and features one-touch image optimization, and Advanced AccuBlend which ensures detailed images when non-native resolution sources are connected to the projector. Tilt-free installation allows the projector to be rotated freely (360°) in order to point up or down depending on the installation requirements, and cornerstone correction enables horizontal, vertical and diagonal image correction for aligned images even when the projector is set up at an angle to the screen. A USB player permits playback (without a PC) of presentations or display images stored as JPG files from a USB flash drive. Finally, Crestron Roomview provides unified management, including the ability to switch the power on and off for multiple projectors connected to a network.

The Sharp/NEC NP-PE455UL is now shipping at a special introductory MSRP of $2,059.00 USD.

Display market analyst firm PMA Research tracks projector product and pricing trends with their Reseller Tracing Service and Census and Forecast syndicated research reports. Once used exclusively for high-end and large venue applications, laser projectors have now entered the mainstream education and corporate markets. With lower lumens well-suited for smaller spaces now available, and steady price declines for laser-light engines sales of laser projectors have steadily risen.