Contacts:

Nancy Fleming Bird
JVC Company of America
(973) 315-5113 (tel)
nbird@jvc.com

Barbara Brown
R&J Integrated Marketing Communications
(973) 331-1070
brown@rj-adv.com


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JVC INTRODUCES 61" D-ILA HOLOGRAM PROJECTION TELEVISION D'AHLIA AV-61S901 WITH NEXT GENERATION PICTURE QUALITY READY FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION DIGITAL VIDEO AND 1080i BROADCASTS

New York, NY (December 16, 1999) - JVC, the inventor of VHS and D-VHS, and an innovator in projection television systems, announced the introduction of the AV-61S901, a breakthrough new D'Ahlia boasting the highest picture quality available in the industry today.

More than just a step up in image quality, this new TV is the perfect centerpiece for a modern home theater system in a world that is becoming increasingly digital, day by day. With digital broadcasting trial runs already underway in the United States, viewers will soon be clamoring for a television system able to fully reproduce the higher picture quality coming their way. The 61-inch AV-61S901 is that television.

Incorporating JVC's exclusive D-ILA Hologram Device, the AV-61S901 is capable of producing a high-resolution (1280 x 1028 pixels), high-contrast, big-screen image far brighter than conventional projection TV images, with a wide angle of visibility. This not only makes it an ideal showcase for high-resolution media such as DVD and D-VHS, but also the best way to realize the full potential of 1080i high-definition digital programs.

With a sleek, contemporary design, a brilliant picture that makes conventional projection TVs look dark and dull in comparison, plus compatibility with 1080i digital broadcasting (via external DTV decoder), the AV-61S901 clearly sets a new standard for future-oriented home theater systems.

Bright, High Resolution Image with new D-ILA Hologram Device D-ILA (Direct Drive Image Light Amplifier) Hologram Device is a leading-edge technology that allows an ultracompact 1.22-inch device to produce an incredible 1280 x 1028 pixel image - the highest resolution currently available from a consumer device.

This high performance was made possible by combining the fundamental D-ILA technology that has been perfected in the professional market - where it is used in a wide range of venues including theaters - with a newly developed Color Hologram which divides light into the R/G/B (red/green/blue) components using a thin film layer, therefore enabling a single-panel D-ILA device to be produced.

Being a reflective technology that literally bounces more than 93% (aperture) of the used light off the pixels, compared to only about 40-60% (aperture) passage through transmissive LCD panels, D-ILA is a technology ideally suited for household TVs because its bright picture won't require the user to dim the room in order to watch it.

And in addition to this brightness, this single panel device is able to deliver clearly defined images from edge to edge of the screen, unlike 3-beam CRT projectors in which fuzzy images can occur in the periphery of the screen due to R/G/B registration errors.

Wide Viewing Angle

The D-ILA Hologram device's superior image is supported by the AV-61S901's high quality screen, which provides a wide angle of view. Whereas images on most projector TVs must be viewed head-on for best results, the AV-61S901's 61-inch screen offers improved visibility both vertically and horizontally, enabling viewers to comfortably watch from almost anywhere in the room, whether they're sitting, standing, or stretched out on the couch.

Performance Ready for DTV Broadcasts

Besides being equipped with an NTSC tuner and a full set of S-Video (Y/C) and AV (RCA) inputs, the AV61S901 is also ready for 1080i DTV digital broadcasts. Component inputs allow easy connection of DTV decoders, while the D-ILA Hologram Device assures superb reproduction of DTV images at 1280 x 1028 pixels.

"Natural Progressive" Technology

To further assure the best possible picture quality - whether it's DTV, DVD, D-VHS or VHS video - the AV61S901 incorporates JVC's unique "Natural Progressive" picture improvement technologies to optimize signal quality before the picture is displayed on the screen. By doubling the image data in each field and using advanced 3D interpolation, JVC's Natural Progressive is able to display a solid image without any visually noticeable scanning lines on-screen, while eliminating jagged edge noise and image trails.

Theater Performance

Judging from its huge 61-inch screen and brilliant, high-resolution picture performance, the AV-61S901 is clearly designed to be the centerpiece of a state-of-the-art home theater system. JVC equipped this revolutionary TV with everything needed to enjoy a truly dynamic home theater experience, including a pair of 10cm full range stereo speakers plus two 16cm Superwoofers for thundering bass, a built-in 50W amplifier for big stereo sound, as well as Dolby 3-D Phonic circuitry to produce a surround sound effect even without any speakers connected externally. And it's all built into a unit that manages to maintain a slimmer profile than a conventional 36V CRT television.

With the introduction of the AV-61S901 D'Ahlia, JVC has raised the bar substantially in the field of home theater performance, solidifying the company's leadership position as an innovator in home entertainment technology. By applying cutting-edge professional projection technology to a consumer level television, JVC is continuing their innovative tradition in a product that makes sense both today and tomorrow.

Supplementary Information

AV-61S901 61" D-ILA HOLOGRAM PROJECTION TV

Major Features

Picture & Sound Performance

Overall Convenience

E. & O. E. Design & specifications are subject to change without notice.

Supplementary Information

Advantages of D-ILA Technology

Reflective Method Enables Brighter Picture

The "D-ILA hologram device" is JVC's own technology and designed first time for consumer use - a breakthrough in imaging technology achieved by using a "reflective" rather than a "transmissive" method.

Whereas transmissive devices such as LCDs work by sending light through the liquid crystal layer, the reflective D-ILA Hologram device bounces the light off a mirror-like layer just underneath the pixels. Since the light does not have to pass through the pixel-driving transistor layer, an aperture ratio of more than 93 percent is achieved, compared to only 40~60 percent with a conventional LCD.

In addition, the D-ILA Hologram device uses vertically oriented liquid crystals for better blockage of light when a pixel is turned "off", thereby producing a more solid black and a higher contrast overall image. And by fitting approximately 1.32 million pixels and almost 4 million dots into an ultracompact 1.22-inch device (for six times the pixel density of even the highest-density conventional LCD), high-resolution images that are ideal for large-screen viewing were attained.

Newly Developed Hologram Color Filter

The Hologram Color Filter used for this device refracts the incoming white light (from 200W replaceable ultra high-pressure mercury lamp) so that its Blue, Green and Red components are able to precisely strike the appropriate B, G and R pixel electrodes. This innovation was a key aspect in allowing a single-panel D-ILA Hologram device to be developed, which is not susceptible to the R/G/B registration errors that can occur with 3-beam CRT projectors. Coupled with high light efficiency, this technology makes it possible to attain a bright, high-resolution image without color smear or image blur, even in the outer periphery of the screen.

Powerful 200W Mercury Lamp

Providing a worthy light source for the D-ILA Hologram Device is a 200-watt ultra high-pressure mercury lamp. By averaging out temperature distribution, this sophisticated lamp design also serves to extend the lamp's longevity. Combined with the higher luminance made possible by the D-ILA hologram device, this lamp helps produce an image that can be seen clearly even under bright indoor lighting conditions.

"Natural Progressive" with 3D Natural Progressive Interpolation

This system produces a smoother, more stable picture than conventional interlace scanning systems by doubling the density of each scanning line. This progressive scanning helps compensate for the normal time gaps between the two fields that make up a frame and assures that the individual scanning lines are not visually noticeable even when relatively close to the screen. And although rapidly moving images, prone to image trails, were long considered to be the weak point of progressive systems, JVC's Natural Progressive eliminates such problems with advanced digital 3-D interpolation. For every pixel on the screen, it samples the same pixel in the previous and next frames, as well as the neighboring pixels (±1 position vertically, ±2 positions horizontally) to arrive at the value for that single pixel. Since this process is done for all the pixels on-screen, the system, in effect, is constantly gathering data from 1.32 million pixels and almost 4 million dots, at lightning speed. The system also figures if the subject is stationary, slow moving, or moving at high speed in the scene being played back, in order to provide the best interpolation scheme for each situation.

E. & O. E. Design & specifications are subject to change without notice.


JVC, headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, is a leading consumer electronics manufacturer. The company distributes a complete line of video and audio equipment including DVD players and changers, camcorders, VCR's, color televisions, home and portable audio equipment, mobile audio and blank tapes. For more information on JVC's D'Ahlia or other consumer products, contact Nancy Fleming Bird of JVC at 973-315-5113 or Barbara Brown of R&J at 973-331-1070, or visit JVC's web site at www.jvc.com/.

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