Panasonic is looking to create a new market category –’projection lighting’ – with its newly launched Space Player product, which combines the functions of traditional lighting fixtures and video projectors.
The Space Player combines lighting and laser projection functions in a single spotlight-shaped design. It can project in all directions below its horizontal axis, bringing illumination, projection and animation to any space. Panasonic is targeting it at applications in retail, museums and restaurants: in retail, for instance, it can simultaneously spotlight merchandise and project product specific-text. Quoted brightness is 1,000 ANSI lumens, and the recommended resolution is 1280 x 800 – a few more lines than WXGA (1280 x 768).
Space Player can play back content from SD cards, PCs and tablets. It attaches to standard lighting rails via a single cable for simple installation and relocation, and promises 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation thanks to its laser light source.
“Panasonic wants to create a new market of ‘Projection Lighting’ that utilises video for lighting,” said Hartmut Kulessa, European marketing manager for projector products. “We see the Space Player creating appealing exhibits in museums by using moving pictures instead of static graphics, or perhaps in a restaurant where it could be used to create an impressive atmosphere by projecting the menu on to a wall or table.
“With the Space Player this can easily be integrated into the existing lighting infrastructure and means a cost-effective, easy way of creating an impressive AV display.”
The Space Player is available in black (PT-JW130GBE) and white (PT-JW130GWE) and has an recommended retail price of £1,990 in the UK.
