Marrying a video projector and a smart effects/architectural lighting device is an idea that’s been explored in limited ways over the years– but never for the retail and/or digital signage market. At the Digital Signage Expo, Epson is announcing this morning its new LightScene, that the company is calling “a new category of accent lighting laser projectors for digital art and signage.” The laser (phosphor) projectors “blend in discreetly” according to Epson, i.e. they look more like elegant, discreet lighting fixtures than video projectors and offer “an array of configuration, mounting and programming options.”
In an interview with Remi Del Mar of Epson before the show, she told me that this new projector from Epson is more about “getting engaged with brands, products, and services.”
“Much of digital signage, is flat panels,” said Del Mar. “But now, with both behavioral changes on the part of retail customers, and also new projection tools like mapping, we think this new breed of projector can be a confluence of lighting and projection. In fact, we did interviews with top retail designers from NY, Tokyo, the UK, and asked them, ‘what would you do with this product?’ And the answer was all about new ways of using projection: new kinds of digital merchandising, changing background scenery, and using color washes, gobos, or other effects as well as video images And it’s not just about what it can project. It’s also about the form factor, that lets a designer do different things. You can put it on the floor, or on a side wall or panel, for example, and it does not look like a projector. It blends in better with the design of the space.”
Examples of those referenced retail designers’ ideas will be showcased in Epson’s booth at DSE, booth #2336.
The new unit has some interesting features: the projector can be wireless. And if don’t need to put on network, put content on DS card. It also comes with some CMS features, and for the lighting design aspect, preset filters and gobos.
Two models available in what Epson calls a “sleek, spotlight form “ – the LightScene EV-100 in white, and the LightScene EV-105 in black.
Some highlights of the new product’s specs include:
• Based on 3LCD laser phosphor, with sealed optical engine. 2,000 lumens of color brightness and 2,000 lumens of white brightness.
• Content management tools – Includes templates, effects, color filters, and customizable options; users can create playlists, control the projector and schedule functions remotely with an easy-to-use, web-based application or over the network with Crestron, Art-Net and more.
• Scalable for an array of applications – you an Daisy-chain multiple LightScene projectors and utilize Edge Blending technology.
• Expansive connectivity – HDMI, RJ-45, wired and wireless LAN, and SD card slot for direct content storage when needed.
According to Epson the new LightScene projectors will be available May 2018 for $2,499 (MSRP). The laser projectors come with a limited warranty of three years or 20,000 hours, whichever comes first, and next business day replacement, including free shipping both ways.
