MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC AND SEIKO EPSON ANNOUNCE JOINT DEVELOPMENT OF WINDOWS® COLOR QUALITY SPECIFICATIONS FOR DATA PROJECTORS
New Windows® color quality specifications to further popularize data projectors
TOKYO, April 3, 2001 — Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
(President: Ichiro Taniguchi) (Mitsubishi Electric)
and Seiko Epson Corporation (President: Hideaki Yasukawa)
(Epson) plan to work with Microsoft Corp. to develop
specifications and test methods for color quality in
front projection type data/video projectors (data projectors).
The new specifications will be based on international
standards for color management technology (IEC 61966-2-1(sRGB).
The respective roles of the three companies will be:
1) Microsoft will refine the Windows® color quality
specifications for data projectors. 2) Mitsubishi Electric
and Epson will use their extensive experience in the
development of color management technology to assist
Microsoft with the specifications and will verify the
feasibility of the required technology.
Both Mitsubishi Electric and Epson will respectively
develop their own data projectors required to handle
these specifications. Microsoft presented the specifications
for data projectors at the Windows Hardware Engineering
2001 Conference (WinHec 2001) on March 26, 2001 in
Anaheim, Calif. (US).
Purpose of Joint Development
Epson is a leading company in the PC peripheral industry
with products, such as printers and scanners, and
Mitsubishi Electric leads the imaging display device
industry with products, such as television receivers
and CRT and LCD projectors. In color management and
other image information technology, both companies
have been engaged in wide-ranging R&D activities
in the effort to help establish international standards.
Data projectors using Liquid Crystal Panels were previously
unable to produce the equivalent color quality of CRT
or TFT type monitors. The color management technology
developed individually by Mitsubishi Electric and Epson,
however, preserves the capability to make it possible
for data projectors to reproduce the same natural color
tones as monitors. The new technology can also handle
new sRGB standards.
Within this context, Mitsubishi Electric and Epson
will introduce data projectors that are compatible
with Microsoft Windows and sRGB. With this they plan
to use the new Windows color quality specifications
to further expand the popularity of data projectors.
The joint development of sRGB test methods takes advantage
of the strengths of all three companies. The goal is
to lead the industry in this field while promoting
the healthy development and expansion of related business
ventures.
"Microsoft is pleased to be working with Mitsubishi
and Epson to establish consistent color specifications
for projectors used with the Windows operating system
based upon sRGB ," said Carl Stork, general manager
for Hardware Strategy at Microsoft. "Providing
our mutual customers with improved color quality on
projectors is important in order to achieve consistently
superior customer experiences across all Designed for
Windows color peripherals."
Background of Joint Development
In scanners, digital cameras, monitors, printers and
all color imaging equipment, the reproduction of
color is a critical issue, because each piece of
equipment has its own unique color range based on
the principles of operation and the properties of
the elements it uses. For instance, with medical
or educational applications, sometimes color reproducibility
is the key element, but the actual colors you found
on monitors and data projectors are different. Sometimes
the colors on print-outs produced by printers are
also different. Thus, subtle differences between
the color of the actual product and the colors as
they appear on various pieces of equipment can cause
problems. In some cases, a color can take on a quite
unnatural appearance. It is impossible to completely
eliminate all color differences between individual
pieces of equipment. However, the differences can
be greatly reduced through the application of color
management technology that converts color image data
based on color spaces common to all computers and
other peripheral equipment.
sRGB is a new international standard established in
October 1999. It is a system of color spaces that defines
tone, saturation, and brightness to make the color
expressions from all imaging equipment easily usable
by computer operating systems (OS) and the Internet.
By applying sRGB in all imaging equipment, all input
equipment like scanners and output equipment like monitors,
data projectors will be able to achieve the same high-quality
color reproduction.
Microsoft currently uses sRGB in its Windows operating
system and is encouraging other imaging equipment manufacturers
to use the same standards.
About Mitsubishi Electric
Corporation With 80 years of experience in providing
reliable, high-quality products to both corporate
clients and general consumers all over the world,
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (FTSE: 6503q.l) is
a recognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing
and sales of electrical and electronic equipment
used in information processing and communications,
space development and satellite communications, consumer
electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation
and construction. With operations in 36 countries,
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation recorded consolidated
group sales of over US$35BN in the year ended March
31, 2000. Additional information on Mitsubishi Electric
Corporation is available at www.mitsubishielectric.com.
About Seiko Epson
Founded in 1942, Seiko Epson Corporation developed
the world's first printing mechanism for the 1964
Tokyo Olympics and is today a global leader offering
a wide range of color digital imaging products (including
printers, scanners, digital cameras and LCD projectors),
electronic devices (such as LCDs, CMOS LSIs, quartz
devices) and precision products (such as watches
and optical products). The EPSON Group consists of
102 affiliates in 39 countries and recorded consolidated
annual sales of 1,184BN yen for the fiscal year ending
March 31, 2000.
About Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Presentation Products Division
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America's Presentation Products Division markets an extensive line of professional presentation and front-projection home entertainment display systems and is known for its award-winning, high-quality, accurate color reproduction technology. Products are sold through authorized distributors, resellers, retailers, dealers and system integrators throughout the United States. Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America is located at 9351 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, Calif., 92618. For more information, please call 888-307-0312 or visit www.mitsubishi-presentations.com. |
