News Release：Pioneer Corporation Introduces the "PDP-503CMX"50-inch XGA Professional Plasma Display

• Peak brightness improved by 60%^*1 and bright area contrast by 80%^*1, realizing sharper high-definition images even in bright locations
• Industry's lowest^*2 power consumption for a large high-definition screen of just 380 watts

July 23, 2001, Tokyo, Japan --- Pioneer Corporation today announced the introduction of the company's third generation professional-use plasma display, the "PDP-503CMX", to the Japanese domestic market.

PDP−503CMX

< Background >

At the end of 1997, Pioneer introduced the PDP-501HD, the world's first 50-inch Hi-Vision (Japanese HDTV system) plasma display system equipped with a XGA wide panel, to the Japanese consumer market. Since then, the company introduced a variety of products for both consumer and professional uses worldwide, and has enjoyed a good reputation since then.
During the period from 1997 and up to now, which is likely to be called 'the dawn of the plasma display market', Pioneer has been creating the market to be a true pioneer of plasma display. Through this period, the market has been showing a continuous growth, and the company believes that the global PDP market in the year 2001 will grow to approximately 360,000 units, a significant 210% growth over the previous year.
Professional-use plasma displays are currently used in a wide range of areas such as presentations at businesses and schools, information and graphics displays in public and commercial spaces, as well as in control and monitor boards in electric power plants, communications, and disaster prevention facilities. Demand for these displays is expected to strengthen as new pplications and markets emerge.

It was under these circumstances that Pioneer developed the new "PDP-503CMX", a third-generation 50-inch XGA model for professional use. The Company harnessed the know-how it inherited from the development of second-generation 50-inch models, and will gradually introduce the new model to world markets starting with Japan. Pioneer expects that the considerably improved peak brightness and contrast in bright areas as well as the lower power consumption of this model will further stimulate demand in the professional market.

< Main Features of the PDP-503CMX >

The PDP-503CMX was developed to give greater brightness and higher definition to video images input from PCs and other sources in response to strong demand from the business world. In particular, applications used to deliver presentations or for electronic advertising and public information displays increasingly call for sharper visibility and greater impact of messages in bright locations. Pioneer believes the new PDP-503CMX will meet these requirements.
As well as offering the highest level of brightness and contrast currently available in the industry, the PDP-503CMX has many other advantages. Among these are greater ease of use and reduced power consumption when used in presentations, high reliability when used for electronic advertisements and public information displays, and superior flexibility to accommodate a wide range of other applications.

1 ) New "Deep Encased Cell Structure" ^*1 achieves the highest standard of brightness in the industry

The Deep Encased Cell Structure represents an improvement over the former Encased Cell Structure panel developed by Pioneer. This design emits considerably more light, even for a high-definition panel of 1280 x 768 pixels, resulting in a brightness that is 60% greater than Pioneer's previous models.

2 ) New "Pure Color Filter" ensures high contrast in bright locations and faithful color reproduction

Pioneer's newly developed Pure Color Filter is used in the front panel to reduce ambient light reflection by 30% over previous models. By suppressing the reflection of ambient light, contrast in bright locations is improved by as much as 80% over the company's previous models, resulting in sharp, high-impact video displays.
Optimizing the filter's color correction also removes unwanted frequency components in each of the RGB^* color signals, to vastly improve color purity and reproduction surpassing CRT displays.

3 ) "Advanced Continuous Emission Display Technology ^*2" vastly enhances the gradation in less bright areas

Pioneer's improved display technology results in an improvement in gradation that is 100% greater than the company's previous models, according to Pioneer tests. The gradation in poorly illuminated areas, an issue that plagued conventional plasma displays, has received the greatest improvement.

4 ) High reliability, durability, and flexibility satisfy the stringent demands of professional applications

The PDP-503CMX offers a high level of reliability and durability required by information displays at public and commercial facilities where display continues uninterrupted over long periods of time.

• Effective heat discharge for improved durability
  A built-in ventilation fan stops during normal ambient temperatures and increases its rotation when temperatures rise excessively. This allows the PDP-503CMX to effectively discharge heat in a variety of locations.
• Functions to prevent or suppress 'burn-ins'
  The PDP-503CMX includes a peak pattern detection system that divides the screen into smaller areas and monitors lengthy still picture projections and concentrated brightness on specific areas. Other functions designed to mitigate the occurrence of burn-ins are a Linear Brightness mode that suppresses peak brightness, an Orbiter mode that shifts images by one pixel at fixed time intervals, and an Inverse mode that inverts the colors and brightnesses of images.
• Improved serviceability
  Serviceability has been accorded sufficient consideration through the PDP-503CMX's Self Diagnosis function that enables prompt maintenance and a Feedback function that provides information on the operating status.
• Expansion slot to support diverse applications

5 ) Economical and Environmentally Friendly

The PDP-503CMX has attained a low power consumption level of 380 watts, the lowest for a 50-inch plasma display in the industry, despite the fact it has achieved the industry's highest level of brightness. With the Power Save mode, power consumption can be reduced by up to a further 20% from the level used during normal operation, and when the PDP-503CMX is not used over long periods of time, its Power Management feature automatically switches it to Standby mode (at 1 watt). These are just a few of the energy-saving features included with this model.
Halogen-free resins and chromium-free plated parts, which are safe for humans and the environment, have also been actively used.

6 ) Greater Ease of Operation

Ease of operation has been improved so that anyone can easily use the PDP-503CMX in conference rooms, meeting rooms, or classrooms for presentations, discussions, and classes.

• The display has been certified by Microsoft, reflecting its compatibility with PCs.
  * The PDP-503CMX has been certified by the Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL).
  * Plug and Play (DDC1/2B) is supported.
• Large, easy-to-read on-screen display (OSD) is visible also from distant locations.
• Auto Setup function enables one-touch adjustments of screen conditions, which make it ready for connection to a variety of PCs.
• Point Zoom function enables easy enlargement of specific areas on screen.

7 ) Other Features

External control interface (RS-232C) / Combination terminal enabling centralized control over multiple PDPs / Audio amps (2W + 2W) / off timer linked to full mask / Up-down, left-right inversion mode / Auto function for automatic input switching / 2x2 multi-expansion display without needing expansion device / Variable audio output / Keylock function to prevent tampering / Minute white balance adjustment / Color temperature (white balance) switching / OSD on/off / Others

< Main Features of the PDA-5002 Optional Video Card >

The PDA-5002 is an optional video card with two video inputs (Composite and S-Video) and one digital RGB (DVI) input. When mounted in the PDP-503CMX, this card enables the smooth reproduction of moving pictures under 8X density NTSC Progressive Scan.
The PDA-5002 also provides a DVI* (Digital Video Interface) port that allows direct input of digital data from a personal computer. No troublesome picture adjustments are necessary following connection, and clear, noise-free digital video images are reproduced.

< Technical Explanations >

*1. Deep Encased Cell Structure

Light leakage into neighboring cells above and below a cell is prevented by placing ribs in parallel crosses (as in a waffle) instead of in stripes, as had been the previous practice. This Encased Cell Structure is extremely efficient at guiding light to the front surface of the panel. The PDP-503CMX's Deep Encased Cell Structure, which has deeper channels between the ribs, expands the electric discharge area of the plasma, which significantly boosts the quantity of light being emitted. Emission efficiency is improved by 50% over the previous models.

*2. Advanced Continuous Emission Display Technology

The advanced technology eliminates the false contours that appear in close-ups of faces, a common plague among PDPs, and improves contrast in dark areas by suppressing reset discharge to an absolute minimum. The PDP-503CMX employs Pioneer's newly developed Advanced Continuous Emission Display Technology, which significantly improves the gradation. The reproduction of gradations in areas of lower brightness-generally difficult with PDPs-is especially improved, resulting in more detailed, smoother images. (The gradation in low-brightness areas has improved by 16-fold compared to previous models.)

< Main Specifications >