Village Gamer

BenQ Canada Corp. has announced that its next-generation MS517, MX518, and MW519 SmartEco™ projectors for small- to medium-sized spaces are now available at 340 Staples outlets across Canada. Featuring increased brightness of 2800 ANSI lumens, an improved contrast ratio of 13000:1, and SVGA (MS517), XGA (MX518), and WXGA (MW519) resolutions, the new projectors combine stunning image quality with support for 3D Blu-ray™ via HDMI^® and NVIDIA^® 3DTV Play™ (MW519) for education, corporate, and home entertainment applications.

To maximize A/V enjoyment, the MS517, MX518, and MW519 provide unlimited 3D Blu-ray entertainment via HDMI, supporting 3D frame-sequential, frame-packing, top-and-bottom, and side-by-side formats. In addition, the MW519 boasts support for NVIDIA 3DTV Play. This allows users to connect their laptop or desktop equipped with NVIDIA 3D Vision™ to the projector and enjoy a big-screen entertainment experience. A new user-friendly I/O port design with port names clearly printed on the housing makes operating the units even easier, while larger 80-mm fans reduce unwanted noise.

The projectors’ SmartEco technology reduces power consumption by up to 70 percent — in “Eco Blank” mode or full black — and provides up to 6,500 hours of lamp life. In “SmartEco” mode, the MS517, MX518, and MW519 automatically adjust lamp power to maximize power savings by delivering the best contrast and brightness performance, using only as much light as needed. The “no source detected” mode automatically lowers brightness to 30 percent when no display has been detected for more than three minutes. With “Eco Blank” mode, users can blank screens when not in use to lower light source power consumption to only 30 percent.

“Business and entertainment projectors available at retail have traditionally lacked significant 3D functionality. Our new MS517, MX518, and MW519 address this feature gap with support for 3D Blu-ray via HDMI, allowing users to enjoy a rich 3D experience in any setting from the classroom to the living room,” said Mike Booker, Vice President of Sales at BenQ Canada Corp. “With support for NVIDIA 3DTV Play, the MW519 takes 3D to a whole new level, whether it’s watching 3D movies in full 1080p HD playback, converting standard PC games to 3D, or browsing 3D images on the big screen.”

The MS517, MX518, and MW519 feature a fast cooling time to minimize the risk of heat damage and if the projectors are accidentally switched off, an instant restart feature provides users with a 90-second period to turn them back on.

The projectors display subtitles without the need for an external closed-captioning device, making them perfect for language classes and watching movies. For educational instruction, the units’ teaching template function includes four different line pattern designs — letter formation, musical staff, worksheet, and coordinate chart — that allow teachers to write on a whiteboard easily without the need to draw lines.

Available exclusively at Staples, the BenQ MS517, MX518, and MW519 retail at $449.99 (CAD), $549.99 (CAD), and $649.99 (CAD), respectively.