Pacific Media Associates Sees Big Potential for Instant Theater; Bellwether Models Already Showing Meaningful Impact

Menlo Park, CA (PRWEB) April 24, 2006

Pacific Media Associates (PMA), the global market information experts on large-screen displays, predicts rapid growth for “instant theater” front projector products over the next four years. These models have an all-in-one design that incorporates a projector, DVD player, and sound system, making them quick and easy to set up and use.

“Instant theaters are a perfect example of the out-of-the-box thinking required for success in the New Era of the front projection market,” according to Michael Abramson, PMA Vice President for Front Projectors. “Their innovative and attractive industrial design gives them a broad appeal, from home entertainment to classroom applications.”

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PMA predicts that sales in this segment will accelerate rapidly. Rising from 44,063 units in 2005, sales are expected to reach 258,320 units for 2006, and increase to more than 1.2 million units for 2010. With annual sales forecast to exceed $ 842 million by 2010, this is a market segment that is sure to attract much attention from consumers, retailers, and manufacturers.

Epson, Optoma, and Radio Shack have current models that already are contributing a meaningful portion to sales of consumer front projectors. 3M and Toshiba have also announced models. Here is what some of the manufacturers are saying about their products and the market for instant theater projectors.

“The Projector/DVD combo product category is in its infancy stage of mass-market penetration, but the rapid rate of acceptance seen so far in the U.S. strongly indicates that sales for these products will grow significantly over the next few years,” said Fabia Ochoa, group product manager of home entertainment with Epson America. “While traditional front projectors for homes typically end up in fixed or permanent location (such as a ceiling installation), combo projectors such as Epson MovieMate 25 offer a unique advantage in the form of portability. Their integrated DVD players and sound systems give users the convenience and flexibility to simply transport an entire movie theater system to other rooms, without any cabling inconvenience. Overwhelmingly positive and consistent feedback from our customers tells us that the Epson MovieMate 25 has quickly become an enjoyable and integral part of their households.”

According to Jon Grodem, Sr. Product Manager at Optoma Technology. “MovieTime is doing well because it was designed from the ground up to serve the needs demanded by the instant theater concept, from the built-in DVD player and speakers. But we have also found that an all-in-one projector such as MovieTime is also ideal for teachers. It’s lightweight and portable, and easy to set-up. Along with the built-in features, the unit is easy for teachers to carry from classroom to classroom.”

“RadioShack is almost a whole channel by itself”, said Sara Bell, who is the Brand Manager responsible for their Cinego model. “While we have many stores in major metropolitan areas, we are also known for being in smaller towns throughout the country, many of which may never be served by the big box consumer electronics retailers. RadioShack is famous for its knowledgeable sales associates who will help identify a customer’s needs and find the best solutions for them. Many of our customers may have never been exposed to a home theater projector before and may be moving up from a 15-year-old 20-inch color TV. We can help educate them as to why a home theater projector can enrich their home entertainment experience.”

“As the No. 1 projector brand in retail and a leader in developing ‘crossover’ products that serve both professional and home entertainment needs, Toshiba believes the new ‘instant theater’ projectors will be a huge growth opportunity,” according to Sam Malik, Director of Marketing, Toshiba Digital Product Division, Projector Business Unit. “These extreme short-throw projectors are perfect for home users and apartment dwellers who don’t have the space for big-screen TVs or who simply want a less intrusive product. We believe the optimum product for this market should have a throw distance of just three feet covering a 100-inch diagonal area. It should also be feature-rich, incorporating true theater surround-sound technology and speakers, an HDMI input for high-definition programming, and the no-compromise Realta HQV™ processor (Hollywood Quality Video) from Silicon Optix for outstanding image quality.”

About Pacific Media Associates

PMA specializes in global display market information, covering all large-screen display categories: front projectors, plasma and LCD TVs, and rear-projection displays. Their Large-Screen Displays Industry Service family of publications provides detailed worldwide quarterly updates (sell-in data and forecasts) on large-screen display markets, newsletters on new products and other key industry developments, monthly advertised price tracking, ad hoc analyses, and annual Web surveys of North American resellers/retailers and end users (including both organizations and individual consumers). Their Large-Screen Displays Tracking Service family of monthly reports offers timely sell-through data and analysis on unit sales, street prices, and inventories of large-screen displays sold by leading North American retailers, resellers, and distributors. PMA was established by Dr. William Coggshall, who was previously a co-founder of Dataquest and helped start the syndicated high-tech market information business. PMA is headquartered at 1060 Siskiyou Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Tel. +1 650-561-9020. http://www.pacificmediaassociates.com

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