Since introducing the outdoorsy WP-42 late last year, Runco has apparently been quite pleased with its foray into the wilderness. Now, we're hearing that the company is gearing up for quite the push into said sector. At a recent getaway in Mexico for its top dealers and representatives, the company went so far as to demonstrate an all new prototype simply dubbed "High Bright." As its title implies, the weather-resistant set boasts upwards of 1,100 nits of brightness (compared to around 450 cd/m2 for the typical indoors LCD), and Runco engineers have purportedly figured out a way to not wash out the contrast in the process. No word from down south whether or not this particular unit was headed for retail, but one thing's for certain: Runco's looking at backyard pool areas just as intently as lavish living rooms.

If Mitsubishi's polite pair of projectors weren't enough to satisfy those impeccably high standards of yours, we've all ideas that Planar's duo won't let you down. First spotted at Runco / Planar's zanily themed booth at CEDIA, it seems that Planar is just now getting around to giving us a ship date that we can dutifully pencil in. The flagship PD8150 -- which checks in with a glorious 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, 1,000 ANSI lumens and a 15,000:1 contrast ratio -- will finally ship in early March for $7,999. As for the $5,999 PD8130, which also hits the road in March, you can expect the same resolution with a slightly lower 10,000:1 contrast ratio. Pretty tempting, no?

[Via AboutProjectors]

Runco and expensive tend to go hand in hand, so we'd expect nothing less than a five-figure price tag accompanying the firm's new Video Xtreme VX-22i. This 1080p monster features a three-chip DLP design, O-Path technology, CinOptx premium grade lenses, Vivix II video processing, a 4,000:1 contrast ratio, 2,850 ANSI lumens and comes calibrated to ISF standards. As expected, users with a completely stuffed bank account can opt for the CineWide with Autoscope edition ($54,995), but even those who go without the aforementioned option will be forking out $39,995 for the vanilla model. If you've managed to get over the shock, you can place your order now (or pick up a totally more useful BMW / college education / etc.) and expect it to arrive lickety split.

High-end manufacturer Runco is headed for the great outdoors with a 42-inch LCD panel that's ruggedized and weatherproofed for use outside the home. The 1366 x 768-native WP-42HD flat panel sports a cabinet design to minimize exposure to the elements, and has a "Winter Mode" to allow it to operate down to -4° F -- low enough to want to watch it through the window instead of beside it. As is usual for Runco, the set includes RS-232 automation, a custom high-gloss bezel, and a $8,995 price tag to match, leaving us to wonder if we can instead pick up eight Vizio sets and just replace one every winter.

Considering that Runco and Planar are like family these days, it wasn't exactly shocking to find the two booths located side-by-side. Interestingly, Runco and Planar chose to erect a golf-themed exhibit, complete with a putting green, Player's Club, and an HT clubhouse. Aside from the decorations, we found a variety of LCDs (like the 1080p PD470) on display, as well as a number of new home cinema projectors including the 1080p DLP trio more commonly referred to as the PD8150, PD8130, and PD8120. Go on, check out the gallery below -- greens fees are on us!

Joining the growing array of recent acquisitions is Planar and Runco International, as just today Planar has written a check for $36.7 million to take on the assets of privately-held Runco International, Inc. Planar, while not a household name in the home theater biz, managed to hold its own amongst competitors in the HT market, and while the majority of its products catered to the mid-range consumer, we suspect that picking up Runco was the easiest way to launch into the high-end realm. As expected, it looks like the Planar, Runco, and Vidikron brand names will remain as they are, and just as Planar will continue to sell through its current network of distributors, it sure sounds like Runco will remain a niche offering rather than bleeding over towards the mainstream.

We first peeped these units way back at CEDIA '06 and now are glad to report that Runco is shipping the world's first THX-certified projector lineup. These bank account breaking units are the first 1080p HD product to sport the new THX Certified logo that guarantees that the second mortgage you took out to buy one of these was worth it. The Video Extreme lineup (VX series) includes the VX-22d, VX-44d and VX-55d 3-chip 1080p DLP projectors along the new VX-2000d and VX-6000d single-chip 1080p DLP projectors. This series can be configured and customized to fit any clients/owners needs/wants and start around 11 grand but can easily climb all the way above 110K. It has been awhile that Runco can be considered cutting edge but we are thinking the THX Certified logo will beg to differ now.

[Via Home Toys]