Planar has remained mostly quiet since CES, but given that CEDIA is within spittin' distance, it's no shock to see it making waves once more. Today, the outfit has revealed its first 3-chip HD projector, the DLP-based Viper. Other specs include a native 1,280 x 720 resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 2,000 lumens and 10-bit independent dual image / motion adaptive processing. You'll also find an RS-232 port, twin HDMI 1.3 sockets and a jaw-dropping $15,495 price tag. It's shipping immediately for those with the requisite coin. Full release after the break.

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]

Yeah, 70-inch LCDs may still make one swoon, but they're far from revolutionary. Still, Planar's managing to teach an aging dog new ways to be important by labeling its upcoming m70L the "first full-featured commercial-grade, high-definition 70-inch LCD monitor." A proud member of the m-Series lineup (pictured), this unit is entirely more comfortable in control rooms and fashion stores than in anyone's home theater, but still, it's a pretty impressive beast on paper. Reportedly, you'll find 178-degree viewing angles, 1,500:1 contrast ratio, a full 1080p resolution, 600 nits of brightness and HD-SDI connectivity. Also of note, this thing was built to run 'round the clock, but also boasts an integrated timer for scheduling events (source switching, on / off, etc.), landscape or portrait orientation support and compatibility with VESA mounts. The only real rub, however, is the price, and considering the $30,000 sticker it'll be rockin' when it lands next month, we'd say you're better off elsewhere.

[Via DigiTimes]

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 don't talk about Planar's HDTVs here a lot, but they are one of the many exhibitors at CEDIA 2006, and are showing off their entries into the ever-crowded arena of 1080p LCDs. Available in 37-, 42 and 47-inch sizes, the PD370, PD420 and PD470 bring the requisite 2 million-plus pixels to the table, plus 10-bit Faroudja DCDi image processing with motion-adaptive deinterlacing, 1200:1 contrast ratio, 500 nits of brightness, 6.5ms refresh rate and 24-bit color. One HDMI, two component and one RGB jack take the supported 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p and 480i inputs. These tunerless displays have integrated bottom-mounted speakers as seen on the 32-inch above, continue on for a pic of the 42-inch model. No word on pricing just yet but they'll need to provide a good value to compete in this market.