Samsung will decide by year-end whether to field a full line of ...

from projector supplier Viewsonic, said the company has to fill out its line to compete. Samsung shipped a 1.5-pound micro-projector ($699) three months ago with a 0.55-inch DLP chip with 800x600 resolution, 25 lumens and 1000:1 contrast ratio, extending a line that included the SP-H710AE 710 home theater projector ($3,499). The SP-H710AE 710, shipped last October, sports a single 0.6-inch DLP chip with 1,280x720p resolution, 700 lumens, 2,500:1 contrast ratio and 250-watt lamp. The micro-projector uses six LEDs sourced from Osram. “Right now we're just getting feedback as far as what we need to do to have a more robust roadmap,” Franey said. “The company is serious about being in the projector marketplace and is working extremely hard in engineering. By CES, we will either be ready to play or not ready to play in terms of having a pretty focused lineup.” A Samsung preliminary product roadmap for projectors “fills in the gaps quite well,” Franey said. That Samsung is not introducing a deep line of front projectors is “largely a matter of priorities,” as the company has emphasized TVs, cellphones, storage, memory and semiconductors, Franey said. Meanwhile, LG has no immediate plans to debut in the U.S. a micro-projector it is expected to ship in Korea next month, said Ronald Snaidauf, vice president of commercial products. LG’s projector, with a 0.55-inch DLP chip, is said to deliver 100 lumens using Osram LEDs.