At the recent National Association of Broadcasters show, Christie announced 2 new 3LCD projectors, the LX501 and LX601i, both designed with small-to-medium sized venues in mind. Christie also said that 2 new widescreen models would follow in the near future.

Both new models offer XGA resolution, a hybrid filter rated up to 20,000 hours with no moving parts, closed captioning for NTSC video signal support, and digital keystone capabilities with 8-point geometry correction. In addition, the LX501 and LX601i are rated for high altitude use up to 10,000 feet and come with multiple lens options, including enhanced standards lens with a larger zoom ratio.

The LX501 is 5000 lumens and the LX601i is 6000 lumens. These new models will be available in May 2012. MSRP’s were not yet announced, but Christie said that the projectors were designed “with solutions that address both budgetary and professional needs without  compromising feature sets.”

Last fall, projector market research firm Pacific Media Associates noted a trend whereby high-end, luxury home theater projector manufacturers were bringing their products “down-market”. It seems the high-end, large-venue projector manufacturers are following suite.