LONG BEACH, Calif., Feb. 20, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has turned to a high-performance Epson workhorse printer, the Epson Stylus(r) C120, to print thousands of high-quality credentials for the 80th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony. The Epson MovieMate(r) will also be behind the scenes to project "Oscar's Greatest Moments."
"We need every aspect of the production to run smoothly, so having printers we can rely on to produce high-quality credentials quickly without any glitches is critical," said Deborah Cahn, manager of Credential Operations. "The Epson C120 addressed all of our needs for quality, productivity and media handling. And with the portable MovieMate, having an instant home theater onsite during preparations leading up to the ceremony adds to the Oscar atmosphere."
The affordable, high-performing Epson C120 printer, the world's fastest document ink jet printer(1), was selected for this application because of its high-speed performance for maximum efficiency. Other important factors in the selection included the excellent image quality and Epson's quick-drying inks so credentials could be handled immediately without smudging. Officials also needed a printer with a straight-paper path that would accommodate the unique media used for the credentials.
As participants go through the credentialing process, they will be able to enjoy past Academy Awards in "Oscar's Greatest Moments" with the Epson MovieMate 72 all-in-one projector, DVD and music player combo. MovieMate enables anyone to quickly and easily set up and view stunning, larger-than-life video experiences (up to eight times larger than a 40-inch widescreen TV) with Dolby(r) Digital audio, in practically any location, including at the credential operations for the Academy Awards.
"Identification credentials are being used with increasing frequency these days, and Epson's DURABrite(r) Ultra pigment ink technology coupled with the productivity of our C120 printer makes it easy to quickly create such badges on the spot," said Keith Kratzberg, vice president, Marketing, Epson. "Furthermore, there's no better place than the Oscars to showcase a home entertainment product such as the MovieMate 72, which is designed to turn an ordinary movie display into an extraordinary 'go big' experience. We're pleased to work with organizers of the Academy Awards by providing them with technologies that deliver control, convenience and fun for their operations."
About the Epson C120
The DURABrite Ultra inks in the Epson C120 produce smudge and water resistant laser-quality text and brilliant color images on both plain and photo paper. The output is even highlighter resistant on plain paper. These all-pigment inks dry instantly so customers can share prints immediately. The Epson C120 features individual ink cartridges, so consumers only have to replace the color needed, and the printer's dual black cartridges allow twice as much printing at twice the speed for even faster productivity and enhanced convenience(2). While optimized to be a workhorse for everyday printing, the Epson C120 also features important photo capabilities. Epson's Auto Photo Correction(3) is like having a photo lab technician built into the printer to correct the lighting in poorly exposed images to produce perfect prints. The Epson C120 also supports BorderFree(r) photo printing in a variety of popular photo sizes.
About the Epson MovieMate 72
Engineered for "high def" home cinema enthusiasts, the Epson MovieMate 72 is the industry's first high-definition combo projector with true HD (720p) resolution and HDMI connectivity. In addition, the Epson MovieMate 72 upconverts standard resolution DVDs (480p) to 720p resolution and achieves astounding levels of image quality with bright, natural colors by way of three-chip (3LCD) projection technology. It can also be used to play photo slideshows and soundtracks from a USB flash drive or DVD/CD and has a VGA input that enables consumers to show images from a PC or Mac. A unique swivel base provides versatile DVD loading, and the lens shift provides more flexible placement so it's not necessary to be exactly in front of the projection surface. Four 5W speakers built-in with Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS deliver rich, powerful audio.
About Epson
Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business, photography and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) printers and transaction terminals for the retail market. Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif.
Note: Specifications subject to change. Epson and Epson Stylus are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation. DURABrite, BorderFree and Epson MovieMate are registered trademarks of Epson America Inc. All other products and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks.
(1) Fastest black text printing, compared to ink jet printers under $160 available as of April 2007; up to two times faster compared to ink jets under $100. Based on independent test in Default Mode printing typical office documents.
(2) Two Black cartridges allow about twice as much black printing, at about twice the speed, as compared to printing with a single Black cartridge.
(3) Not available when printing using Mac OS(r) X.