SONY RESELLERS ENDORSE FOURTH-GENERATION DIGITAL PHOTO PRINTER
UP-DR150 Model is Choice for Many High-Volume Photo Businesses
PARK RIDGE, N.J., Nov. 1, 2005 - Sony has resellers raving about its latest digital photo printer, the UP-DR150 model. This dye sublimation printer provides new levels of speed, quality and durability.
With the holidays rapidly approaching, Jeffrey Angelo, the CEO of SEPIA Photo Promotions in Hockley, Texas, predicts the Sony UP-DR150 will largely impact his seasonal photo business. He plans to have several hundred of the printers in operation by early November for printing photos with Santa at select U.S. locations.
"Sony has the best, fastest and most efficient printers on the market," Angelo said. "I believe the UP-DR150 is probably the future for us. We've been in the business for 16 years, starting with still video. To come this far in such a short period of time is a blessing."
Angelo admits using Kodak printers before shifting all 200 of them to Sony models. Their first Sony printer was the UP-DR100 model, which preceded the UP-DR150. The new printer's speed, reliability, quality and massive print output drove the company to reinvest in Sony.
Two features of the new printer are expected to drive business for SEPIA: faster print speed and massive print output, both of which translate into increased sales.
According to Angelo, more prints per roll also reduce the likelihood of printer breakdowns.
"In a seasonal business where people may not be technically inclined, the less the printer is opened, the more likely it'll remain intact," he said. "The higher roll capacity makes this possible."
The USB 2.0 connectivity is also a favorite with Angelo, allowing multiple printers to be connected to a computer for increased throughput for high-volume jobs.
What's more, he's impressed with the service and support Sony has shown, which include visits from company engineers to observe their printer applications, gathering research for next-generation printers.
Amusement Parks: The Need for Speed
Kevin Jackson, the president of Jackson Digital Imaging, a Sony reseller headquartered in Las Vegas that services amusement parks, echoed Angelo's sentiments.
"Quality, speed and connectivity improved significantly with this printer," Jackson said. "Not incrementally but very significantly."
Jackson added the printer's advance to USB 2.0 from USB 1.1 has made connectivity faster, easier and more reliable.
Jackson's clients take photos on amusement park rides. As customers exit rides, they have an opportunity to view and purchase their pictures. According to Jackson, with rides typically handling 2,800 people per hour, fast prints are crucial to avoid long lines.
"Picture quality is spectacular and the print speed is amazing," Jackson said. "Our customers are theme parks, so they look for print speed. The speed allows them to satisfy customers more quickly and handle more customers per hour."
Jackson was first introduced to the UP-DR150 printer at a trade show, and was so impressed with its speed and print quality that he embraced the Sony product.
Warner Brothers Movie World and Sea World in Gold Coast, Australia were shown side-by-side comparisons of the Sony UP-DR150 and Mitsubishi CP-9550 printers. According to Jackson, data transfer and print speed were "twice as fast" on the UP-DR150 and the print quality superior.
These higher volume printers attributed to JDI's increased media sales.
"If you have a high-volume photo operation, it makes sense to get the faster printer," he said. "The UP-DR150 is a wonderful choice."
The UP-DR150 is the fastest in the class of professional digital photo printers, producing 4 x 6-inch prints in eight seconds and 5 x 7-inch prints in only 15 seconds. The fourth-generation UP-DR150 reduces print time from the third-generation UP-DR100's 23 seconds to just eight seconds.
The high-volume roll capacity produces 550 4 x 6-inch prints (or 335 5 x 7-inch prints) without reloading.
These benchmarks are the result of combining the printer's adaptive thermal print head with a high-speed USB 2.0 interface. Aside from speed and quality, the new thermal print head is designed for durability to meet the demands of industrial use.
Editor's Note: Readers can find the nearest Sony authorized dealer or service location by calling 1-800-686-SONYor visit www.sony.com/digitalphotofinishing. Additional press material and product images are available for members of the media at www.sony.com/news.
