Datascope Corp. Selects Full-Size ICEBrite EL Display from Planar for New Passport XG Patient Monitor; Larger Display Features Higher Brightness and Better Readability for Improved Medical User Benefits.

BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 18, 1996--Planar Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:PLNR) announced today that Datascope Corp., a world leader in the portable patient monitor market, has selected Planar's recently announced ICEBrite(TM) 10.4" diagonal VGA electroluminescent (EL) display for their new Passport(R) XG portable patient monitoring system.

According to Rich Tootchen, Datascope's product manager, "Planar's new ICEBrite display line simply provides us the industry's best image quality for this application. It has a crisp, clear, high resolution image with high brightness and contrast that makes the critical patient data that we display on our Passport XG more visible and readable than ever before.

"Our selection of the 10.4" (diagonal) display provides at-a-glance readability from a much greater distance and virtually any angle, making it readable from just about anywhere in the room."

The overall readability and size of the display not only impact the ability of medical staff to read and interpret patient vital signs, but is crucial to the overall user interface and ergonomic design of the equipment. "The larger brighter ICEBrite display has enabled us to create a new modern look for the Passport XG with improved functionality and performance," Tootchen concluded.

Announced in December 1995, the ICEBrite product line of 640 x 480 pixel format displays, includes three standard VGA sizes, 10.4", 8.1" and 6.4" diagonal, and also a new 5" diagonal, 320 x 240 pixel format quarter-VGA product.

"This family of displays was designed to expand Planar's market penetration by offering original equipment manufactures (OEMs) in the medical, industrial, instrumentation, transportation and point-of-sale markets with an affordable alternative to the historically poor image quality and environmental performance limitations of passive LCDs," stated Planar's president and CEO, Jim Hurd.

Planar achieved simultaneous breakthroughs in price and performance with its new proprietary ICEBrite technology. An innovative display drive architecture combined with Planar's proprietary ICEBrite (Integral Contrast and Brightness Enhancement) technology dramatically improves visual performance by achieving increased brightness and contrast. The result is a clear, crisp, high contrast visual image readable even in bright environments.

Planar has been a leading provider of graphics display to the medical market for over a decade and sales to this sector has been the main contributor to fueling Planar's rapid growth over the last five years.

"We view servicing the medical market as crucial to our continued growth and so we strive to provide what they and their customers need in terms of continuously improving display performance. We have come to understand their regulatory environment, their needs for configuration control, high quality and reliability and well as their time to market issues and their need for a long term reliable source of supply," added Hurd.

"The release of our ICEBrite product line and other recent product announcements reinforce Planar's ongoing commitment to the medical equipment market. Selection of the ICEBrite by a market leader like Datascope indicates that Planar is delivering on its long term commitment to its customers and that high performance monochrome EL displays continue to provide real value for many demanding medical applications," he concluded.

Planar Systems Inc. is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of high performance flat panel and CRT-based display products. The primary market sectors that Planar serves today are medical, industrial, instrumentation, defense, communications, transportation and business/office.

The company competes on a global basis with full development, manufacturing and marketing operations in both the United States and Europe. -0-

"Safe Harbor" Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

The Statements which are not historical facts contained in this release are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, product demand and market acceptance, risk, the effect of economic conditions, the impact of competitive products and pricing, product development, commercialization and technological difficulties, capacity and supply constraints or difficulties, the results of financing efforts, actual purchases under agreements, the effects of the company's accounting policies, and other risks detailed in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

CONTACT: Planar Systems, Beaverton

Michelle Raff, 503/690-6962