Digital Light Processing™, or DLP™ technology is an all-digital technology used to project and display images. Invented by Texas Instruments, DLP™ technology is based on an optical semiconductor called the Digital Micromirror Device, or DMD.
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How does DLP™ technology work?
Digital Light Processing™ technology is based on the Digital Micromirror Device, or DMD, an optical switch semiconductor. The DMD is comprised of a standard memory cell on top of which is mounted a rectangular array of up to a million hinged, microscopic mirrors.
In a DLP™ projection system, red, green, and blue light is shone alternately onto the DMD mirrors, which switch on and off in response to a video or graphics signal being fed into the underlying memory chip. The mirrors can switch at a rate of up to 5,000 times per second; the light they reflect is directed through a lens and onto the screen, creating an image.
In projectors for high brightness applications, three DMD's are used-one each for green, red, and blue. Light from the lamp is split by a prism into these three colors and directed towards the appropriate DMD. The image is then created by recombining these reflections from the corresponding pixel on each DMD.
What is DLP™ technology used for?
DLP™ technology is used in a range of projection and display applications, including:
Home theater/home cinema applications, where it is used for showing movies, viewing TV programs on a large screen, playing video games, viewing digital still camera pictures, surfing the net, etc.
Business projectors used to deliver marketing, sales, and training presentations.
Video walls such as those found in the command and control centers used by telecommunications and utility companies.
Commercial entertainment applications such as concerts, corporate launch events, award ceremonies, and casinos.
Optical networking, where the fast, accurate switching of the DMD mirrors enables optical signals to be rapidly and reliably routed.
A wide range of other applications that demand the ability to quickly, easily, and accurately modulate light.
A version of DLP™ technology known as DLP Cinema™ technology is being used to replace celluloid-based projectors in movie theaters around the world.
What are the advantages of DLP™ technology?
DLP™ technology enables home theater systems, business projectors, digital televisions, and large venue projectors to deliver the clearest and sharpest images available.
Because it's an entirely digital display solution, the performance of a DLP™ projection system remains consistently outstanding throughout the life of the projector, bringing exceptional reliability to the display electronics you use every day.
And because DLP™ technology is semiconductor-based, its lightweight nature enables manufacturers to develop products that are smaller, lighter and more elegant than is possible with alternative technologies. Portable projectors featuring DLP™ technology can currently deliver an output of 2,000 lumens or more with a total weight of as little as two pounds. And the new generation of wide screen HDTV's featuring DLP™ technology are as shallow as 7 inches.
What is the difference between DLP™ technology and DMD technology?
The Digital Micromirror Device, or DMD, is the semiconductor at the heart of DLP™ technology. DLP™ technology includes all the functionality required to 'drive' the DMD and to optimize the image displayed.
What is the difference between DLP™ technology and DLP Cinema™ technology?
DLP Cinema™ technology is derived from DLP™ technology, using the same Digital Micromirror Device semiconductor. While the typical DLP™ subsystem uses one DMD chip, a DLP Cinema™ projection system uses three DMD's to deliver images of incredible clarity and a range of up to 35 trillion colors.
Both DLP Cinema™ and DLP™ technology are digitally precise; both can reproduce fast-moving images because of their rapid pixel-switching capabilities; and both use reflected light to deliver stunningly clear and sharp images.
The differences between the two technologies lie primarily in the way they are optimized. As any image buff will tell you, 'film' and 'video' have very different looks. Our challenge was to develop DLP™ technology in two directions: for DLP Cinema™ technology, our goal is to deliver images that looked just like film so that the movie-going experience could be precisely reproduced. For DLP™ technology, our goal is to deliver outstanding video and graphic images for home entertainment and business presentations.
How successful is DLP™ technology?
The success of DLP™ technology can be gauged by several key indicators. First, virtually every manufacturer of projectors-whether for business, commercial, or home use-now features DLP™ technology in their product line up. Secondly, more than 2 million DLP™ projection systems have been shipped to more than 50 manufacturers since early 1996. Moreover, DLP™ technology and the products featuring it have been consistent award winners; in June 1998, DLP™ technology received an Emmy Award for broadcast excellence.
How reliable is DLP™ technology?
People question the reliability of DLP ™ technology because it relies on the rapid mechanical switching of thousands of microscopic mirrors. In fact, extensive testing has shown that DLP™ technology demonstrates a Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) in excess of 100,000 hours. In addition, real world experience from the over 2.5 million systems based on DLP™ technology that have been installed since early 1996 confirms its very high reliability.
What are the alternatives to DLP™ technology?
The main display technologies in use today for projection and display applications are:
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)-historically used in business projectors.
CRT (Cathode Ray Tube)-at the heart of most TVs and computer monitors.
LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon)-emerging but unproven reflective version of LCD.
PDP (Plasma Display Panel)-used to create 'flat', wall-mounted displays.
Who invented DLP™ technology?
DLP™ technology was invented by Dr. Larry Hornbeck, of Texas Instruments in 1987.
What is DLP's presence in front projectors for the business products market?
Demand for DLP™ continues to grow. As of the fourth quarter in 2003, according to Pacific Media Associates, DLP™ market share was at 33.5% for business projectors, up from 25% in the fourth quarter in 2002. Since 1996, we have shipped more than 2.5 million DLP™ chipsets.
Where are DLP™ projectors used?
DLP™ projectors are being utilized across a broad range of industries to offer stunning presentations, including business and home environments, where families are enjoying them for movies, games, and digital camera pictures. Additional market-specific applications for DLP™ projectors include: classrooms, hotels and convention centers, and houses of worship.
Why should someone choose a DLP™ projector over an LCD projector?
Superior image quality - no pixelization (or screen door effects), crisper images, better reproduction of full motion video.
Higher contrast ratios (well in excess of 2000:1) which means that you get darker blacks and richer colors.
Higher picture reliability.
Single panel precision - no misalignment or convergence worries since DLP™ is a single panel system whereas LCD's have 3-panels. And even 3-chip DLP systems have a high degree of mechanical robustness which will not suffer from the misalignment/convergence issues from which LCD can suffer.
What is driving the growth of the consumer projector market?
The desire of consumers to emulate the theatre experience in the comfort of their own living room.
The availability of products that provide consumers a high-quality experience at an affordable price.
What is the importance of the new 16:9 chips?
They allow our customers to develop high-quality products for the home at an affordable price-point, allowing a more wide-reaching appeal.
16:9 is increasingly becoming the industry standard for content, including DVD's and HDTV.
How reliable are DLP™ projectors?
DLP™ projectors are very reliable- they are virtually immune to degradation and maintain a reliable and consistent image for the life of the projector. In May 2002, an independent third-party compared picture reliability between DLP™ and LCD data projectors. The results of the study showed that LCD data projectors degraded over time, whereas DLP™ data projectors exhibited picture reliability throughout the test period.
Where can you find DLP™ projectors?
DLP™ projectors are available direct from manufacturers, through the AV channel, online dealers, and they are now making their way into mainstream retail stores.
Will projectors replace or compete with TVs?
We do not see projectors competing with the TV market, as they satisfy different consumer needs. Projectors are products that will augment the overall consumer entertainment experience in the home. We see projectors as products that the consumer will use to enjoy specific events such as movies, sports, viewing content from digital cameras, gaming etc. Consumers will still use TV for their daily viewing of news, television programs, etc.
