How to Select an LCD Projector Manufacturer
Many different projector technologies exist, but the most common ones for consumer-oriented models are LCD and DLP. Both use a combination of mirrors that split white light into its three basic video colors. The image then passes through a prism to recombine into full-color video.
In 1984, Gene Dolgoff in New York invented the first projector that corrected issues like the screen-door effect and large light losses. This improved contrast and brightness significantly.
History
Whether you’re watching a business presentation, classroom lesson or home-theater blockbuster, odds are your images are coming from an LCD projector. These digital-projector systems are three decades old, but still rank alongside DLP projectors in the top two digital projection technologies for consumers and professional users.
Step one: A powerful light source emits a beam of white light that passes through a red, green and blue LCD display to tint the image. The three tinted versions are then recombined to create the final full-color image that you see on your screen.
The first digital-projectors used white light sources paired with color-splitting optics, but in recent years, CCFLs (cold cathode fluorescent lamps) have been replaced by more efficient LEDs and lasers. These discrete light sources emit each of the RGB colors and split them into their constituent parts, allowing for a wider range of possible combinations to be displayed as full-color images. Epson, Sony and a number of other manufacturers produce both commercial and home-theater models that use these newer imagers.
Brightness
Brightness is one of the most important features to consider when selecting a projector. However, a manufacturer’s quoted brightness number is not necessarily apples-to-apples when compared to another projector’s, as there are no industry standards that govern how bright a projected image can be. Luminance measurements are typically reported in lumens, with the two most relevant metrics being white brightness and color brightness.
The LCD projector was able to increase its white brightness by calibrating out the blue bias. While it still has a slight blue tint, it is now significantly brighter than the DLP projector. The DLP projector can still rely on the ANSI lumen spec to compete with this LCD in terms of brightness, but its colors are unbalanced and it tends to overdrive highlight detail.
Proponents of the new CLO spec claim that the ANSI lumen spec is insufficient as it does not take into account how lcd projector manufacturer each projector creates its image or what the picture looks like once you watch it in a home theater setting. While they have a point, this study shows that both an LCD and a DLP projector can have equal ANSI lumens yet look very different.
Contrast
Contrast is the difference between the brightest white and darkest black that a projector can display. Good contrast allows you to see details and provides solid, rich whites and dense blacks. It also contributes to superior color saturation, shadow detail and three-dimensionality.
Contrast ratio is typically measured using a test pattern of alternating squares of black and white. A good contrast ratio is between 500:1 and 1000:1. The higher the number, the better.
While this method is the outdoor projection tv most reliable, it still leaves room for exploitation by some manufacturers that may inflate their numbers or utilize unstated variables when measuring. As a result, you should always rely on the modest native/static contrast ratio figures over oft-inflated dynamic contrast ratings.
LCoS projects use either a blue laser and yellow phosphor or a red, green, and blue phosphor wheel for the light source. As a result, they tend to have better contrast and image quality than LCD projectors. This is especially true when they include a dynamic iris. However, even without an iris, they are still generally considered to have excellent native contrast when compared to other projection technologies.
Resolution
The resolution of a projector determines how sharp and clear an image will be. It is also a key factor when selecting the best projector for your home or business. The higher the resolution, the better the picture will be. There are several different resolution standards, from SVGA (800 x 600 pixels) to HD and 4K UHD (3840 x 2160).
Most modern LCD projectors have a native resolution of 1920×1080. This is sufficient for most home-theater applications, although some high-end models offer native 4K resolution. This is achieved by using a technique called pixel shifting. This technology doubles the number of pixels projected onto a screen, and is used by Epson and JVC in their high-end home-theater and video-centric products.
The LCD projector is the dominant projector technology today. It is available in a wide range of price points, and has excellent color and contrast performance. This is especially true for projectors that use a dynamic iris or other enhancement technologies such as UB. These techniques help to reduce the “screen-door effect” that was a problem in earlier LCD projectors.
Image quality
Several manufacturers make projectors using LCD imagers, most notably Epson and Sony. Both offer a wide range of consumer-oriented models as well as more advanced business and large venue offerings.
LCDs are the least expensive of the three major projection display technologies, making them a popular choice for budget-minded consumers. However, their limited contrast ratio and screen door effect can detract from image quality.
Most LCD projectors use a cold cathode fluorescent lamp or an array of parallel CCFLs behind larger displays that are then lit by a metal-halide lamp to produce the white light required for an LCD display. Some manufacturers also list LED brightness ratings instead of ANSI lumens for these models, which can be misleading since the LED bulbs don’t output an ideal color temperature or a large enough color gamut to be comparable to traditional CCFLs.