A New Face in Television Technology Rear Projection DLP HD televisions Vs. Plasma and LCD By: Elliot Williams

Table of Contents An inside look on DLP innovation The key component – Digital Micromirror Devise Color in DLP TVs Single Chip DLP projectors Three Chip projectors Pros and Cons of DLP Distribution of TVs in market The Competition Conclusion Pg 3 Pg 4 Pg 5 Pg 6-8 Pg 9-10 Pg 11 Pg 12 Pg 13-14 Pg 15

An Inside Look on DLP Innovation Originally developed by Dr. Hornbeck in 1987 for TI. DLP and LCD are the two current display technologies behind rear-projection television . These two as well as plasma gas technology are the competitors in the HDTV market. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_light_processing It's About the Mirrors

The Key Component – A Digital Micromirror Device Image is created by numerous microscopic mirrors on semiconductor chip. The number of mirrors corresponds to the resolution of the projected image Mirrors are repositioned rapidly to create image

Color in DLP Technology There are two primary methods by which DLP projection systems create a color image single-chip DLP projectors three-chip projectors

Single-Chip DLP Projectors Colors are produced by placing a spinning color wheel between the lamp and the DMD The color wheel is usually divided into four sectors

The Unique Color Wheel Divided into four color sections Red, green, blue and additional clear strip to boost brightness Clear strip has been known to reduce saturation Some color wheels substitute additional colors such as yellow instead of clear stip

The color process cont. DMD chip is synchronized with the high-rotation rate of the wheel to produce a “full color” image Older wheels rotated once per frame while newer models are capable of rotating six times per frame

Three-Chip Projectors projector uses a prism to split light from the lamp each primary color of light is then routed to its own DMD chip They are then recombined and routed out through the lens

Pros and Cons to DLP technology Smooth 1080p jitter-free image Considerably cheaper than LCD and Plasma Replaceable light source provides longer life than CRTs and plasma displays Lighter weight than LCD and Plasma televisions Cons In single-chip designs, some viewers are bothered by the "rainbow effect” Some viewers experience eye strain, headaches, and migraines when viewing Poor viewing angle compared with direct-view technologies such as CRT, Plasma, and LCD

Distribution of TV models relative to size

A Look at the Competition Many tiny cells located between two panels of glass hold an inert mixture of noble gases The gas in the cells is electrically turned into a plasma which then excites phosphors to emit light. Plasma has turned out to be the higher priced option for HDTVs in the current market

Competition continued Liquid Crystal Display based on the properties of polarized light Two polarized panels sandwich a thin liquid-crystal gel that is divided into individual pixels LCD has been implemented widely among flat panel computer monitors as well as HDTVs Plasma Technology Many tiny cells located between two panels of glass hold an inert mixture of noble gases The gas in the cells is electrically turned into a plasma which then excites phosphors to emit light http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_crystal_display_television

Conclusion DLP HDTVs have set themselves apart from the competition by providing a ever more growing superior product for a fraction of the price. This places them at the forefront of an ever growing and expanding market full of future potential.

References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_light_processing http://hometheater.about.com/cs/television/a/aarearprotv.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_display http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_crystal_display_television