How Digital Light Processing is Slowly Conquering The TV Market
by: Mitchell Medford
Digital Light Processing can be considered as the pinnacle in science and technology that has focused its resources on the gigantic possibilities in improving digital entertainment. You may wonder, what is Digital Light Processing, and how it will help, or better yet, change digital entertainment. Here's a sneak peak on the what?s and how?s of Digital Light Processing.
Digital Light Processing was originally developed in 1987 by Texas Instruments scientist, Larry Hornbeck. Hornbeck had been trying experiments on how to manipulate
reflected light since 1977, and developed the Digital Micromirror Device. Five years after Hornbeck?s development of the Digital Micromirror Device, Texas Institute started to explore the commercial possibilities of Digital Micromirror Device. After a year of intensive development, TI named its new technology as Digital Light Processing or DLP for short. Their next step was making a separate group to further develop the commercial display applications of DLP. Their new group was aptly named, DLP Products division.
The prototype for the Digital Light Processors was seen for the first time in 1994. With the recognition of how promising the new technology could be, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences chose Digital Light Processing to project films on the Oscars. This was also the first time were the three-chip DLP technology was introduced to Hollywood.
The first ever release of DLP in public was in 1999, in the release of the George Lucas' movie "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace." After DLP's successful release, over two million DLP subsystems were shipped by December 2002.
The achievements of the Digital Light Processing products were also recognized when it was awarded with two Emmy awards. One was for broadcast excellence in 1998 and on 2003 for technology and engineering.
How does DLP, or Digital Light Processing work? DLP is basically a nanotechnological transformation of the basic survival technique of using a mirror to signal for help. You may wonder how such an advanced system could be compared to something so basic. Let me explain. The concept on both applications is the same, by shining a controlled series of light flashes on a target you are able to send out a message. The mirror on DLP's case is a part of an optical semiconductor which is the DMD also known as a Digital Micromirror Device. The DMD chip contains not only 1 but millions of microscopic mirrors each having the size of 16 micrometers or less than five times smaller than a human hair.
The DMD chip works by translating graphic signals into a corresponding mirror. By adding a projection lens and a light source, the mirrors are able to reflect any image on any available surface. The mirrors create light or dark images when they are tilted from a light source. This is accomplished by tilting two tiny hinges attached to each mirror.
With the advantage of smooth jitter free images, no burn-in effect experienced from plasma televisions, good color depth and contrast, and being smaller, thinner and lighter than the CTR-based options, Digital Light Processing is rapidly becoming a major player in the rear projection television market. Although Texas Institute remains the sole developer of this technology, many companies that have seen the capabilities and the promise of DLP have secured licenses with Texas Institute to market products that are based and developed from the DMD chipset.
About The Author
Mitchell Medford is an author and product development consultant for several consumer electronics manufacturers. Visit his websites for more information on DLP and satellite TV: http://www.newtechnologytv.com
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How Digital Light Processing is Slowly Conquering The TV Market
How Digital Light Processing is Slowly Conquering The TV Market
by: Mitchell Medford
Digital Light Processing can be considered as the pinnacle in science and technology that has focused its resources on the gigantic possibilities in improving digital entertainment. You may wonder, what is Digital Light Processing, and how it will help, or better yet, change digital entertainment. Here's a sneak peak on the what?s and how?s of Digital Light Processing.
Digital Light Processing was originally developed in 1987 by Texas Instruments scientist, Larry Hornbeck. Hornbeck had been trying experiments on how to manipulate
reflected light since 1977, and developed the Digital Micromirror Device. Five years after Hornbeck?s development of the Digital Micromirror Device, Texas Institute started to explore the commercial possibilities of Digital Micromirror Device. After a year of intensive development, TI named its new technology as Digital Light...
Projection tv > How Digital Light Processing is Slowly Conquering The TV Market
Projector Buying Tips: The Best Projector Shopping Guide
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Technology has always been known to make people?s lives better. In fact, some surveys said that 8 out of 10 people who were interviewed showed significant representation of people who were relieved to have the best technology in their lives.
One of the primary reasons why technology is deemed as life?s enhancers is because it can unleash the limits set upon the rigidity of previous inventions.
This goes to show that with the new trend of technology, people can expect a better life because it provides a hundred and one ways of making the impossible doable.
Take for example the case of projectors. Before, projectors are known to be used in movie theaters and during business presentations or seminars.
But with the continuous technological advancement and development, projectors are now known to be used even at home. This is especially true to those who...
Projector Buying Tips: The Best Projector Shopping Guide
Projection tv > Projector Buying Tips: The Best Projector Shopping Guide
LCD TV Checklist: Are you Prepared?
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LCD flat screen TVs provide a superior picture as compared to a traditional television - and they can come in more attractive styles to boot.
A flat screen LCD TV can be mounted on a wall, under a cabinet, on the ceiling? or can sit on a stand or on top of furniture.
LCD TVs are versatile, flexible, and provide a better entertainment experience? but how do they work?
LCD flat screen TVs, and LCD technology itself, is based on the properties of polarized light.
LCD TVs consist of two, perpendicularly arranged panes of polarized glass "stuck together" by a liquid-crystal-filled polymer solution. When they are exposed to electrical currents, the crystals untwist to varying degrees, permitting specific amounts and colors of light to pass though them.
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Projection tv > LCD TV Checklist: Are you Prepared?
Mitsubishi?s Bright New Idea
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Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is well known for their HDTV rear projection sets. Chances are that you have seen those models that utterly dominate large living rooms, and look similar to big square-like boxes that, if hollowed out, could accommodate a family of rottweilers. Those large monsters, in which the picture quality never looked very good from an angle, will soon be relegated to museums, because rear projectors are getting thinner at a fast clip. Now, Mitsubishi is pioneering a new way to approach the rear projection HDTV-they are using Lasers! With this new idea from Mitsubishi, a RPTV (Rear Projection Television) is transformed because a Laser replaces the usual mercury lamp in the rear of the set. The model is still considered a DLP (Digital Light Projection) but the light comes from red, green and blue Lasers! LASER, which stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation...
Mitsubishi?s Bright New Idea
Projection tv > Mitsubishi?s Bright New Idea