Consumer Electronic Information: The Basics of the DLP Projector

Projectors have come a long way in the past few decades.
The desktop fossils that were once used to show home movies
or classroom filmstrips are a thing of the past. With
today’s technology, you can now experience a projected
movie that emulates a full-blown theater flick, without the
time, effort and hassle of standing in line at the local
cinema.

DLP projectors – also known as Digital Light Processing
projectors – have brought the proverbial silver screen to
the home front. The fact that some theaters actually use
this type of technology for feature movie projection makes
this truer than you might imagine. After being digitally
converted and placed on an optical disk – much in the same
way as DVD technology is produced – the images are fed into
the projector and sent to the movie screen. The main
difference is that DLP projectors offer a high definition
experience, as opposed to that of a DVD. The result is a
picture that very nearly rivals the quality of a 70mm
projection, but without the imperfections.

The color accuracy of the DLP system is outstanding, with
an end result that beats LCD technology. Some of the
advantages that make a DLP the projector of choice are its
low power consumption, compactness, micro-mirror
construction (which is responsible for the high level
screen resolution), high contrast and brightness. All in
all, this is the closest that anyone can come to having a
bona fide cinema within the confines of their home.

With every set of pros, you’ll always find some cons
lurking in the shadows. Such is the case with the DLP
projector. For those who are particularly sensitive to
certain visual effects, the DLP design produces a type of
“rainbow effect,” which could serve as a distraction when
looking from one side of the screen to the other during
viewing. This will play out as a brief splash of colors,
which is simply a result of the type of technology that’s
used in the production of the DLP. Most people don’t even
notice this color display, but those who are in tune to
that sort of thing may see it as an annoyance.

While this is also true for LCD projectors, consumers might
be disappointed to know that DLP projectors need to have
their light source changed after every 1,000 to 2,000
viewing hours. All in all, though, this is nothing new
and, when you consider the higher quality that this type of
system offers, it shouldn’t be seen as much of an
inconvenience at all.

Perhaps the most inhibitive aspect to the acquisition of a
home theater system, such as the DLP, is that the cost will
typically fall within the range of $5,000 to $10,000 for
the mid-range systems, once you purchase everything that
you’ll need in order to complete the set-up. In addition
to that, you’ll have to consider the cost of the rest of
your home theater system, since these figures only factor
in the DLP expenses.

For those who can afford to do so, the DLP projector is an
excellent investment, despite its few downfalls. While no
projection system is perfect, DLP is currently the most
popular set-up on the market and provides a powerful
theater experience for those who aren’t inhibited by space
or finances.

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(c) 2005 Simon Canfield - All Rights Reserved

Simon Canfield is a hi-tech enthusiast and freelance author.

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