Most consumer 4K DLP projectors utilize a single Texas Instruments (TI) Digital Light Processing (DLP) chipset with an arrangement of highly reflective aluminum micromirrors known as the DMD to deliver 4K UHD (3840x2160 pixels) displayed resolution.
The XPR Technology allows a DLP to display a 4K image. Texas Instruments states that “XPR Technology achieves true 4K by producing 8.3 million distinct pixels regardless of the DMD chip’s number of native pixels. XPR quadruples the 0.47-inch DMD chip’s native 1920x1080 pixels to generate 4K (8.3 million pixels) onscreen resolution due to its lightning-fast pixel shifting speed. This is why Projector Reviews list the native resolution of many 4K DLP projectors as 1920x1080x4.
So while a DLP imager may contain less than 8.3 megapixels, every pixel’s image is rapidly shifted, allowing each one to do the job of multiple pixels. When it comes to pixel shifting, faster is better. The pixel wobbling is done so fast that it fools your eyes into seeing up to four times the projector’s native resolution.
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® states that 4K UHD must produce 8.3 million distinct pixels on the screen, which is four times the resolution of Full HD 1080p. Furthermore, the CTA states, “With more than 70 committees, subcommittees and working groups and roughly 1,100 participants, the CTA Technology and Standards program maintains an unmatched reputation as a credible and flexible standards-making body accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).”
There is a lot of debate about 4K capable DLP versus native 4K LCOS-based projectors; at Projector Reviews, we are more than comfortable with the CTA’s explanation on 4K UHD and setting industry standards with the well-written statement they provided.
Based on years of testing both 4K capable DLP projectors and native 4K projectors, we can testify that is nearly impossible to see a difference in resolution between these two 4K solutions, especially from a normal viewing distance.
Input lag is an important term in the world of projector gaming. It is a word that relates to the gaming speed performance on projectors – the time between when the gaming system sends out its signal, to the time it is received by the projector, and is measured in milliseconds. The range of acceptable input lag speeds range from as high as 50ms (and a little bit above), to as low as 16ms. The speed of performance on a projector can mean the difference between you beating your opponent or your being beaten.
The Future of Projector Gaming
Check out some of our more in-depth reviews and informational article on gaming:
LED light engines use inorganic LED light-sources in place of a consumable lamp. Like laser light sources, LED light engines are also highly reliable and can offer up to 20,000 hours of use with no maintenance needed resulting in lower-cost operations. LED light sources are mercury-free and can power off and on quickly, even compared to laser light engines.
Using LED as a light source has been growing in popularity, mainly due to their small size, low heat, and affordability. Traditionally LED light engines are found in smaller, more portable projectors like a PICO projector. What PICO projectors lack in Lumens output is more than made up for in their size, power consumption, and portability. In some cases, PICO projectors can fit in a briefcase, purse, or even a pocket.
Although historically LED’s light output was far less than lamp and laser-based projectors, things are changing. Developers of high-output LED lights, like OSRAM, Samsung, and others, have made remarkable strides in increasing the Lumens of the LED light engines. These next generation LED lights can generate up to 3500 lumens of light output.
How an LED Light Engine Works
Starting in 2019, high Lumen, discrete RGB LED light engines are finding their way into projectors. Discrete RGB LEDs create red, green, and blue light. High-speed LED switching takes the place of the color and phosphor-wheels commonly found in DLP projectors to display each color at a frequency impossible to achieve mechanically. Since a wheel is not required, the noise produced is reduced and reliability is increased. RGB LED produces deeper, richer colors than comparable technologies for pure white reproduction and less DLP “rainbowing” (color breakup).
Business and education installations will value the performance and color accuracy of RGB LED-based light engines. These projectors are perfect for classroom and conference room type environments able to produce laser competitive colors, reliability, and, with the exception of brightness, do it at a lower price.
Just like laser light engines, LED light engines can and do have alternate configurations just as listed in hybrid laser light engines.There are several benefits shared by all projectors that use lasers as a light source. First, laser-based light engines turn on within seconds of pressing the power button. There is no time wasted waiting for a lamp to warm up or cool down. Old mercury lamps can be damaged if unplugged before the cooling-down period ends.
Laser-based light engines are incredibly reliable, lasting anywhere from 20k to 30k hours, and are mostly maintenance-free. Chances are, you would need to replace the entire projector long before the laser light engine fails.
Laser light engines are incredibly bright compared to lamps and most LED-based light systems, so they would typically be the best option for projecting on large surfaces. There are typically three types of laser-light engine designs used by today’s projector manufacturers.
How RGB Lasers Work
The best solution is to utilize multiple RGB lasers instead of a phosphor wheel and filters to create clean primary colors. Multi-channel laser light engines tend to produce a wider color gamut, making them a perfect choice for installations that require color accuracy in their displayed content.
In addition to much more accurate colors, because red, green, and blue light is produced by different lasers, a wider color gamut is also possible. Since the RGB laser wavelengths are specifically chosen to optimize the primary colors of red, green, and blue, a RGB laser projector has the ability to reproduce DCI-P3 or even the Rec. 2020 color gamut without the need for a color filter.
Discrete RGB laser light engines are considered to be the best projector light source available, but this performance comes at a price. Laser projectors tend to be physically larger than other types of projectors and are also very expensive. These systems offer the best brightness, so for installations requiring a huge projection screen, this would be the best solution
There are several benefits shared by all projectors that use lasers as a light source. First, laser-based light engines turn on within seconds of pressing the power button. There is no time wasted waiting for a lamp to warm up or cool down. Old mercury lamps can be damaged if unplugged before the cooling-down period ends.
Laser-based light engines are incredibly reliable, lasting anywhere from 20k to 30k hours, and are mostly maintenance-free. Chances are, you would need to replace the entire projector long before the laser light engine fails.
Laser light engines are incredibly bright compared to lamps and most LED-based light systems, so they would typically be the best option for projecting on large surfaces. There are typically three types of laser-light engine designs used by today’s projector manufacturers.
Most laser projectors utilize the least expensive solution, which is a single blue laser diode array that provides the blue light and excites a yellow phosphor color wheel. Filters are then used to break up the yellow into red and green elements.
For higher brightness, some projectors use a dual blue laser light engine. One blue laser ultimately hits phosphor wheels to generate red and yellow beams, while the other blue laser handles the solely the blue component.
There are several benefits shared by all projectors that use lasers as a light source. First, laser-based light engines turn on within seconds of pressing the power button. There is no time wasted waiting for a lamp to warm up or cool down. Old mercury lamps can be damaged if unplugged before the cooling-down period ends.
Laser-based light engines are incredibly reliable, lasting anywhere from 20k to 30k hours, and are mostly maintenance-free. Chances are, you would need to replace the entire projector long before the laser light engine fails.
Laser light engines are incredibly bright compared to lamps and most LED-based light systems, so they would typically be the best option for projecting on large surfaces. There are typically three types of laser-light engine designs used by today’s projector manufacturers.
Laser Phosphor
Most laser projectors utilize the least expensive solution, which is a single blue laser diode array that provides the blue light and excites a yellow phosphor color wheel. Filters are then used to break up the yellow into red and green elements.
For higher brightness, some projectors use a dual blue laser light engine. One blue laser ultimately hits phosphor wheels to generate red and yellow beams, while the other blue laser handles the solely the blue component.
Hybrid Laser Light Engine
For improved color reproduction, another laser light configuration combines a red LED and a blue laser that uses a phosphor chip or a color wheel to generate green light. These hybrid laser projectors out-perform lamp-based projectors in brightness while delivering superior color and long life.
Discrete RGB Laser
The best solution is to utilize multiple RGB lasers instead of a phosphor wheel and filters to create clean primary colors. Multi-channel laser light engines tend to produce a wider color gamut, making them a perfect choice for installations that require color accuracy in their displayed content.
Triple Laser Technology
In addition to much more accurate colors, because red, green, and blue light is produced by different lasers, a wider color gamut is also possible. Since the RGB laser wavelengths are specifically chosen to optimize the primary colors of red, green, and blue, a RGB laser projector has the ability to reproduce DCI-P3 or even the Rec. 2020 color gamut without the need for a color filter.
Discrete RGB laser light engines are considered to be the best projector light source available, but this performance comes at a price. Laser projectors tend to be physically larger than other types of projectors and are also very expensive. These systems offer the best brightness, so for installations requiring a huge projection screen, this would be the best solution.
The technology behind LCD (Transmissive Liquid Crystal Display) starts off with a single light source, just like with DLP. But, with LCD and 3LCD, the single light source is split into 3 beams — one each for red, green, and blue – the primary colors. Once the light is split, mirrors send the beams to different locations inside the projector box. At that point, the light passes through one of the LCD panels (or three panels if it is a 3LCD projector). These panels are not colored, but grayscale, and each has a different color filter. The end result, when light passes through them, is the red, green, and blue beams that then pass through a dichroic prism, which recombines the three beams into a single full color beam.
How LCD works is a laser-phosphor light engine a blue laser emits blue light, some of which excites a yellow phosphor. That yellow light is split into red and green, and each color passes through its own LCD imaging panel. The light from the three panels is then combined and sent through the lens to the screen.
While early LCD projectors contrast performance was behind its DLP competition, the last six years has seen remarkable leaps forward for LCD.
A projector is more than the sum of its parts. It has been said that the actual projector is only one half of the equation, with the screen being the other factor that impacts perceived picture quality. The truth is you have to look at the projector systemically. When you do you will find, among other improvements, the dynamic iris contributes to LCD projector’s improved contrast.With LCoS displays, the process is similar to 3LCD, in that you start by splitting the light into three beams. A key difference, though, is that LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) is a reflective panel (like DLP) rather than transmissive (light passing through it), like the 3LCD panels. So, light bounces off of the LCoS panels, then to a dichroic prism (like 3LCD) to recombine the light into a single, full-color image.
LCoS imagers have a higher pixel density than their DLP or LCD counterparts so a smaller LCoS chip can produce more resolution. This is why most native 4K Home Theater projectors utilize LCoS chips.
How LCoS Works
What this means is about is 8 million pixels, each producing an individual element of the picture. There are other ways of displaying 4K. Technologies like DLP’s wobulation and LCD’s pixel-shifting are some examples. But are these native 4K? It’s something of a debate in the industry. Is native resolution determined by how many pixels you can see on the screen or how many pixels or mirrors exist on the chip? You’re going to have to be the judge of that because it’s about how you perceive the picture.DLP (Digital Light Processor) works when light passes through a spinning RGB color wheel and then bounces off a single DLP (or DMD, Digital Micromirror Device) chip that is covered with micro-mirrors. The light is reflected off the mirrors on the chip, then passes through the projector’s lens and onto the screen to produce an image. Because DLP projectors only require a single chip, they are often among the smallest and most portable projectors on the market.
The resolution and performance of DLP chips have improved with each successive generation. Native resolution has increased up to WUXGA (1920 x 1200). While a DLP chip does not have 8.3 million mirrors, it can deliver a perceived resolution of 4K (3840 x 2160).
DLP XPR technology leverages the immense speed of the DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) to process pixels faster than the rate of the video signal. This speed is how DLP can utilize one imaging chip to create multiple colors and multiple pixel locations.
In the earlier DMD designs, the pixel would only pivot on or off using one hinge and axis. The XPR chip tilts in 4 directions and operates fast enough for our eyes to see all the pixels and perceive the entire image all at once.
While the newest 0.47″ DMD chips only have about 2.1 million mirrors, they can deliver a perceived resolution of 8.3 million pixels. This system works so well that it would be difficult for any viewer to see a difference in resolution from a native 4K UHD (8.3 megapixels) imager.Short throw projectors by comparison mount less than half the distance back. For screen sizes of 100” or smaller, they can usually be mounted on a telescoping arm, on a wall mount placed only inches above the screen, but telescoping to 40 or more inches.
Thanks to the telescoping mounts, these short throw projectors mount directly above the screen which makes wiring is a breeze by comparison to standard throw projectors. Limitations include maximum screen size. 100” screens are about as large many short throw projectors can handle from those mounts.
How LCD works is a laser-phosphor light engine a blue laser emits blue light, some of which excites a yellow phosphor. That yellow light is split into red and green, and each color passes through its own LCD imaging panel. The light from the three panels is then combined and sent through the lens to the screen.
While early LCD projectors contrast performance was behind its DLP competition, the last six years has seen remarkable leaps forward for LCD.
A projector is more than the sum of its parts. It has been said that the actual projector is only one half of the equation, with the screen being the other factor that impacts perceived picture quality. The truth is you have to look at the projector systemically. When you do you will find, among other improvements, the dynamic iris contributes to LCD projector’s improved contrast.With LCoS displays, the process is similar to 3LCD, in that you start by splitting the light into three beams. A key difference, though, is that LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) is a reflective panel (like DLP) rather than transmissive (light passing through it), like the 3LCD panels. So, light bounces off of the LCoS panels, then to a dichroic prism (like 3LCD) to recombine the light into a single, full-color image.
LCoS imagers have a higher pixel density than their DLP or LCD counterparts so a smaller LCoS chip can produce more resolution. This is why most native 4K Home Theater projectors utilize LCoS chips.
How LCoS Works
What this means is about is 8 million pixels, each producing an individual element of the picture. There are other ways of displaying 4K. Technologies like DLP’s wobulation and LCD’s pixel-shifting are some examples. But are these native 4K? It’s something of a debate in the industry. Is native resolution determined by how many pixels you can see on the screen or how many pixels or mirrors exist on the chip? You’re going to have to be the judge of that because it’s about how you perceive the picture.DLP (Digital Light Processor) works when light passes through a spinning RGB color wheel and then bounces off a single DLP (or DMD, Digital Micromirror Device) chip that is covered with micro-mirrors. The light is reflected off the mirrors on the chip, then passes through the projector’s lens and onto the screen to produce an image. Because DLP projectors only require a single chip, they are often among the smallest and most portable projectors on the market.
The resolution and performance of DLP chips have improved with each successive generation. Native resolution has increased up to WUXGA (1920 x 1200). While a DLP chip does not have 8.3 million mirrors, it can deliver a perceived resolution of 4K (3840 x 2160).
DLP XPR technology leverages the immense speed of the DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) to process pixels faster than the rate of the video signal. This speed is how DLP can utilize one imaging chip to create multiple colors and multiple pixel locations.
In the earlier DMD designs, the pixel would only pivot on or off using one hinge and axis. The XPR chip tilts in 4 directions and operates fast enough for our eyes to see all the pixels and perceive the entire image all at once.
While the newest 0.47″ DMD chips only have about 2.1 million mirrors, they can deliver a perceived resolution of 8.3 million pixels. This system works so well that it would be difficult for any viewer to see a difference in resolution from a native 4K UHD (8.3 megapixels) imager.Short throw projectors by comparison mount less than half the distance back. For screen sizes of 100” or smaller, they can usually be mounted on a telescoping arm, on a wall mount placed only inches above the screen, but telescoping to 40 or more inches.
Thanks to the telescoping mounts, these short throw projectors mount directly above the screen which makes wiring is a breeze by comparison to standard throw projectors. Limitations include maximum screen size. 100” screens are about as large many short throw projectors can handle from those mounts.
