DLP

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.