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How Digital Light Processing is Slowly Conquering The TV Market
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 consultant for several
consumer electronics manufacturers. Visit his websites for more
information on digtial
light processing (DLP) and satellite TV.
Written by: Mitchell Medford
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