Image quality comparison between LCD projection technique and DLP Projection technique

Why LCD Projectors and not DLP Projectors?

3LCD and DLP are two technologies for creating projected images. Like every technical tradeoff, each has strengths and weaknesses.

The 3LCD approach provides key performance benefits over DLP

- Brighter, more accurate colors

- Better gray-scale performance

- No color breakup in moving images

- No bleed/blurring in moving images

- Color alignment during manufacturing

Some DLP strengths don’t pay off in better projector performance

- High contrast ratio specification doesn’t pay off in real settings

- Eliminates need to align multiple chips –but doesn’t allow for color alignment

Real DLP Advantages

- Smaller size and weight -only relevant for portability, and must be traded off against the image advantages of 3LCD systems

Same Lumens, Different Results

For this test, models were chosen from leading makers with the same brightness specification (ANSI Lumens). As you can see, the lower color availability in the DLP projector affects color accuracy:

Gray Scale Performance

Again, models were chosen from leading makers with the same brightness specification (ANSI Lumens). As you can see, gray scale performance affects both monochrome and color images:

Moving Image Quality –Color Breakup

When the content includes moving images, projection technology can also create image errors, or “artifacts”.
Projector Color breakup is inherent in single-chip systems because moving images change position between the time component colors are displayed. Three-chip systems such as 3LCD do not have this characteristic because all the colors are delivered simultaneously.