What kind of projector should you get?
Let’s start by breaking down the different kinds of projector. Most will be one of two varieties: DLP (Digital Light Processor) and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display).
LCD projectors
LCD projectors use three liquid crystal displays – each of which handles a primary color – to project three images tinted red, green and blue. These images are then recombined in a glass prism to show the full color spectrum, before they’re beamed onto the big screen.
DLP projector
A DLP projector uses a single chip made up of millions of microscopic mirrors. Each individual mirror can be angled, thus directing light towards the projector screen or directing the light away from it, with each mirror effectively working like a pixel in a television. A spinning color wheel sits in front of the light source and determines what color is shown.
Alternatively, three-chip DLP solutions also exist where the light is split and recombined, as with LCD technology, and the need for a color wheel is eliminated.
There’s also LCoS projection, which stands for ‘Liquid crystal on silicon’, and it works similarly to DLP – but instead of mirrors, it uses liquid crystals to control the light. Both Sony and JVC use this technology, under the names of SXRD and D-ILA respectively.
All of these technologies have their benefits and drawbacks. DLP projectors are generally brighter and sharper, but can suffer from a ‘rainbow effect’ (where you can see the individual red, green, and blue colours) if the panels aren’t perfectly aligned. LCD projectors are usually cheaper and don’t suffer from the rainbow effect but can, in some instances, struggle with motion and have trouble achieving the same depth of blacks as other technologies.
While each projection technology is different, don’t let that become the be-all and end-all when looking for a new projector. Your best bet is checking out reviews of the projector you want to buy before making any decisions.
