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As projector technology is advancing, one can find various types of projectors in the market. However, understanding the technical difference and if such projectors are useful or not is a complicated process. One such types of projectors are DLP and 3LCD.
DLP projectors come with more mirrors to offer more pixels for desired image projection but the exceptional brightness offered by the 3LCD projectors is incomparable. Also, these projectors consume lesser power and thus turn out to be cheaper than DLPs at high-definition resolutions.
If you are also aware of the difference between the two, you are at the right place!
Table of Contents
What are DLP projectors?
Digital Light Processing (DLP) projectors beam the light through its colour wheel first and then reflection mirrors and finally through the lens. DLP technology involves reflecting light off microscopic mirrored panels.
The light is bounced off from the bulb of the projector to a special chip with a separate mirror for each pixel. These reflected images are further passed to the colour wheel at the frequency of thousand times per second. A solid moving image is perceived with the frequent image alteration between red, blue, green, black and white.
What are the advantages of DLP projectors?
As DLP projectors are lighter and smaller than LCD projectors, they are highly portable. Even when the panels are black, LCD panels allow passing the small amounts of light in DLP projectors leading to high contrast ratios and brighter images. Although, it is visible in dark rooms. But LCD panels break down quickly when used for many hours a day leading to projector degradation.
What are 3LCD projectors?
Under 3LCD projectors, light is first split into blue, red and green beams. Then each of the beams is filtered through individual LCD to produce bright images for each colour. The colour beams are perfectly recombined in prism and projected as a complete image through the lens. Like DLP projectors, there is no spinning wheel.
What are the advantages of a 3LCD projector?
Compared to DLP projectors, the light output in a 3LCD projector is higher. You can expect more saturated and vivid colors from 3LCD projectors over DLP projectors. As there is no use of optical illusion under a 3LCD projector, there are no chances of the ‘Rainbow effect’ which DLP projectors suffer from.
Which projector is worthy to consider?
When it comes to pricing, both 3LCD and DLP projectors are highly affordable. The details and the level of colour that these projectors offer is satisfactory as well. However, if you are looking for exceptional brightness with lesser power consumption right in your budget, 3LCD projectors are the preferred choice over DLP projectors.
Currently. More than 40 Brands are making 3LCD projectors. The 3 LCD panel chips in 3LCD competently rival the affordable DLP projectors. It is evident from the fact that in 2009, more than 51% of projectors in the market were equipped with 3LCd technology.
At the give
n lamp output, 3LCD projectors are capable to produce brighter displays. Especially, when you are displaying 3D content,3 LCD projectors produce more desirable results than DLP projectors. However, dealing with the lower pixel fill factor is not easy as the cheaper models of 3LCD projectors deliver poor native contrast.
DLP Vs 3LCD – which is better?
As DLP projectors are comprised of a spinning wheel, it is highly prone to wear and tear as most of the moving parts of any gadget are at a high risk of failure. The sequential colour illumination leads to the rainbow effect. But only a few people can detect and the majority will perceive it as a normal image. As DLP produces lower light output over 3LCD making it comparatively cheaper.
As 3LCDs are prone to internal dust, gradually it leads to image destruction. The light path of DLP projectors is relatively easier hence the chances of optical misalignment are relatively lower in DLP projectors than 3LCD projectors.
As DLP projectors do not require filter replacement or frequent filter cleaning like 3LCD projectors. The lamp replacement cost with 3LCD projectors is also high as compared to DLP projectors. The polarized blue path degrades when the 3LCD projector is used for more than 9000 hours leading to distorted images.
Which one to buy – DLP or 3LCD?
If you are going to install your projector under ambient lighting conditions, 3LCD projectors are a worthy choice. But, if you can control the lighting conditions, DLP is a preferred choice over 3 LCDs.
If you prefer contrast over light output, a DLP projector is a good choice. For theatre rooms and home cinemas, DLP projectors are an undisputed superior entry-level choice. The black levels in DLP are better than LCD to give them an edge with high contrast.
